Spicy Jalapeno Salsa

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If you’re looking for a way to add a little kick to your plate, this Spicy Jalapeno Salsa is up for the task. It’s fresh, flavorful, and as spicy as you make it.

Overhead shot of restaurant-style tortilla chips, a bowl of Spicy Jalapeno Salsa, and some sliced limes on the side.

This Spicy Jalapeno Salsa recipe is a staple on our dining table. It’s a welcome addition to most any meal and fair warning, you may want to eat it on everything. Morning eggs and toast, carne asada tacos, dolloped over veggie soup, and scooped up with restaurant-style tortilla chips. You really can’t go wrong with this one.

What makes this Spicy Jalapeno Salsa so simple?

The ingredients are fresh and easy to find in your local market year-round. Now, in-season tomatoes and peppers will always win on the flavor front, but we work with what we’ve got!

Overhead view of ingredients being rinsed in a large metal bowl: whole jalapenos, limes, roma tomatoes, and tomatillos.

Ingredients List:

  • Tomatoes
  • Tomatillos
  • Jalapenos (less spicy) or Serrano peppers (more spicy)
  • Chiles del arbol or New Mexican red chilis
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Lime juice
  • Cumin
  • Coriander (ground or fresh)
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Water (as needed, to adjust consistency)

That’s really all! It’s so simple.

The preparation of this salsa is also quite simple. Start by gently boiling the tomatoes and tomatillos in a pot of water until fork tender. Meanwhile, sauté the aromatics: onion, peppers, garlic, and fragrant spices. This really brings them to life!

Blending the fresh and the charred ingredients together creates layers of savory flavor and a sneaky heat even the most adventurous salsa-goer will love. If you aren’t sweating between bites, are there really enough chilis in the batch?! If you prefer your salsa on the mild side, that’s completely reasonable and you can scale back the chilis to suit your taste. Do what makes you happy!

Overhead view of the roasted peppers and onion in the blender pitcher before being processed into a salsa.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy this Spicy Jalapeno Salsa is on carne asada tacos. There’s something about perfectly seared steak and fresh salsa that is unmatchable in flavor and is oh-so-satisfying.

How will you enjoy this salsa!? I’d love to hear your feedback and all the ways you bring it into your home cooking.

Salsa with a bowl of tortilla chips and lime wedges.

Spicy Jalapeno Salsa

Fresh, medium-heat salsa with a sneaky spiciness and full-on flavor. Serve with restaurant-style tortilla chips, over game-day nachos, or make a savory pan of unbelievable chilaquiles.
This is a versatile chile you'll be making on repeat from here on out.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Sauce, Snack
Cuisine American, Mexican, Mexican-American
Servings 6 Cups

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Blender
  • Cutting Board
  • Sharp knife
  • Medium / large skillet
  • 3 16oz Mason jars

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large Tomatoes
  • 6 Tomatillos
  • 1 Tablespoon Avocado oil or other neutral oil
  • 2 Yellow onions
  • 6 Jalapenos
  • 6 Chiles del arbol or red New Mexico chiles
  • 6 large cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander ground
  • 1 small Lime juiced
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Rinse all of the produce thoroughly. Fill the pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a gentle boil on the stove top.
  • Add the tomatoes and tomatillos whole and gently boil until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • While the tomatoes and tomatillos are simmering, de-stem the peppers and prep the onion, cutting them into large pieces, roughly 2 inches thick. Cut the garlic cloves into halves so they can char but keeping mostly in tact so they do not burn.
  • When the tomatoes and tomatillos have become tender or have simmered for about 10 minutes, strain them from the water and add them to a blender. Set aside.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil. Add the chopped peppers and onions and sauté until lightly charred and slightly softened or about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  • Add the peppers, onions, and garlic to the blender along with your tomatoes and tomatillos.
  • Add the ground cumin, coriander, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
  • Blend on medium speed and pulse until the salsa is an even, smooth texture.
  • Taste and add salt, pepper, and the juice of a lime to your taste.
  • Once cooled, store in clean Mason jars and refrigerate. This salsa will last for 3-4 days in the fridge or can be frozen and revisited at a later season, about 3 months.

