Mexican salsas for beginners: from mild to extreme

In Mexico, food without salsa is like a film without sound: it is missing the essential. Mexican salsas are not a simple condiment - they are the heart of the cuisine. Every taquería, every fonda, every home has its own salsas, and the average Mexican consumes between 2 and 5 different salsas every day.

For those starting out in the world of Mexican salsas, the variety can be overwhelming. Which to begin with? Which are mild and which will make you cry? This guide is ranked from least to most spicy, with simple recipes for each level. Start at the beginning and work your way up at your own pace.

Level 0: No heat (yes, there are Mexican salsas without chile)

Guacamole

Technically a salsa, guacamole can be made completely without heat and is the perfect entry point to the world of Mexican salsas.

Recipe: Mash 2 ripe avocados with a fork. Add finely cubed tomato, chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, the juice of 1 lime and salt. Mix without crushing too much - guacamole with chunks is better than the blended kind. Ready in 5 minutes.

Pico de gallo

The fresh salsa par excellence: tomato, onion, cilantro, lime and salt. Without chile it is perfectly valid and delicious. It is the universal accompaniment to tacos, tostadas and any Mexican dish.

Recipe: Chop 4 ripe tomatoes, half a white onion and a handful of cilantro. Mix with the juice of 2 limes and salt. Let it rest for 15 minutes so the flavours come together.

Level 1: Mild heat (barely noticeable)

Mild raw green salsa

The most basic and mild green salsa in Mexican cooking. It uses tomatillos (green tomatoes) that lend acidity and freshness with just a touch of chile.

Recipe: Blend 500g of raw tomatillos (or green tomatoes) with a quarter of an onion, 1 clove of garlic, a handful of cilantro, 1 jalapeño chile WITHOUT veins or seeds (removing the veins eliminates 80% of the heat) and salt. Do not strain. Serve cold. It is a fresh, tart, barely spicy salsa that goes with absolutely everything.

Salsa ranchera

The Mexican breakfast salsa par excellence (huevos rancheros, chilaquiles). It is cooked, mild and full of roasted-tomato flavour.

Recipe: Char 4 tomatoes, a quarter of an onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a dry pan until blackened on the outside. Blend with 1 jalapeño chile without veins and salt. Fry the salsa in a little oil for 5 minutes. The charring gives it a deep, smoky flavour without needing much chile.

Level 2: Medium heat (pleasant, you feel it but it does not bother you)

Cooked green salsa

The cooked version is more intense than the raw and is the standard salsa for green enchiladas.

Recipe: Cook 500g of tomatillos in boiling water for 5 minutes. Blend with 2-3 serrano chiles (with veins), a quarter of an onion, 1 clove of garlic, cilantro and salt. Fry in oil for 5 minutes. It has notable but pleasant heat that warms without burning.

Pasilla salsa

A dark, mild salsa with complex flavours of dried fruit and cocoa. The pasilla chile is one of the mildest dried chiles.

Recipe: Toast 4 pasilla chiles in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side (careful, they burn quickly). Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Blend with 2 roasted cloves of garlic, salt and a little of the soaking water. Strain. It is an elegant salsa, almost black, with notes of cocoa and prune.

Level 3: High heat (really spicy, but manageable)

Red chile de árbol salsa

This is the salsa you will find on the table of any taquería in Mexico. It is reddish-orange, thin and with serious but bearable heat.

Recipe: Toast 15 dried chiles de árbol in a dry pan for 1 minute (turning them constantly). Blend with 2 roasted tomatoes, 1 roasted clove of garlic, salt and a little water. Strain to remove the chile skins. The texture should be liquid, not thick. This salsa is addictive - you start with drops and end up putting it on everything.

Salsa taquera (oil salsa)

The salsa that defines Mexico City tacos: dried chiles ground and fried in oil, which intensifies the heat and the flavours.

Recipe: Toast 10 morita chiles (or dried chipotles) and 5 chiles de árbol. Soak for 15 minutes. Blend with 2 cloves of garlic and salt. Fry in 3 tablespoons of hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. The oil boosts the heat and gives it a silky texture. It is the salsa for tacos al pastor and suadero tacos.

Chipotle salsa

The chipotle chile (smoked jalapeño) has medium-high heat with an unmistakable smoky flavour. It is probably the most popular Mexican chile in Europe.

Quick recipe: Blend 3-4 chipotles in adobo (canned) with 200ml of cooking cream, 1 clove of garlic and salt. The cream softens the heat and the texture is perfect for coating meats, pasta or using as a dip.

Level 4: Very high heat (only for the experienced)

Raw green salsa with serrano and habanero

The intensified version of green salsa: the same tomatillo base but with more chiles and the addition of a habanero that takes it to another level.

Recipe: Blend 500g of tomatillos with 3 serrano chiles WITH veins, half a habanero chile, onion, garlic, cilantro and salt. The half habanero lends a fruity, floral heat that is different from the serrano. Use sparingly.

Morita-chile salsa

The morita chile is a smoked, dried jalapeño similar to chipotle but smaller and spicier. Its salsa has a deeply smoky flavour.

Recipe: Toast 10 morita chiles, soak for 20 minutes. Blend with 3 roasted tomatoes, 3 roasted cloves of garlic and salt. Fry in oil for 5 minutes. It is dark, thick and with a heat that lingers in the throat.

Level 5: Extreme heat (expert territory)

Habanero-chile salsa

The Yucatec habanero is the spiciest chile in traditional Mexican cooking (100,000-350,000 SHU). Its salsa is floral, fruity and absolutely devastating in the mouth.

Recipe: Char 5 habanero chiles in a dry pan until blackened. Blend with half a roasted red onion, the juice of 3 sour oranges (or 2 sweet oranges + 1 lime), salt and a touch of vinegar. Do NOT strain - the rustic texture is part of the salsa. Use in minimal quantities: a few drops are enough to flavour a whole dish.

Salsa macha

Salsa macha is an oil salsa with dried chiles, nuts and seeds, originating in Veracruz. Its heat is high and progressive.

Recipe: Fry in 200ml of olive oil (over medium heat): 15 chiles de árbol, 5 morita chiles, 4 cloves of garlic and 50g of peanuts. When everything is golden (3-4 minutes), remove from the heat. Let it cool. Blend EVERYTHING (including the oil) briefly - it should have chunks, not be smooth. Add salt, vinegar and a touch of grated piloncillo. It keeps in a glass jar in the fridge for weeks. It is the Mexican gourmet salsa of the moment, perfect for pizza, pasta, eggs and tostadas.

General tips for making salsas

• Charring the ingredients always improves the salsa: charring caramelises the sugars and creates depth of flavour.
• The veins and seeds of the chile contain the highest concentration of capsaicin. Removing them reduces the heat by 60-80%.
• Salt is added at the end: Always taste before salting. A salsa may seem bland and just need salt to shine.
• Salsas improve with time: Make your salsas 1-2 hours before eating. The flavours come together and round out.

Mexican salsas are an infinite universe of flavours, and mastering them is a journey absolutely worth taking. Start with guacamole, move on to mild green salsa, and work your way up at your own pace. One day you will find yourself putting habanero salsa on everything without breaking a sweat. Explore more about Mexican chiles and discover all our recipes to accompany with the perfect salsa.