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You are here: Home » Recipes » Salsas

Mexican Tomato Sauce

Published: Oct 20, 2015 · Updated: Oct 12, 2018 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

This Mexican tomato sauce (recado | recaudo) is the most basic condiment to have in your kitchen if you love Mexican food. Recado is used daily in Mexican households to prepare rice, stews, soups, antojitos, and more. Make a batch at home with only a few ingredients in a matter of minutes.

Tomato Sauce for Stew, Soups, Rice, and many other Mexican Dishes

Jar with tomato sauce next to tomatoes, onions and garlic.


There is a saying we have in Mexico that says: “Recado hace guisado”. That means that the end result of what you’re cooking depends on how well your tomato base sauce is done. “Recado” (or “recaudo”) can be raw, fried, or cooked like in this recipe. The ingredients are tomato, onion, and garlic.

 

Jump to:
  • Tomato Sauce for Stew, Soups, Rice, and many other Mexican Dishes
  • Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Tomato Recaudo.
  • How to make Mexican tomato sauce
  • What To Serve With Mexican Tomato Recaudo 
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Some people don’t even know it has a name; they simply learn how to cook dishes using this sauce that is so essential in our cuisine. The most popular version is the raw salsa made in a blender and then poured in to cook with the rest of the ingredients.

Here are a few examples of recipes using this salsa: Vermicelli Soup/Sopa de Fideos, Mexican Rice, Beef Soup/Caldo de Res, Meatball Soup, and Entomatadas, just to name a few. It’s a great idea to make some and freeze them or prepare it for canning when tomatoes are in season or if you find tomatoes on sale at the supermarket.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Tomato Recaudo.

Before I share my recipe, I will answer the questions I usually get about this homemade recipe.

What is recaudo?

Also known as recado is a simple Mexican tomato sauce that mixes tomatoes, onions, and garlic. This simple salsa can be fried, boiled, or use raw. Recaudo is a basic condiment that adds flavor to recipes like rice dishes, fideos, and soups, to name a few. Plus, it makes for a great cooked salsa to add to your potato tacos and Mexican flautas.   

Can you substitute ingredients for Mexican tomato recaudo?

This sauce I am sharing is the most popular recipe. However, there are many variations around the country. For example, in some areas of the south, people add other ingredients like peppers to add medium heat or cumin.

Recaudo has variations depending on the areas and taste preferences. My recipe is basic and the most traditional, even though you will find recipes with saffron, chili powder, and chicken stock in the mixture.  

How to store your Mexican recaudo

This Mexican tomato sauce will last about 4 days. Use as needed for your soups or other recipes. Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator o freeze it for up to 3 months. 

How to make Mexican tomato sauce

Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this dish:

  • Tomatoes
  • White onion
  • Garlic cloves skins removed
  • Water
  • Salt to season Optional

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a cutting board.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves in a large stockpot or saucepan. Cover with water, place the saucepan lid on, and cook over high heat until it starts boiling; once the water starts boiling, reduce heat to simmer. 
  • Cook until tomatoes are soft and skins are peeling.
Tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a pot with water.

 (Please check the ingredients list below)

  • Carefully place only the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and puree until you have a very smooth sauce.
Tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a blender to make Mexican tomato sauce.
  • Using a strainer, pour into glass jars. Once they’re completely cool, store your Mexican tomato sauce in your refrigerator. The sauce will last about 4 days. Use as needed for your soups or other recipes.
Jar with tomato sauce next to tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Provecho!

Mely,

What To Serve With Mexican Tomato Recaudo 

This Mexican tomato sauce is a great base for many soups like noodle soup and meatball soup. Another way of using this basic salsa is in the entomatadas recipe made of corn tortillas. However, my favorite way to eat this salsa is with fry tacos, shredded cabbage, and queso fresco. 

More Authentic Mexican Recipes:

If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican tomato sauce, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

  • Mexican vermicelli soup
  • Alphabet soup recipe
  • Mexican beef soup  

I hope you make this Mexican tomato sauce! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!

