Do you love that fresh red salsa at your local Mexican restaurant? Do you want to learn how to make it at home? I can help! This recipe for restaurant-style salsa is so simple to make. All you need are 6 ingredients and 20 minutes of your time. All the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store, leaving you with a delicious salsa frita!
If you've ever visited an authentic Mexican restaurant, you'll notice it is common to be offered a small bowl of salsa with some tortilla chips when you are seated.
It is sometimes a hit or miss, depending on the salsa recipe they are using. Here in the United States, some of the restaurants use canned tomatoes to make it, but using fresh tomatoes will always render the best salsa!
That's what I use in this salsa recipe, or what I call, salsa frita.
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Growing up, my mom would almost always have this red salsa ready, as it can be used for many things, like the famous huevos rancheros, scrambled eggs with salsa, entomatadas, or to add to the many typical Mexican meals we call “antojitos”.
The Difference Between Mexican Salsas
When we talk about salsas, the combinations are endless! They could be as simple as the raw serrano salsa, or a little more complex with more flavor like a Piquin salsa.
A few tomatoes (or tomatillos), onion, garlic, and peppers are the soul of a salsa, but not all of them are hot, spicy salsas. Sometimes, we use salsa to add some heat to a meal, while other times it constitutes an actual part of the dish, like with the dried shrimp patties in guajillo sauce.
Salsas are in our everyday life, and almost always, you will find homemade salsa at every Mexican dining table. (We also call them “Salsas de Mesa”, or “table sauces”, since they are placed on the table when the meal is served.)
With this restaurant-style salsa, also known as red salsa frita, it's so simple and fresh-it's delicious! You could use it and eat with just about anything. It has a lot of flavor.
Follow these simple steps to make restaurant-style salsa at home and enjoy some of the best tasting salsa you'll ever have!
Frequently Asked Questions About Fresh Red Salsa
Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked and wanted to answer.
Why is this called salsa frita?
The name 'salsa frita' comes from the fact that this salsa is fried in a hot pan for a few minutes after it is blended together.
What is the difference between restaurant-style salsa and chunky salsa?
The restaurant-style salsa has a smoother texture since all of the ingredients are pureed in the blender before frying in a pan. With chunky salsa, the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients are normally chopped and tossed together.
What kind of tomatoes do you use?
Some people like using fresh tomatoes while others prefer canned for their convenience.
I prefer to use fresh tomatoes because the salsa just tastes so much better has more of a fresh taste.
What if I can't find serrano peppers?
When I normally don't have serrano peppers on hand, I will usually swap it out for a jalapeno pepper. This doesn't mean you can experiment with other fresh peppers like habaneros in this salsa.
Can I add cilantro?
Yes! If you want to add cilantro to your salsa frita, use about ¼ cup of chopped cilantro and add to the rest of the ingredients in the blender.
You could also use parsley if you're not into cilantro! Although that is not traditional, I understand not everyone likes cilantro or can't find it.
Authentic Restaurant-Style Salsa
This fresh salsa only needs 6 ingredients to make it yourself. You probably already have them all in your fridge!
Here's what you need:
- Tomatoes
- Serrano peppers
- Garlic clove
- White onion
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Restaurant Style Salsa: Step By Step Tutorial
This salsa is very yummy. All you need to do is:
- Roughly chop tomatoes, serranos, garlic clove, and onion.
- Place all of it in your blender with water, and puree until it's all smooth.
- Heat the oil up in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the salsa slowly and stir.
- Once the salsa starts boiling, reduce the heat and gently simmer for about 13-15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the ingredients are well cooked.
- Once done, season with salt and serve!
What To Serve With Homemade Salsa Frita
I recommend serving the salsa with warm tortilla chips or use it with tacos, fried eggs, tostadas, etc.
I love to scoop some of the fresh red salsa onto these crispy cod tacos. So good!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for restaurant-style salsa, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
I hope you make this Mexican salsa frita! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Restaurant Style Salsa (Roja Salsa Frita)
Ingredients
- 2 medium size tomatoes
- 2 serrano peppers*
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ of a medium size white onion
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt to season
Instructions
- Roughly chop tomatoes, serranos, garlic clove, and onion.
- Place in your blender with ¼ cup of water, and process until smooth (or slightly coarse, if you prefer).
- Heat the oil in a medium-size frying pan over medium-high heat, and pour in the salsa and stir.
- Once the salsa starts boiling, reduce the heat and gently simmer for about 13-15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the ingredients are well cooked. If it needs it, add more water; this will depend on how juicy the tomatoes are.
- Once done, season with salt and serve. This sauce will keep well for about 3 days in your refrigerator.
Berta Scroggs
Me encantan tus recetas! Muchisimas gracias!
Anonymous
We live in phoenix where we take our salsa seriously and this is spot on, made it two hours ago & it's nearly gone.
mmartinez
Hello,
Thank you for trying the recipe, I bet you are an excellent cook!
Jaime Haunslicke
love your salsa, i thought i was the only one that fries my chili. I think the frying the salsa enhances the flavor of the salsa as a whole. Thumbs up your salsa is awesome.....
mmartinez
Hello Jaime,
You are absolutely right! Frying the salsa enhances its flavors. My mom always fries her salsa, and many other home cooks do. it is just another way to make a good salsa! Happy cooking!
Tracy
I absolutley adore salsas! Love spicy salsas yet appreciate other salsas that have super fresh and flavorful ingredients, too. Still have yet to master a salsa at a large local Mexican restaurant, Hacienda Colorado. I s-w-e-a-r they put roasted tomatillos in their salsa but multiple servers have said no. Roasted tomatoes are the main ingredient. Think I'll just keep trying your recipes, one by one. Your's are amazing! Thanks for all you share on your blog Ü
Stephanie
Very good! I added some tomatillos and more garlic and wow spicy but I can't stop eating it. Thank you!
