Salsa Ranchera
This old-fashioned Mexican salsa is bold and rustic. Made with roasted tomatoes, chiles, onions, garlic, and cilantro, it's smoky and tangy, perfect with corn chips. It’s ready in under 20 minutes, keeps well in the fridge, and tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.
Servings 1 cup
Ingredients
- 4 ripe Roma tomatoes plum or Italian tomatoes
- 2 guajillo peppers or serrano peppers for a spicier sauce
- ½ cup onion chunks white or yellow, loosely packed
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 or 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place 4 ripe Roma tomatoes, halved, 2 guajillo peppers (use serrano for a spicier salsa), ½ cup onion chunks, and 2 garlic cloves on a hot skillet, griddle, or under the broiler. Cook until the skins are blistered and charred in spots, turning as needed, about 8–10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them, especially the dried chiles.
- Once roasted, you can peel off the tomato and pepper skins for a smoother salsa, though it’s optional. Leaving the skins adds more smoky flavor and rustic texture.
- Transfer to a blender or food processor jar, or use an immersion blender and a bowl.
- Add ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, 1 or 2 tablespoons lime juice and process until smooth. If the salsa is too thick, add a splash of water to adjust the consistency.
- Add ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more salt, or cumin and lime juice if needed. Roasted flavors are strong, so it's best to add little seasoning first and adjust after it's processed.
- Serve cold or at room temperature corn chips (my favorites) and tacos, or warm with enchiladas, grilled meats and huevos rancheros.
Notes
Control the heat: Serrano chiles are spicier and more direct, while guajillos are provide medium heat and a slight sweetness. Use more or fewer chiles depending on your heat preference. Removing seeds will tone down the spice.
Roast for flavor: This is a key part of this salsa; don't skip this step. For dried guajillo chiles (fresh ones are not easily available sometimes), you can also choose to toast them briefly in a dry skillet until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 10–15 minutes to soften and skip the roasting. Add them directly to the processor or blender.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen in small portions for up to 3 months, though the texture changes a little in my opinion. I'd rather make smaller batches more often and keep them refrigerated.
