There are many different types, from red to green, from chunky to smooth, from cooked to fresh, and so much more. The key to making a great salsa is the ingredients. If you start with the best, most flavorful ingredients, you will achieve your perfect recipe.
Tomatoes (diced tomatoes are always welcomed) Tomatillos Cilantro Onion (white onion, red onion, yellow onion, green onion) Chili Peppers Corn Lemon Juice Lime Juice Garlic Salt and pepper
If you start with this list of ingredients in your kitchen, you are well on your way to making an enormous variety of homemade salsas. From there, you’re free to add new ingredients and begin to experiment. Tomatoes that are canned are usually picked at their peak ripeness. This results in superior flavor. Within hours of harvesting, they are processed to preserve that flavor. I’ve found that a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes (drained) can result in an outstanding salsa. As a general rule of thumb, though, fresh ingredients usually best in most cases. It is super easy to make. It’s more of a chunky restaurant style salsa. You can so easily give a rough chop to ingredients and mix them together for a wonderful snack. Here are few alternative serving suggestions. Go Mexican. Just like in your local Mexican restaurant, you might thin it out and serve it a bit saucy-style. Pour it into a squeeze bottle and pour it over your tacos or quesadillas. Speaking of… Skip the Sauce. Instead of going through the work of making a homemade sauce, use your homemade salsa instead. There are many common ingredients, so your flavors could be similar. Try a sweet pear-based sauce over the top of your salmon or white fish. How about a fiery habanero sauce served over the top of boring broiled chicken? How about a seared corn sauce served with your beef roast? Salsa, converted to a sauce, makes a great addition to many meals. Salsa in a Bread Bowl. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Bust out the Crock Pot. We enjoy dumping leftover salsas into our slow cooker with a whole chicken and let the flavors develop. Delicious. If you want to serve up a batch of your favorite salsa, try some of these service options to go along with your chips.
Toasted bread Pita bread slices, either warmed or toasted Pretzels Colored corn chips – at least you’ll have a bit of color Large crackers Melba toast Cooked pizza dough Large cut vegetables, like carrot sticks or celery stalks Baked roll slices Cooked shrimp
As always, bring in your creative energies and serve what you feel would complement the flavors. Here’s a list of what you should grow for an optimal salsa making endeavor: Tomatoes: There are numerous varieties of tomatoes available to you, including those juicy giant versions. We’ve tried many types and they’re all great. Tomatillos: Tomatillos are wonderful for green salsas, but please note that tomatillo plants take up a lot of room in the garden. We mean a LOT of room. These plants like to sprawl, so plan your garden space accordingly. Chili Peppers: Chili peppers are very easy to grow in your home garden, and you’ll have a huge variety to choose from. Learn more about Growing Chili Peppers here. Cilantro: This leafy green has a distinct flavor like no other. It is essential for many recipes, and also for guacamole. Garlic: Very easy to grow, and garlic gives a wonderful pop of flavor. Onions: Another vegetable that is easy to grow, and like tomatoes, you have a number of varieties available to you. Go for some green onion as well. You’ll love it. Options include freezing or canning. You can freeze your salsas by pouring them into a freezer safe container. Freeze them up to 6 months and thaw for later use. You’ll likely lose any crunchy texture of chunkier salsas, but the thawed salsas work great for incorporating into sauces, soups, or slow cooker recipes. You can preserve your salsa by canning if you have a good canner. Here is a great resource for canning salsas at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Picante Pico de Gallo Xni-Pec Roja Chile de Arbol Salsa Verde Habanero Pico de Gallo Sikil Pak
See all of my Salsa Recipes. Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! —Mike H.
