• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
Home » Salsa~Salsa » Salsa Recipes » Salsa Roja! Salsa Verde!

Salsa Roja! Salsa Verde!

December 12, 20215 Comments

636 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Salsa roja or salsa verde? Why not both! On any given day, I always have a small selection of homemade salsas in my refrigerator. I can’t be without a red or green salsa. Sure does make my life a whole lot easier when the salsa is ready and waiting in the refrigerator!

salsa roja and salsa verde in glass jars. Extra salsa in small bowls

To Boil Or Not To Boil?

The first few salsa recipes that I learned early on were very simple. It basically required me to boil my fresh ingredients and blend until smooth! A simple seasoning of salt, maybe with some fresh lime juice. That version is delicious, but there are so many options when it comes to preparing salsa these days. Preparing salsa is definitely a passion of mine. It brings me great joy and satisfaction. Plus it taste delicious! I am unofficially announcing right here that I am working on my first cookbook! Yay! Finally! It’s been a long time coming and only I can make it happen. I can’t wait until I am able to share more details with you all.

Chilaquiles , Enchiladas and Tacos Are Just A Recipes That Come To Mind For These Salsa Recipes!

skillet filled with fresh salsa ingredients
Adding fresh green chiles to a salsa roja recipe is not uncommon. This yields different levels of flavors. It’s optional, of course.
tomatoes up close boiling in water
I favor using roma tomatoes in my Mexican recipes, but other tomato varieties are tasty too! My best piece of advice is to invest in a power blender if you do prepare a lot of salsa or sauces. Smooth results with no straining required.
dry roasting tomatillos on a lined metal comal
Are regular tomatillos the same as tomatillo milpero? There are a few slight differences. Milpero tends to be a little more tart and has a lot more seeds than the regular, larger tomatillo. The milpero variety ranges in size. Some look like the size of a small marble and can be as large as a lime.
How do you decide between serranos or jalapeños when it comes to preparing salsa verde? It’s a matter of flavor, but not necessarily heat level. In my experience, I have used jalapeños that were extremely hot compared to some serranos and vise versa. How can I know for sure? Most times, you can simply slice the pepper open and the strong aroma gives it away. It may even make you sneeze! Best way to know, is to taste a little bite! If you dare!
Pinterest image of red and green salsa in glass jars
salsa roja and salsa verde in glass jars. Extra salsa in small bowls

Salsa Roja , Salsa Verde!

If there's salsa roja, there must be salsa verde too! Why not? Sharing with you two basic recipes that can be used for all your favorite Mexican dishes!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salsa
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Steam Tomatillos: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 1 quart each salsa

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Comal or griddle
  • Saute pan
  • Sauce pan

Ingredients

Salsa Roja

  • 6-7 Roma tomatoes
  • 10-13 chile puya or chile de arbol stems removed
  • 2-3 serrano peppers
  • 2-3 jalapeño peppers
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 3-6 cloves of garlic
  • drizzle of oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1-1 1/2 cups water

Salsa Verde

  • 2 lbs tomatillo milpero or regular tomatillo husk removed, washed
  • 6-8 serrano peppers stems removed
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 3-6 cloves of garlic
  • drizzle of oil
  • handful of fresh cilantro washed
  • Salt to taste
  • 1- 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

Salsa Roja

  • Add dried chile puya, serrano, jalapeño, onion and garlic to skillet. Turn to medium. Drizzle with a little oil.
  • In a separate pot, cover tomatoes with water and bring up to a boil at medium heat. Cook tomatoes in steady boiling water until you see tomato skins start to peel away. If you choose to peel skins from tomatoes, this will yield a smoother salsa in the end. It's optional.
  • When the ingredients in saute pan start to sizzle and become aromatic, start to gently turn and flip ingredients for the next 5-6 minutes, making sure dried chiles don't blacken too much. After 5-6 minutes, transfer dried chiles to the blender. Pour in some of the cooking water from tomatoes to dried chiles. let sit. Continue cooking remaining ingredients until they begin to caramelize a bit.
  • When ready, transfer serranos, jalapeños, onions and garlic to the blender. Add tomatoes and a little more of the cooking water(1/2 cup). Season with salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer back to sauce pan and cook at medium heat for at least ten minutes. Taste for salt along the way.
  • Cooking the salsa after blending it is optional. Frying the salsa in a little preheated oil is optional as well. It adds another level of flavor. Cooking the salsa will extend the refrigerator life of salsa by a few days.

