10 Ways to Use Garden Fresh Salsa Roja

Garden fresh homemade salsa roja: Sweet, spicy and loaded with summer flavor. Make your own authentic salsa at home with this easy recipe.

Salsa Roja, or red salsa is a classic Mexican condiment made with tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and spices. It is extremely versatile and can be used beyond the traditional tacos, nachos, enchiladas and burritos. Try it in your morning omelette, afternoon wrap, or evening stew. After reading this post, you will no longer just think of salsa on Mexican night.

• 

  Better than Chipotle Turkey Burritos

  Difficulty: Easy

  These perfectly seasoned, cheesy, and bold flavored burritos are healthier than store bought and will have your family and friends asking for more, and the recipe!

  6 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern

Is Salsa Roja Spicy?

When homemade, you can make your salsa as spicy as you would like it. Love heat? Load the recipe with plenty of jalapeños and Serrano to boost the heat. Not a fan of spice? Limit the jalapeños or eliminate them completely. Replace with a less spicy chili pepper like a poblano or use a sweet pepper. We love heat and make it with serranos and jalapeños.

What is red salsa made from?

Fresh tomatoes are the primary ingredient. We suggest using a saucing tomato such as Roma or San Marzano to ensure a thick consistency. You can include a variety of tomatoes to add additional sweetness. Blackening the tomatoes on your grill adds further complexity to their deliciousness.

The remainder of the ingredients are what turns the tomatoes into salsa. Chili peppers provide the spice and complexity to a good salsa. Onions, garlic, cilantro, oregano, white vinegar, a little brown sugar, salt and pepper are the remainder of the ingredients. Simple, yet delicious.

Is salsa healthy?

Salsa is made with a limited number of simple and healthy ingredients. Tomatoes, the main ingredient in salsa roja contains many useful nutrients and antioxidants that are associated with reducing inflammation. Salsa is a healthy and delicious condiment.

Must I use a grill to make salsa roja?

We believe blackening the tomatoes and chili peppers before peeling adds a depth to the flavor that cannot be replicated by boiling or searing the skin off in an oven. Using a grill is suggested but not necessary.

10 Ways to Use Salsa Roja

Red salsa is a delicious Mexican condiment with innumerable uses. As promised, here are ten of our favorite uses of salsa:

1. As a dip for nachos or chips. Common at most parties and thrown on the table as soon as you sit at your favorite Mexican restaurant. This is likely the most common use of salsa.
2. With tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas or our crockpot Mexi-chicken recipe. None of these beloved classics would be the same without salsa. 
3. In soups and stews. Use salsa in soup or salsa in place of canned tomatoes to up the flavor of the dish. Examples include tortilla soup, Spanish stews or crockpot meals.  
4. Eggs and omelets. We don’t just refer to huevos rancheros. Try stuffing your omelet with salsa and cheddar or add it to your egg sandwich instead of ketchup.
5. Sandwiches and wraps. Add a small amount of salsa to a turkey or chicken sandwich/wrap in place of mayonnaise for a delicious and healthy option. 
6. With a weeknight vegetable or white rice. Coming up with a healthy side for weeknight dinner is always a challenge. Just broil or steam a vegetable and serve with salsa for a simple and yummy side. Have some leftover rice in the refrigerator? Just heat it up with a bit of salsa for a flavorful and filling side. 
7. Topping for fish, chicken or pork. Grill or broil these meats and top with salsa when almost done for a quick and easy Mexican inspired entree.  
8. As a marinade. Pull the meat off a rotisserie chicken and marinade in salsa and some chili powder. Heat quickly and serve in a tortilla, over rice or with pasta for a quick Mexican inspired meal. 
9. On a burger. Skip the ketchup and top your burger with salsa and a few slices of avocado. 
10. Use it to make a Bloody Mary. Add a Mexican flair to your Bloody Mary. This only works if you make a salsa that is smooth and devoid of chunky tomatoes. 

If you have a favorite use of red salsa that isn’t on this list, let us know in the comments.

How do I make your homemade salsa Roja recipe?

Once you see how easy it is to make homemade salsa and how much better it is than store bought you will make it every summer when local tomatoes are fresh and abundant. If you don’t grow them yourself or your grocery doesn’t offer local produce, visit your local farmers market.

Start with fresh, clean and dried tomatoes and chili peppers. Heat your grill to high and place these and onions directly on the hot grates. If you don’t have a grill you can place them directly under the broiler in your oven. Note that the grill will improve the flavor of your salsa.

When the skin begins to blacken and split, turn over. Pull them off the grill when the they blacken a second time. Place in a bowl and allow to cool enough to handle. When cool, remove skin. This should be easy. Cut peppers onions and garlic into small pieces.

The tomatoes will have released quite a bit of water in the bowl while cooling. This water should be discarded to ensure your salsa is thick. Place peeled tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and seasonings into a food processor. Pulse on and off until you get the consistency desired. If you prefer a smooth salsa, consider removing the seeds from tomatoes and chili peppers then using a blender to emulsify and obtain a smooth consistency.

Remove salsa from food processor or blender and place in a bowl. Mix in salt, pepper and brown sugar. Enjoy!

Enjoy this Recipe?

First, thanks for visiting our site. If you have tried this recipe please consider giving us 5 stars and commenting below. Your comments will help us improve our future content.

If you would like to see more of our recipes, the links below will direct you to our most recent blog posts. Better yet, subscribe below and you will be notified as soon as we post something new. To subscribe we only need an email and a few seconds of your time.

• Simple, Healthy & Hearty 3 Bean Soup Recipe
• Cooking Asian Cuisine: A Beginners Guide
• Grilled Sorrentino Panini
• How to Use Asian Cuisine Ingredients to Create Healthy Tasty Meals
• 5 Essential Utensils for Asian Cuisine