Oh, Summer, the many things that it brings to our lives: fresh vegetables and fruits, trips to the pool or beach, and vacation time for some. It’s the time of the year when many will use their barbecue grills almost every weekend if possible.
For these days when you’re grilling your meat or chicken, warm up some tortillas alongside the meat to enjoy your grilling feast by making some tacos, and top it off with one of the most famous salsas in Central Mexico, one that’s sought after in many “Taquerias” for those who like to have a good, spicy, tasteful salsa. A good taco has to have a really good salsa to go along.
Red Salsa Taquera
This salsa traditionally has Chiles de Arbol, tomatoes, garlic, salt and water, but some cooks like to add tomatillos (the medium size tomatoes with a husk), like I do in this recipe. This is a very spicy salsa, but you can adjust the spiciness to fit your own taste by reducing the amount of Arbol peppers. This salsa goes well with “Tacos al Pastor”, too. Most Taquerias in Mexico City that sell Tacos al Pastor offer this salsa to top your tacos with. Some people know this salsa as Salsa de Chile de Arbol and others as Salsa Taquera.
How to make Red Salsa Taquera
Directions:
- Heat a skillet or heavy griddle and arrange the tomatoes, onion, tomatillos, and garlic to roast on the skillet. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Roast the ingredients. The garlic cooks in a few minutes. The roasting process will take about 8 minutes.
- When your tomatoes and onion look softened, it’s time to remove them and set aside or place in your blender or food processor along with the garlic. Now add the Arbol peppers to the hot griddle and slightly roast them.
- Once all the ingredients, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion and arbol peppers are in the blender, process them until you have a fine texture.
Season with salt and serve in a bowl. Enjoy!
Buen Provecho
Mely,
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Receta en Español Salsa Taquera.
📖 Recipe
Taquería Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 Large sized tomato
- 4 medium sized tomatillos or 6 small ones *
- 2 garlic cloves unpeeled
- ⅓ of a medium white onion **
- 15 Dry Arbol Peppers ***
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or heavy griddle over medium heat, once it’s hot. Arrange the tomatoes, onion, tomatillos and garlic to roast on the skillet.
- Roast the ingredients until they start showing some blistering and look slightly softened, turning them to make sure they roast evenly. The garlic cooks in a few minutes and you will need to remove it, peel the skin, and set aside. The roasting process will take about 8 minutes. If your tomatoes don’t look to softened, wrap them in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes, this will help them to finish cooking.
- When your tomatoes and onion look softened, it’s time to remove them and set aside or place in your blender or food processor along with the garlic. Now add the Arbol peppers to the hot griddle and slightly roast them, this will be a very fast step since the peppers skins burn easily, which gives them an unpleasant bitter taste, so be sure to turn them and roast the peppers without burning them.
- Once all the ingredients, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion and arbol peppers are in the blender, process them until you have a fine texture. If your salsa is too thick add a little water. Season with salt and serve in a bowl.
Video
Notes
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Lyndsey Cannady
So delicious! I never leave comments. Gotta try this
Roger Ervine
Made this for fiesta with some amigos. They were smoked by the peppers and the word was "Puro Mexicanos".
Muy bueno!!
kurt
Does the taqueria style salsa freeze well?
Mely Martínez
Hello Kurt,
Yes, it will freeze well for a couple of weeks.
Kimber Wallick
I’ve never made a salsa recipe that my husband liked and today I made two! This salsa taquera and another from your book The Mexican Home Kitchen called salsa verde cremosa. These are the first two recipes I’ve tried from your book and with these results you can bet I’m excited to try more. Delicious and thank you!
Ely
Hi Mely,
Have you tried canning this salsa? I would love to make a big batch and can it to have through out the year. Do you know if it's possible and how it would hold up?
Love your recipes!
Ely
Mely Martínez
Hello Ely,
Sorry, I haven't tried canning this salsa.
Gabriela
Delicious! However, the 15 chile de árbol was too much for my family. We love spicy food, but this amount was too much for us! Love all your recipes!
