The Only Salsa Recipe You Need

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And will never get sick of.

As promised. It’s here. The salsa recipe. The time has come to share all the secrets. And I promise it’s all my secrets. So don’t @ me when it turns out different even though you’ll follow all the steps the same.

It’s just how it is. Same thing happened when my mom taught me and the lady who taught her and all the people I’ve already showed how to make it.

This is the fair warning. The disclaimer, so you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Also, fair warning to only make this once you’re committed to making it all the time. You will forever want it in the house. Cuz it tastes so ridiculously delicious. We’re going on 17 years and still aren’t sick of it. Not even exaggerating. 

Okay! Here we go… Rule number one, and maybe the most important this to remember (after you wash the vegetables): 

Cook! The! Veggies!

Any way you want to. Boil, fry, roast, grill. It doesn’t matter. You just gotta cook them down somehow. This is where some preference comes into play. Test all the versions and find your favorite.

I personally like to boil my onion and tomatillos but fry my chiles. The onion and tomatillos simmer till they are just tender. The onion gets translucent and the tomatillos will turn color but WON’T be mushy. Remember this! No mush!
For the chiles, I’ll add a little tallow in a skillet on low with a lid till they’re tender. They get a little toasty on outside but not burnt.

While the veggies are cooking, I’ll wash the cilantro and throw it in the blender with a couple shakes of salt.

Rewind a minute to shopping for ingredients…
When it comes to picking and prepping the tomatillos. Look for the ones that have soft paper on the outside, and the darker the green the tomatillo, the better. But also dark green and crunchy leaf > light green and soft leaf. 
Onions, I always go white. A nice big one, cut into quarters. No reason for the size other than I naturally just did it that way and it speeds up the cook time.

Moving on to the best part… chiles!  #drool I Just love spicy food. Theres no way around it…
I go pretty classic with jalapeños and seranos.
This is also where preference can come into play. You can go mild with a poblano or wild with some habaneros. Mix and match and find a temp and flavor that works for you. I’ll usually add a clove or two of garlic to the pan and roast those a bit too. But not always. 

>>Quick tip! Don’t forget to pop the stems off the chiles. Bend it sideways and they easily snap off without opening the pepper up.<< 

The tomatillos will probably cook faster than the onion too. So don’t be afraid to things off the heat as it’s done versus all at once. Grabs some tongs and watch it close. 

Reserve the water from the pot you cook the tomatillos and onion in for later. You might want to add a bit to the blender. If you’re roasting or grilling, you can add a little fresh water no problem to get the right consistency too. 

You can’t say I never warned you that I’m not a recipe person. This is how we do… and really I’ve had one tomato and quarter of an onion with a couple jalapeños and it still turns out great. As long as you’ve got onion and some sort of chile, you’ll be golden.

Alright, now that everything is cooked up, the cilantro and salt are in the blender, you’ve added all the veggies… it’s time to blend it up! Give it a few pulses and then let it rip! Blend till it’s smooth, or not. Keep it chunky if you like it that way. Add some water if it feels too thick. (but start slow, like maybe 1/4 cup. Too much and you’ll water it down losing a lot of the flavor. Made this mistake before. It was annoying). Learn from me!

Salt to taste and then your all set! Hot, fresh salsa you’ll impress your own self with. Keep it in a jar or Tupperware for a couple weeks in the fridge… if you don’t eat it all in one sitting. 

I never weigh anything but I’ll do my best to guess in the printer friendly version. But take this and make it your own, then some tell me how you switched it up. 

Also hope you made carnitas and Beans for taco night.. and grab a tea towel to keep those tortillas warm in.