Jodi Keilman
MMartinez, I have a question. Do you have a recipe for HOT restaurant style sauce? I don’t know how to describe what I’m looking for except to give examples. I live in AZ and my favorite restaurants are Valle Luna, Ajo Al’s, and PoPo’s. They bring you their regular salsa with chips and then I ask them to bring out their hot salsa. It’s deep red and puréed or thick liquid. (Not Tabasco sauce). I just wish I could learn to make salsa just like they do. Does that sound like a recipe that you have?
mmartinez
Hello Jodi,
Every restaurant usually has their own recipe, and that usually will be their cooks' recipe depending on the region they are from (in Mexico). Hot salsas can be made with so many variations. When I moved to Texas, I found out that several restaurants in my neighborhood offered a red-hot salsa. Asking around I managed to get the ingredients to make my own salsa at home. Here are 2 links to some salsas that can be similar to what you are looking for. Have fun and experiment with hot peppers.
The first one is from a restaurant in MD: Super spicy salsa
This one is from Texas: Red Taqueria Style Salsa Note, just add the chicken bouillon little bit little and taste.
Amber
Looks delicious! I would never have thought salsa could be "fried". I'll give this a try very soon.
I make a delicious salsa which uses canned tomatoes. I imagine the fresh tomato will really provide a different flavor.
glen warren spencer
Dear M.S. Martinez. im confused some use 6 tomatoes 2 peppers 1 garlic, half an onion ,others use 5 tom,3 pep, 4 gar, one onion. how can a person learn to make a balanced flavorful red salsa , med heat, & smoke flavor 1/3 of my life i ate by an open fire, out of a pie pan over Mesquite fire, im trying to make a salsa like that any help will help T U
mmartinez
Hello Glen,
The number of tomatoes and peppers used in salsa will indicate the amount of salsa to make. Usually, a recipe will say how many cups of salsa you can make with that amount. As for how many peppers, well, if you can tolerate the heat, you can add as many as you like. The same applies to the garlic, so many people in Mexico, skip adding the garlic or the onion. You can actually make a good salsa only using tomatoes and peppers.
Glen
Thank you
Wil
This salsa came out great and the recipe is wonderful! Two thumbs up for sure !
My only question is how do you get your salsa to come out so deep red in color? Mine for sure was pale red...
mmartinez
Hello Wil,
Sometimes, when the peppers are old they lose their dark color. Maybe that's why your salsa came to be a little lighter in color. You cna also add more peppers next time.
Gina Bisaillon
I lived in Mexico many years and now I'm back in Montreal. Now if anyone could tell me how I can get serrano chiles here in Montreal, they would really be a hero! You can often see jalapeños, and yesterday I saw some at the supermarket... @ $7 for four!
Frank
I love the flavor and heat level but I could not get rid of the raw tomato flavor and "crunch". I even simmered it for 45 minutes. It may be due to the quality of tomatoes in supermarkets. Even the "vine ripe" tomatoes (which I used) are not as good as they used to be. I am going to try again with canned tomatoes.
mmartinez
Hello Frank,
Some restaurants used canned tomatoes and mix them with fresh ingredients. Try it that way and let us know. Thank you for visiting.
Glen
Dear m Martinez after talking with Hispanic ladies in the manager in the grocery store I'm using 6 tomatoes two jalapenos to Garlic's one green chili in about seven or eight cilantro stocks and stuff tastes pretty good anyway the heat level is where I want yet the next day the heat level is gone and I'm not sure what is it supposed to be like this anyway thank you and take care and God bless
mmartinez
Hello Glen,
That is what happens with a lot of salsas, the heat mellows the next day. You can reheat the salsa and you will feel some of the heat coming back.
Eileen
This sounds delicious and I’m so excited to try this. I recently started making homemade salsa for my boyfriend and me each week to have on hand and have been searching for an authentic, traditional Mexican table salsa to stick with. I’m gonna make it this week!!
susan torres
As I read more & more comments I got my question answered. To fry or not to fry. Wonderfull info on food plus! I've memorized site's name and will come back. Ilike how they always come out differant but always GOOD. I LOV LIME OR LEMON in my salsas too! lov ur kitchen
Jeanné
I made this salsa today per the instructions, and it’s orange. I did have to sun jalapeños for Serrano because literally none of my grocery stores had any. Would the change in peppers change the color?
Mely Martínez
Hello Jeanne,
Jalapeños are bigger in size than serranos. How many jalapeños did you use?
Also, I like to wait to use my tomatoes until they are very ripe. When I bring them from the store, I let them sit on my kitchen counter for about 3-4 days until they are completely red.
MARIA
BEST SALSA AND EASY, THANK YOU MELY YOU ARE A GREAT CHEF:) THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL OF YOUR RECIPES:)
Shelbi K
First time to make salsa and it’s sooo good!! I roasted the vegetables and used poblanos instead. So easy!
Mely Martínez
Hello Shelbi,
Thank you for sharing about your first time making salsa, I'm pretty sure roasting the ingredients made the salsa taste even better.
Lisa
Hi, I just wanted to check on the ingredients you say if no Serrano available to sub one jalapeno? But your recipe calls for 2 Serranos. And a serrano pepper is like double the hotness of a jalapeno so wouldn't you need more jalapeno than the surano? Thanks cant wait to try.
Mely Martínez
Hello Lisa,
It will depend on the season how hot they are. If you like spicy, add more jalapeños.