Luz
Super good recipe! I didn’t think the chiles would be spicy since she added 15 but ooooo it’s spicy. I would use maybe 5 next time but I’m a wimp. I’ll still be using the rest of this salsa, thank you!
pero de internet
ever use Mexican oregano in these?
Mely Martínez
Hello.
Yes, once in a while.
perro de internet
do you peel the red tomato?
Mely Martínez
Hello,
No, I use them with skins on.
Jerry H.
I've made this plenty of times.....so good! Sometimes I will add chile Japones and some powdered chile chipotle .
Thank you!
Sarah
Delicious! But seriously spicy. I cut the arbol amount in half and still spicy. So if you are sensitive to heat maybe 3 arbol. Delicious flavor!
Jeana
The heat is in the seeds and the inner veins. Cut these out to make the salsa less spicy.
nick
You can't cut the veins out of Arbol chilis: even if they were fresh it would be a tall order because they're so small, but when they're dried it's literally impossible unless you rehydrate them and even then... You can remove the seeds for sure - which you should definitely do since they're insanely spicy and they're pretty bitter to boot - but even 5 seeded arbols is pretty hot, especially for a weaker pallet. I think you've got it right: 3 arbols for a slightly hotter but still medium spicy salsa for a weaker pallet is probably the right amount.
Norma
This salsa is so delicious,thank you!!
Gabby
I made this recipe for dinner today with pollo asado tacos and I am so happy I did! So delicious and it is like going to a taqueria. Thank you.
Misty Westfall
I am unable to find the Arbol
Chilies, is there a pepper I could sub ?
Can wait to make this recipe!! I’ve looked everywhere for a recipe like yours!! Thank you for sharing!
Kind Regards,
Misty
Misty Westfall
*can’t wait to make it , I meant. Lol
Mely Martínez
Hello Misty,
You can try using Puya peppers, Piquin peppers, or even the spicy Chinese peppers sold at Asian stores.
Janb
Possible on Amazon. I would suggest taste the pepper first before using 15.
Nichol Richards
Look on Amazon. I’ve had to do that before.
salsa snob
Spanish isle at Walmart and any grocery store. they are dried in a bag or any taqueria will usually have a grocery section.
Jeana
Try Amazon,com or MexGrocer.com. Getting chiles de arbol are totally worth it!
andrew
Hi, Where I am from it is not possible to get fresh tomatillos. Would canned tomatillo work as a substitute?
Mely Martínez
Hello Andrew,
Yes, you can use those to make Taqueria style salsa, just add to the blender.
klaus
dawg, this is the worst salsa ever. mi mama told me to never mix the two tomatoes, it came out unpleasantly sweet.
Mely Martínez
Hello Klaus,
This is so strange and weird, using both types of tomatoes is a very common practice for this type of salsa, especially in taquerias. There is absolutely no reason to have a sweet taste.
Dave
Do you ever add fresh lime at the end?
Mely Martínez
Yes, sometimes. But some people add lime all the time to their tacos.
Kristi
Hey! Thanks so much for this recipe. I made it today and I feel like it might have come out a little bland. Any thoughts as to why this may have happened. Maybe the tomatoes?
Mely Martínez
Hello,
You can adjust the number of tomatoes to your personal liking. I'm not sure what you mean by a little bland.
No spicy?
Miran
My problem was always not enough salt. My friend who was from Mexico added almost a teaspoon to this amount of tomatoes.
Mely Martínez
Hello Miran,
As the recipe indicates, you need to add salt to adjust to your taste.
Colin Fernandez
I think the tomatillos you used were too ripe. They should be used when green and not more yellow for a nice sour flavor.
Vince
What should a base amount of salt be, I’m afraid of using too much or too little. I was also unable to locate Chile de Arbil, will the Japones Chilis work?
Mely Martínez
Hello Vince,
If you don't find Arbol peppers then those you mention could be a good substitute. Keep in mind that even though their level of heat is similar it would differ from one to another. For the sal, add 1/3 tsp first, if that is enough for you, then you do not need to add more. Happy cooking!
