Salsa Tatemada (Charred Salsa)

yields about 4 cups

My ideal salsa: fresh, slightly smoky, rich in color, deep in flavor & texture. After lots of testing, this is her, my perfect recipe.

Goodbye store-bought salsa. Making it at home is too easy & SO much better. This is my variation on a salsa tatemada, a classic salsa made from charred vegetables. It’s got all the essentials. Fresh tomatoes. Onion. Garlic. Serrano. Lime. Cilantro. Salt. With two secret ingredients to crank it up a notch: ancho chiles & diced raw onion. The ancho chiles (aka dried poblanos) add richness, complexity, & provide this beautiful, deep red color. Part of the white onion is kept raw, giving this salsa the added texture to take it over the top.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ white onion, cut into rounds

  • 1 serrano pepper, stemmed

  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

  • 2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 8-9 roma tomatoes (about 2 lbs), cored and seeded

  • 1 tbsp kosher salt (*see note)

  • 3 tbsp lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

  • ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

  • ¼ white onion, small dice

DIRECTIONS

Char the Veg

  1. Place a cast iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

  2. Add white onion rounds, serrano, garlic, and ancho chiles and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides. About 1-2 minutes for the ancho chiles (careful not to burn), 4 minutes for the garlic, and 6-8 minutes for the serrano and onion. Transfer to a sheet pan to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic.

  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add tomatoes skin side down, and cook for 5-8 minutes until evenly charred.

  4. Place toasted ancho chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling/very hot water. Let soak for 15-30 min, then remove from water.

Blend & Serve

  1. Add the tomatoes, white onion rounds, serrano, ancho chiles, salt, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Puree on lowest speed, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides, until evenly incorporated with some chunks remaining.

  2. Add the cilantro and pulse until just incorporated.

  3. Transfer to a bowl & stir in the diced white onion. Season with more salt & lime juice if needed. Cover & refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • * I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, which is less salty and more crumbly than Morton’s Kosher Salt. If you use Morton’s brand instead, start with just 2 tsp of salt.

  • Keep refrigerated and covered tightly & salsa will keep up to 5 days.

  • Ancho chiles are tough to substitute but if you can’t find dried chiles, add 2 chipotle peppers in adobo instead.

  • This has a medium-spice level. If you prefer mild salsas or are sensitive to spice, scrape out the seeds and ribs from the serrano, or substitute a jalapeño. If you prefer it hot, add another serrano pepper.

  • Capsaicin, the spice-causing chemical in chiles, gets slightly absorbed by other ingredients as the salsa sits. This dilutes the heat, so if the salsa is too spicy for you initially, it will be toned down after chilling for a day.

  • As salsa sits, salt will continue to draw moisture out of the tomatoes. If you don’t remove the pulpy tomato seeds, the salsa can become thin and watery. This is why I always recommend the extra step of deseeding the tomatoes.