Mexican Salsa Roja Recipe

Salsa roja in a terracotta bowl with a spoon on a plate with some tortilla chips.

5 from 1 vote

A classic Mexican table sauce, Salsa Roja is simple to make, delicious and versatile. I love using this sauce when making chilaquiles and enchiladas, as a dip, or even as a sauce to spoon over tacos and bowls. This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, condiment

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

2 Ripe Tomatoes - Use Roma tomatoes
1 White onion - Peeled and halved
3-4 Garlic cloves - Peeled
4-5 Dried chillies - Use a combination of Chile Guajillo, Chile Pasilla and Chile Chipotle
1 tbsp Vegetable oil - Avocado oil works well. Don't use olive oil.
½ tsp Dried oregano - Use Mexican oregano if you have it
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Boil. Bring a pot filled with water to a boil and drop in the tomatoes, peeled onion halves, chiles and garlic. There should be enough water for the ingredients to boil. Once the pot comes to a boil, simmer for 5-8 minutes until the chiles have softened and the tomatoes are soft, but not falling apart.
Transfer. Transfer the tomatoes, onion and garlic to a blender. For the chiles, you can consider running them under some cold water to remove the seeds. Add the cleaned chiles to the blender with about 1 cup of the cooking water.
Blend. Blend on high speed until you have smooth salsa.
Fry. To a pot set on medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, carefully pour the salsa into the hot oil. Watch out, there will be some splatter.
Simmer. Simmer the sauce on medium heat or medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir to stop the sauce from scorching. Note: for a more spreadable thicker salsa, simmer for longer.
Season. Season with oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Add in the apple cider vinegar. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

See the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient notes:

Tomatoes: I recommend using plum or paste tomatoes for this recipe. Roma tomatoes are available year-round.
Dry chile peppers: I am using a combination of guajillo chiles, Pasilla chiles and a dry chipotle pepper. You can use any combination of dry chiles (chile de arbol, Morita, etc.). Dry chiles can be found at all Latin grocery stores and these days you will also find them at most international stores or even your local grocery store. Use these chiles in other recipes like my Salsa Macha recipe.
Spices: I am using a little bit of dried oregano here. You can also use ground cumin for some added warm flavor, but it’s not necessary in my opinion.
Acid: Adding a little acid at the end of the cooking process will help balance out the sauce.

Other additions: fresh cilantro, chopped fresh jalapeno peppers, powdered dried chili ancho. Dried chicken broth cube is often used to add richness to the salsa.

Storage: Store in a glass airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you’re a fan of Mexican flavors, check out my salsa verde (with tomatillos), salsa macha, and Habanero Mango hot sauce.

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