Mely

For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina 

📖 Recipe

Jar with tomato sauce next to tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Mexian Tomato Sauce

Mely Martínez
Mexican Tomato Sauce ( Recaudo |Recado) is made with tomatoes, onions, and garlic and is used daily in Mexican households to prepare rice, stews, soups, etc. Some people don’t even know it has a name; they simply learn how to cook dishes using this sauce that is so essential in our cuisine.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Cook Time 17 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Salsas
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 3 Cups of Salsa
Calories 41 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 20 oz. of Tomatoes
  • ¼ of a medium white onion
  • 2 small garlic cloves skins removed
  • Water
  • ½ teaspoon of salt to season Optional

Instructions
 

  • First, place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves in a large stockpot or saucepan. Cover with water, put the saucepan lid on, and cook over high heat until it starts boiling; then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until tomatoes are soft and skins are peeling.
  • Then, carefully, place only the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. (Add a few tablespoons of water to the blender, only if your blender is having a hard time processing the sauce)
  • Lastly, using a strainer, pour into glass jars. Once they’re completely cool, store them in your refrigerator. The sauce will last about 4 days. Use as needed for your soups or other recipes.

Notes

  • You can use plum or round tomatoes to make this sauce.
  • You can core the tomatoes and make a small “X” cut at the bottom of each tomato to easily remove the skins after cooking once they’ve slightly cooled. However, I have a powerful blender, so I skip this step.
  • This sauce is also prepared raw and then fried with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan until it is fully cooked.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 41kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 10mgPotassium: 461mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1574IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Maryse

    May 26, 2023 at 12:49 am

    5 stars
    Perfect. Thank You!!! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Clint

    February 14, 2023 at 10:59 am

    Is this what American Mexican Restaurants pour over burritos? If not, what is that?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      February 14, 2023 at 12:54 pm

      Hello Clint,
      I actually have never tried a burrito in a American restaurants. I had seen them, and they look like that enchilada sauce from a can.

      Reply
      • Clint

        February 14, 2023 at 1:36 pm

        Thanks for the reply! I might have been a little too vague. The suburban, neighborhood Mexican restaurants all throughout the US. Not necessarily a Moe's or lousy American burrito place like that. For reference, here is a photo from one of my local Mexican restaurants. Any insight here?

        https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipO_cIigWXAdEOfKDR6kl9AyiCUJMHUd4ooXzXVi=s680-w680-h510

      • Mely Martínez

        February 14, 2023 at 2:02 pm

        Hi Lint,
        That one looks like a salsa using a mix of tomatoes, jalapeños, and maybe an ancho chile to get that dark brownish color. You can use this recipe and add Jalapeño pepper and one ancho chile in the pot where you are going to cook the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. The one that you tried is not spicy. right?

  3. Rick

    September 11, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    looking for something like this but with onions and celery to go on top of pork chops had it a long time ago or should I just wing it?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      September 11, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      Hello Rick,
      Just add them to the dish.

      Reply
  4. Esmelda Mitchell

    September 06, 2021 at 10:03 am

    I have so many tomatoes and what to do with them? Well today I am making large batches of this tomato sauce and freezing it. I did this last year and it worked out great for my rice, fideo, soups etc. Love your blog..

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      September 07, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      Hello Esmeralda,
      That is such a great idea. Thank you for sharing it with us.

      Mely

      Reply
  5. Juan

    April 15, 2021 at 3:02 pm

    4 stars
    I live in Mazatlan, just made this sauce for the first time, when
    I called it "recado" my Mexican friends had absolutely no idea
    what I meant. I found recipes for a totally different sauce from
    the Yucatan called recado rojo. Colour me confused.....
    It's good though!!

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      April 15, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      Hello Juan,
      Maybe they have known it in that area as recaudo. But, if your friends are young, I'm pretty sure they have not idea about it. That is mostly abuelitas kitchen lenguague.

      Reply
  6. Rebecca

    March 12, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    Can this sauce be frozen?

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      March 12, 2019 at 9:37 pm

      Hello Rebecca,
      Yes, it can be frozen.

      Reply
      • Beth

        May 19, 2019 at 3:20 pm

        I freeze this in my glass canning jars (leaving room for expansion) and it works out great!

      • mmartinez

        May 19, 2019 at 3:39 pm

        Hello Beth,
        You can make all the amount indicated and freeze the already made tortillas. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just reheat them and they are ready to enjoy.

  7. Nola

    January 30, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    I'm going to make this next time I make Mexican Rice! I enjoy your recipes so much, thanks for sharing them!

    Reply
  8. La Gringa Poblana

    November 16, 2016 at 9:28 pm

    Blended raw and fried I use this for fideo seco, sopa de cualquier pasta, arroz, sopas. The smell when it hits the oil is intoxifying.

    Reply
  9. Leen

    October 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm

    Fideo soup

    Reply

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About me

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
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