Kay
This is a yummy salsa! It is pretty spicy. I think I am gonna use about 10 peppers next time. It is very good, the only issue was when I was roasting the veggies, it gets smoky and it’s hard to evenly roast them cause they roll. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Overall, delicious! 😊
Linda
Making some taquitos dorados for dinner and needed the perfect salsa. I have bought various store made ones and I have had no luck. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try, OMG! It was perfect. Delicious and perfect amount of heat. The tomatillos definitely are a must!
Mely Martínez
Hello Linda,
Thank you for trying the Taqueria Style Salsa. Enjoy!
Bill
Hola!
Thank you, I have been looking for this forever... been using the wrong search terms :-/ ... taquera or taqueria are what I was missing.
Anyhow, I can't wait to make it (gotta get some tomatillos).
Kim
FINALLY! A taste of Mexico!!! Thanks for this! Simple and fabulous and I like mine HOT!
James
Jesus! This is a great website!
Kaley
Hi, my salsa turned out really watery. I just used a regular large tomato and it seems like that may have made it have too much liquid. Do you know how I can fix it for next time?
Mely Martínez
Hello Kaley,
Mexican salsas are usually no thick, but you can add more tomatoes to the make it thicker.
marie
can i keep this for a long time or has to be used the same day
mmartinez
Hello Marie,
You can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Jesse Wolfe
This is awesome. I have seen this in taquerias and when friends have brought it in on Taco Tuesday. Finally found the match I was looking for. Thank You!
Noah
Hi there. Thank you for the recipe. I have been trying my best to replicate the salsa that they slop into my burritos at taco wagons across California. This is close. Very very close though I think I’m going to have to really cut back the heat.
mmartinez
Hello Noah,
Yes, you can adjust the spiciness to your liking. Every cook adds the ingredients to their own taste.
Helen
Help please. Love yhe recope. Can you help me make it for 30 servings???
mmartinez
Hello Helen,
There is an option in the recipe card, where it says servings 16, just change to the number of servings you want. Usually, the servings for salsa are equal to 1 tablespoon.
Clavo Saldaña
Excellent recipe that keeps it simple & spicy with great flavours. Gracias!
Candy
HI, what if I have regular chip Arbol and not the dried one?
mmartinez
Hello Candy, do you mean you have fresh arbol peppers?
Margarita Arzola
This is the greatest salsa recipe I've ever made! Thank you
mmartinez
Hello Margarita,
Happy to know you like the Taquería Style Salsa! Enjoy!
Liz
This recipe looks good except I think the author
left out a step.
Dried chili’s have to be soaked. I toasted mine
then covered them with boiling water and
allowed them to soak until they were soft, then
puréed with the rest of ingredients.
mmartinez
Hello Liz,
Some recipe using dried peppers call for cooking-boiling, roasting or soaking the peppers. With this salsa recipe, and other salsa recipes using chiles de átbol, you do not need to soak. Here the soaking method does not apply. Try the recipe the way it indicates in the instructions and let me know what do you think. We make this salsa just like that!
Tyler Knowlton
This recipe is perfect. It is just like the best taco stand salsas that I know and love. The only tiny change I made was adding a touch of lime juice because I wanted a little more tanginess. Thank you sooooo much for this recipe!!!!!
mmartinez
Hello Tyler,
Thank you for your kind comment and for sharing your addition of lime. I'm sure some people will like that too.
Vero
LOVE the pictures! I've tried to make Salsa Roja many times before and have failed miserably. I'm going to attempt to make your salsa tonight. Wish me luck.
Susan Neff
Just delicious! Mil gracias!
Melissa
I could only find ground arbol chili in my grocery stores, do you know the measurement to use? Thank you!!
mmartinez
Hello Melissa,
About 1 tablespoon.
