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Salsa is one of the most popular condiments in America. People put it on everything, including the ever popular tortilla chip-and-dip combo. But if you rarely explore past the salsa aisle in your grocery store, it's time to branch out. Making your own salsa ensures it'll be fresh and delicious, and it opens up a whole world of salsa styles and ingredients. If you're hoping to explore the chip-and-salsa options for your next pool party, these recipes will help you get started.
First off: A classic. This is the style of salsa you'll find at most Tex-Mex restaurants. It uses canned whole tomatoes as the base, which gives it a richer tomato flavor. If you want more heat, add more jalapeños or a hotter pepper like a serrano or habanero. There's only a pinch of cumin in it because a little goes a long way.
Recipe: Spend With Pennies
Pico de gallo is a simple, chunky salsa made with fresh tomatoes. It's by far best to make in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Make sure you use fresh cilantro and lime juice for the best flavor.
Recipe: Pati Jinich
For a salsa that's earthier, richer, and a little smoky, roast your vegetables first. This recipe only uses tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, but it has a complex flavor thanks to roasting. You can do that on a griddle, grill, or under your broiler. It's traditional to make salsas like this in a molcajete, a Mexican mortar and pestle, but the blender works just fine too.
Recipe: Mexico in My Kitchen
Salsa verde is made with tomatillos, which are not just green tomatoes but a member of the gooseberry family (that's why they have the same papery covering). They'll make a tangy, tart salsa. They're simmered in water along with onion and peppers, then blended for an easy dip or sauce.
Recipe: Serious Eats
This recipe is practically magic. Jalapeños and garlic are simmered until they're soft, and then blended with vegetable oil to create a velvety smooth, bright green sauce. The oil emulsifies, making it perfectly creamy without using anything like avocado or mayo, so the flavor of the jalapeños shines. You can use this technique with any peppers you want, including an orange habanero version that's blisteringly hot.
Recipe: Mexico in My Kitchen
Salsa macha is an unusual salsa from the state of Veracruz that's become trendy recently. It's made by cooking dried smoked chiles and garlic in oil, then adding peanuts and sesame seeds for nuttiness. Think of it as the Mexican version of chili crisp.
Recipe: Pati Jinich
This is a super hot but fresh Mayan-style salsa. It's like pico de gallo but with diced habaneros instead of jalapeños. They lend heat, of course, but also a fruitiness, which is pumped up by the addition of orange juice along with lime.
Recipe: Mexico in My Kitchen
Related: 22 Traditional Hispanic Dishes Most Americans Don't Know About
Salsa de guacamole is a popular style of sauce for tacos. You blend ripe, creamy avocados with tomatillos, onions, and peppers until it's smooth. The end result is like a cross between a salsa verde and guacamole, and it's great to offset spicy grilled meats.
Recipe: Pati Jinich
This salsa is fruity, smoky, and hot. Look for the dried chiles de arbol and pasilla in the Hispanic section of your grocery store, or head to a Mexican market. Toast them easily in the microwave or on a dry griddle, and then blend them with lime, grapefruit, and orange juices for a deep red and fiery sauce.
Recipe: Serious Eats
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Fruit salsas are especially great on seafood. This mango version includes red bell pepper for a beautiful color and mild flavor. All you have to do is chop the ingredients and toss them together before topping your fish tacos.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Grilling fresh corn on the cob intensifies its sweetness and adds a layer of smokiness that's great in salsa. This recipe is pretty much just a simple pico de gallo with lots of charred corn thrown in, but the flavor is complex and interesting.
Recipe: Minimalist Baker
If you like your salsa with corn and beans, cowboy caviar (sometimes called Texas caviar) is the way to go. This favorite Tex-Mex party snack is made with black beans, black eyed peas, corn and other veggies, then coated with a simple, tart dressing of red wine vinegar and lime juice. Though this recipe doesn't call for it, a little bit of cumin is a great addition.
Recipe: Spend With Pennies
This is the roasted version of salsa verde, though it's just as easy to make as the boiled version. Just roast the vegetables under your broiler until they're blackened all around, then chuck it into the blender or food processor. Though this recipe calls for fresh chopped onion mixed in, you can also roast it first if you prefer.
Recipe: Rick Bayless
