SalsasEasy

Red Salsa

Name: Red Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tbsp Vegetable oil; 0.25 White onion; 6 Dried chilli de arbol; 2 Guajillo chilli; 500 g Tomato; 1 tsp Salt

30 min (10 prep + 20 cook) Easy 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 4 Feb 2026 · Updated: 10 Mar 2026

Charred tomato and chilli de arbol salsa with a bold, smoky kick.

About this recipe

Salsa roja is one of the most versatile preparations in Mexican cuisine. Made from charred tomatoes and dried chillies de arbol, it delivers a smoky, spicy punch that lifts any dish. It is an absolute essential on every Mexican table.

History & Origin

Salsa roja has its roots in the ancient Mesoamerican cultures that cultivated tomatoes and diverse varieties of chilli for thousands of years. The process of roasting the ingredients on a clay griddle is a pre-Hispanic technique that intensifies flavours and imparts the characteristic smoky touch. With the arrival of the Spanish, salsa roja became popular as the base for countless dishes of the New Spain era. In México there is a tradition that every family has its own secret salsa roja recipe, passed down from generation to generation, and it is common to see it served in volcanic stone molcajetes in the centre of the table.

Estimated cost

£1.37

Total cost

£0.17

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

0.5g

Protein

Carbohydrates

0.5g

Fat

Fibre

180mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Coloca the tomatoes enteros, el cuarto de onion y the garlic cloves without pelar en un comal (griddle) o sarten de hierro over medium heat-alto. Asa durante 10-12 minutes, girando ocasionalmente, until the tomatoes esten ennegrecidos for fuera y suaves for dentro.
💡 El asado en comal (griddle) es fundamental for el flavour ahumado de esta salsa. No tengas miedo de that se quemen; the manchas negras aportan flavour.
2
While the tomatoes are charring, prepare the guajillo and arbol chillies: remove the stalks and shake out the seeds. Toast them lightly on the comal for 30 seconds per side until they change colour and become aromatic. Do not burn them or the salsa will taste bitter.
3
Coloca the chillies tostados en un tazon with water hot y dejalos remojar durante 15 minutes until esten suaves e hidratados.
4
Peel the roasted garlic. Place the charred tomatoes, charred onion, garlic, drained chillies and salt in the blender. Blend for 45 seconds until you have a smooth salsa.
5
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a pot or saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, pour in the blended salsa all at once (carefully, it splashes). This is called 'frying the salsa' and is essential for concentrating the flavours.
6
Cuisine la salsa over medium heat durante 8-10 minutes, moviendo ocasionalmente, until oscurezca ligeramente y espese.
7
Prueba y ajusta la salt. Sirve hot o a temperatura ambiente. Se conserva en refrigeracion hasta for a semana.
💡 Esta salsa mejora with el reposo. Preparala un dia before si es posible.