Gricelda Mireles
Thanks for the recipe. I plan to make it tomorrow for taco day 🙂
mmartinez
Hello Griselda,
Enjoy!
Janet
Awesome, I made it and I put like 20 Arbor Peppers 🌶 to make it red it was good spicy. I put it on my fish tacos 🌮 and it it was delicious.
mmartinez
Hello Janet,
Great to know you love spicy food. 20 peppers is a hot sauce! Provecho!
nicole burch
Bravo!!!! Yummmmmmmm! absolutely delish!
George
Absolutely amazing, tastes just like the California taco trucks Chile!
Chris
I'm trying to duplicate the salsa that our local Mexican restaraunt serves on request. I usually ask for the "hot stuff" and they know what I want. I asked what they call it in Spanish and they said Salsa Picosa. I made this recipe using the roasted method and it's close. Now I wanna try the boiled method. Can u give that recipe. Do u boil all the ingredients? I'm using dry arbol peppers, do I boil them too? THANKS
mmartinez
Hello Chris,
Yes, you boil all the ingredients, including the peppers. "Salsa Picosa", means hot salsa. So, any salsa that is really hot, could be called "Salsa Picosa".
nicodemo
Is cilantro allowed?
mmartinez
Hello Nicodemo,
Of course if you are eating the whole salsa the same day, it will look kind of sad the next day.
Anonymous
Do u use the dried seeds too? Or just the pepper part?
mmartinez
Hello,
That will depend of every cook some add the seeds others don't. I use the seeds too.
Crisselli
Hola Mely, soy nueva en tu blog he de decir que ya estoy enganchada. Me encanta la comida Mejicana pero no creerias lo dificil que es encontrar los ingrendientes en España, al menos en lo referente a los chiles porque aqui la comida picante no gusta tanto. Pienso probar esta receta esta misma noche, aunque tendre que usar cayena ????. Un saludo y felicidades por el blog.
Ramón and Amanda
Hola ????
Se pueden utilizar los tomatillos enlatados? Aquí en Inglaterra los tomatillos frescos no se encuentran.
Gracias
Ramón
mmartinez
Hola Rameon and Amanda,
Si puedes usarlos de lata.
Happy Cooking!
ANNALISA
I absolutely love Chile de arbol. I realized it's what taco shops use here in southern California, but it's just very watered down so that they get a lot out of one batch I guess. Homemade, its unbeatable. It's my favorite snack to eat with tortilla chips. Thank you for the recipe. I also do not soak the chiles for this style. It's not necessary 😉
Joe
Anything you can add to make it more on the spicy side?
mmartinez
Hello Joe,
Add more peppers! 😉
Andrew Davila
Add a roasted Serrano pepper.
Lindsey
Hello Mely!
Is there a particular kind of tomato I should use? Also, I know you mentioned that if i use more tomatoes than tomatillos it makes it a darker red... I am looking to make a really smokey and spicy salsa roja for carne asada tacos. would you recommend using 1 tomato and 6 tomatillos as suggested or more tomatoes and less tomatillos?
Looking forward to exploring your site more! My husband's family is from Mexico and I am working on developing my cooking skills for traditional Mexican dishes! Thanks for your help!
mmartinez
Hello Lindsey,
To make it really spicy hot, use about 15-20 Arbol peppers, 1 large beefsteak tomato or 2 roma tomatoes, 2 tomatillos (3 in case they are small). That way you will have a deep red salsa. But you can always use only tomatoes. The type of tomatoes I use depends of what it is available on the market. Year around I prefer the roma tomatoes and the big beefsteak type during the summer months when they are really flavorful and juice.
Sorry for the late reply, I didn't see this question before.
Rae
Should I rehydrate the chilis? I see differing opinions on this, and am curious as to what your thoughts are on this.
Thank!
mmartinez
Hello Rae,
Most of the large dried peppers are usually rehydrated after roasted, but smaller peppers like piquin and arbol peppers are just roasted, cooked and then processed in a blender or mortar.