Salsa Verde

  • Line a large comal or griddle with foil paper. Transfer washed tomatillos on to lined comal and turn heat to medium. After a few minutes, they will begin to sizzle and blacken in some spots. Turn as needed, cooking for 13-17 minutes.
  • On a separate comal, at medium heat, line with foil paper. Roast the chiles serranos and onion for 15 minutes, turning as needed. Drizzle with a little oil to speed up the process and add more flavor!
  • Keep tomatillos, serranos and onion wrapped in foil paper where they will steam for a few minutes.
  • After about 10 minutes, transfer tomatillos, serranos (stems removed) and onion to the blender. Also add fresh garlic, salt to taste, handful of fresh cilantro, and about 1 cup of water. Blend on high until smooth. If you prefer a very thick salsa, hold off on adding water until after you blend. Then you can add a little if desired.
  • Transfer blended salsa to a sauce pan and cook for at least 10 minutes at medium heat. Cooking the salsa cooks out the natural pectin in the tomatillos which will yield a smoother salsa in the end. Taste for salt as it cooks.
  • Transfer salsas to glass jars, seal tight and let cool at room temperature. Store in refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Notes

For milder versions of these two salsa recipes only use 1/3 of the chile peppers listed in each recipe. The heat level of any of these peppers, fresh or dried, varies. I never rely that one pepper means a mild salsa, lol! Sometimes they are extremely hot, even jalapeños. Depends on any given day.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Mexican Salsa, Salsa Recipes, Salsa~Salsa Tagged With: Mexican Salsa, Salsa Recipes, Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde

Previous Post: « Green Chile Seafood Chowder
Next Post: Salsa Asada- Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dee Whitehead

    December 12, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    This step by step is perfection! Thank you ever so much !
    I love your recipes🥰

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 12, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      Thank You Dee!!!!

      Reply
  2. Victoria

    July 9, 2022 at 6:36 am

    Hello, I do not see where to add the 1/4 onion in the salsa verde. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      July 9, 2022 at 8:16 am

      Hi Victoria, sorry about that, I edited the recipe to include the onion. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

      Reply
  3. Brian

    January 21, 2024 at 8:09 am

    Though I’m not a big fan of salsa verde, everything was in season (inexpensive) so it seemed like a good opportunity to make it. This was awesome. Made it 3X so far and once tomatoes are in season (inexpensive) it’ll be made next. Definitely recommend this your recipe. I did cook it the 10 min. after just to make sure it would last long as they were pretty big batches and to mellow the edge.

    Reply

Would Love to Hear From YouCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

Never Miss a Recipe

Get all the latest directly to your inbox

View Privacy Policy Before Subscribing

View our privacy policy

Mariscos-Seafood

Crispy Masa Crusted Shrimp and Poppers

popper with cheese and bacon filling

More Ceviche & Aguachile!

aguachile verde in a heart shaped cazuela

Filetes de Pescado al Ajillo-Garlic Butter & Lime Cod

Tacos Dorados! Cuatro Vientos!

crunchy tacos

You might also like…

Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken

Chile Con Queso

Shrimp and Scallops a La Mexicana

Copyright © 2025 LA PIÑA EN LA COCINA

636 shares
MENU & SEARCH
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie Settings Accept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d

      Rate This Recipe

      Your vote:




      A rating is required
      A name is required
      An email is required