Roasted Salsa Recipe: How to Make Homemade Roasted Salsa
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 23, 2024 • 2 min read
A roasted salsa recipe can add flavor to Mexican dishes or accompany crispy, salty tortilla chips. Read on to learn how to make roasted salsa in twenty minutes or less.
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What Is Roasted Salsa?
Instead of raw ingredients, roasted salsa uses roasted tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Salsa is a gluten-free and vegan condiment that adds acidity and a fresh taste to dishes. Roasting the ingredients softens their texture and adds a smoky flavor. Enjoy roasted tomato salsa as an appetizer with tortilla chips, or use it as a topping for classic Mexican dishes, such as tacos.
Common Ingredients in Roasted Salsa
The ingredients in roasted salsa take on a smoky flavor, charred exterior, and soft texture. Here are some herbs and vegetables you can consider using in your next roasted salsa recipe:
- Cilantro: The most common herb in restaurant-style salsa, cilantro has a fresh, almost citrus taste. Parsley has a similar but milder flavor and is sometimes a substitute for cilantro.
- Onions: Use white or red onions or scallions for roasted salsa. Onions get sweeter after roasting but also take on a smokiness due to the caramelization of their natural sugars. When using scallions (or green onions), use both the white parts and the green parts.
- Peppers: Mild peppers, such as bell peppers, will add flavor to salsa. For more spice, use hot peppers like jalapeños, poblanos, habaneros, or serrano peppers. Roasting peppers enhances their natural sweetness and mellows out their heat somewhat.
- Tomatillos: While tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, they are a different plant altogether. Tomatillos are the main ingredient in salsa verde and have a bright, tangy flavor. Roasting tomatillos softens them and cuts down their acidity. For a dish that requires just two steps, try Chef Gabriela Cámara’s salsa verde cruda recipe.
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are the main ingredient in traditional salsa and one of the three main ingredients in pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, and peppers). Use Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or another available tomato. Fire-roast the tomatoes over an open flame on the stove or the grill for an even smokier flavor.
Roasted Salsa Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
20 mincook time
15 minIngredients
- 1
Heat the oven on the broil setting.
- 2
Place an oven rack on the second closest rung from the top.
- 3
Cut the tomatoes in half (or quarters, depending on their size).
- 4
Cut the jalapeño in half, keeping the seeds for heat or removing them for a milder heat.
- 5
Cut the onion into quarters.
- 6
Place the tomatoes (skin up), jalapeño, and onions on a baking sheet.
- 7
Toss the vegetables with olive oil.
- 8
Place the baking sheet under the broiler.
- 9
Broil the vegetables for 3–5 minutes, checking them frequently.
- 10
After 3–5 minutes, flip all the vegetables to broil their opposite sides.
- 11
Cook for an additional 3–5 minutes.
- 12
Continue flipping and cooking the vegetables until all their sides are partially blackened, about 15 total minutes.
- 13
Remove the vegetables from the oven and let them cool.
- 14
Remove the skin from the jalapeños and tomatoes.
- 15
To the bowl of a food processor, add the roasted tomatoes, jalapeños, onions, garlic, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
- 16
Purée the ingredients until the salsa reaches the desired consistency.
- 17
Transfer the roasted tomato salsa to an airtight container.
- 18
Chill the salsa in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
- 19
Serve the salsa cold or at room temperature.
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