Notes

Jalapenos aren’t as spicy as they used to be, it seems. If you want to make sure your salsa has a real kick, try swapping some or all of the jalapenos with serrano peppers.
Play around with the spices you add. My dad’s original recipe doesn’t call for coriander, but I really love it’s gentle flavor and notes of cilantro. On that, feel free to add a handful of fresh cilantro to the salsa before blending. It’s absolutely delicious.
Hear me out: chilaquiles. I haven’t posted a recipe for this amazing brunch fave, but I plan to. This salsa can be used as a poaching sauce for chilaquiles or eggs in purgatory (Shakshuka!). And I recommend you try it. Also, enchilada sauce…?! Go wild.
Keyword Dip, Salsa, Spicy

If you’re looking for another fresh, pico-style salsa, you must try my Fresh Mango Salsa! It’s sweet and savory with a kick and the perfect table companion for this Spicy Jalapeno Salsa.

Amber Dawn

Fresh Mango Salsa

Amber Dawn | The Host Notes
This pico-style salsa is sweet and savory which means it has depth in flavor that plays well with your favorite grilled seafood or tacos, or maybe even a lovely addition to a 7-layer-dip. Spice it up or tone it down - it's versatile and delectable however you serve it up. The best part? Even the mango naysayers seem to love it. Take along as a side dish to your next cookout or bunko night and add some color and zip to the table.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Cutting board or butcher block
  • Chef's knife
  • Paring knife
  • Microplane or zester
  • Handheld juicer
  • Bench scraper
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Mango large, ripe
  • 3-4 Tomatoes Roma
  • 1 Red onion medium
  • 1 Serrano OR jalapeno pepper for less spice remove seeds to decrease spice level
  • 1 Cup Cilantro chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic grated
  • 3-4 Limes medium, juiced (about ½ cup)
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash your produce well and set aside to dry, pat dry with a clean kitchen towel to speed up the process.
  • Using your chef’s knife, hold the mango carefully with the stem up on the cutting board. Apply enough pressure to hold it steady while you slice into the mango on all sides, removing as much fruit as possible while avoiding the pit. Keep the peel on for now and focus on getting all the mango you can get.
  • Using your paring knife, take the pieces of mango w/ peel on and slice them in to ½ inch strips. Then, score them into cubes, slicing the fruit but without slicing through the skin. Using your paring knife, carefully remove the skin from the mango, salvaging as much of the fruit as you can and discarding the skin. Add the cubes to your bowl.
  • Quarter your Roma tomatoes and remove the juicy pockets and seeds. This will make your salsa less watered down and allow the flavors to shine.
  • Dice the tomatoes into ¼ inch cubes and add to the large mixing bowl and set aside.
  • Dice the onion into ¼ inch cubes and add to your bowl.
  • Wearing gloves, slice your serrano or jalapeno in half lengthwise. At this point, you can remove the seeds by using a small spoon to scrape them out. If you’d like a spicy salsa, leave the seeds in. Half the peppers once more so you are left with four long strips. Line them up and dice into ¼ inch pieces. Add to your bowl.
  • Rough chop the cilantro to the consistency you like. It can be fine or super rough and using the stems is fine, if you like them.
  • Peel and grate the garlic and add to the bowl.
  • Juice the limes until you have about ½ cup of fresh lime juice. Add to your bowl.
  • Add the chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt.
  • Give the salsa a good stir, incorporating all the ingredients until well combined.
  • Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips, over grilled fish or meat, or on your favorite tacos.
  • Mango Salsa will store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

Mango is a pretty fibrous fruit and requires sharp knives to avoid smashing the fruit when chopping. It can also be difficult to get into tiny pieces without smashing, so I’m flexible on the size of the chop.
Grating garlic: This produces a fine paste-like result that opens up the essence of the garlic and lets the flavor really come through. I find I need less garlic in recipes when I use this method. You can use pre-pressed garlic or store-bought paste but it won’t yield the same pure garlic flavor.
Up the pepper ratio (red pepper flakes, serrano peppers) if you want to take this salsa up a few levels on the spicy front. Omit all three if you’d like to keep it mild.
Try serving this over grilled fish or combined with your favorite ceviche for a sweet and savory dish.
Or… try it on your carne asada or chicken adobo tacos.
Keyword Dip, Salsa

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