Anonymous
Should I peel the skin off the roasted veggies before I blend them how do I get that fire roasted taste and look? Love this site
mmartinez
Hello Anonymous,
Leave the skin on, that way you will have the roasted flavor.
Anonymous
Made this, but instead of adding water I added hibiscus tea. I steeped about 4-5 hibiscus flowers in hot water, and to get a nice thin consistency for my salsa, I added the hibiscus water. The color changes to a darker red, and that sweet / tart flavor of the hibiscus really brings the salsa alive.
KristiH
I don't have any Arbol chiles, but I do have guajillio peppers. Would that be ok to substitute?
mmartinez
Hello Kristi,
You can use Guajillo, but the salsa will be very mild rather than spicy. Still good to add flavor to tacos.
Dave
I love this salsa. I have been looking for this exact mix. Our local taco truck serves it and the owner told me how to make it but I missed one step in writing it down. Thank you for this recipe.
Ziho
Me encanta esta receta Mely!
Byte64
Ya tengo mis plantitas de tomates verdes en el balcón, necesito un mes mas para poder cosechar y luego...
Debe ser deliciosa, como todo lo que haces.
Un abrazo querida Mely
Tlaz
Mely
Hola Flavio,
Espero tengas una gran cosecha de tomates.
Un abrazo amigo,
Mely
Ziho
Hola Mely
Esta salsa sabe riquísima!!!! Gracias por mostrar la ricura de comida que tenemos en México!
Un beso desde Monterrey!
Ziho
Hola Mely
Esta salsa sabe riquísima!!!! Gracias por mostrar la ricura de comida que tenemos en México!
Un beso desde Monterrey!
Mely
Un beso amiga,
Un saludo a la tierra regia!
Swathi Iyer
That is yummy and fiery salsa, Mely, Welcome back. I miss reading your blog,.
Mely
Hello Swathi,
I wonder if you like foods as spicy as this salsa.
I miss you too.
Mely
Prieta
Mely, que bueno verte escribiendo de nuevo, te he extrañado. Que rica se ve esta salsita y como mencionaste los tacos pues ya me antojaste. Tendré que planear un viaje a TJ sólo para comer tacos- al pastor, porsupuesto!
Saludos y que estés bien.
Mely
Gracias, Prieta.
Cuando vayas a TJ, te comes unos a mi salud!
besos,
Mely
yvette84
Mely
Hi my name is yvette and last night was my first time visiting your site and i already could tell you that i love it! I like how you explain step by step and show picture of what your preparing ,thank you for your site and i will definitely will keep logging in, and and will cook your recipes
Mely
Hello Yvette84,
I hope you enjoy the recipe and if you have a questions, you can always email me.
Mely
Gloria in CA
Hi Mely. Long time no see and good to see you. Oh boy that salsa looks out of this world.I have a lot of chili de arbol that I dried from last year and for sure there will be a good sauce made this weekend when we grill. Thanks and as always, good to see you. Take care.
Mely
Hello Gloria,
Nice to hear form you too. Hope you try the recipe, it is great for grilled meats.
Lyndsey Chapin
Thanks for the recipe it looks so good, and I excited to try it.
Mely
Hello Lyndsey,
Thanks fro stopping by.
Happy cooking!
Nora
Mely con esta salsa ya se me antojaron los tacos al pastor! No vas a creer que nunca he hecho salsa con chiles de árbol y la tuya la tengo que probar.
Besos
Mely
En serio nunca has hecho salsa con chile de arbol? Sera que a mi me gustan las salsas picosas.
Saludos!
Mely
Hello Karen,
Tacos al pastor are my favorite.
Saludos!
Mely
Karen
This looks like a perfect salsa. Tacos al Pastor are my absolute favorite!
La Dama
Mely,
Como estas? I have been thinking to make salsa rojo now that I am back in England.I need some cheering up miss mi MaMa's cooking.
Besos
Mely
Hola Dora,
Long time not see! Glad to hear from your. I hope you have a nice time back home.
Saludos guapa!
Mely