Spicy Jalapeno Salsa
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.
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!
Spicy Jalapeno Salsa
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
- 3/4 cup Water for adjusting desired thickness
Instructions
- Rinse all of the produce thoroughly. Fill a pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a gentle boil on the stove top.
- Add the whole tomatoes and tomatillos 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 intact 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 charred 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 to the blender.
- With the lid tightly secured, blend on medium speed and pulse until the salsa is an even, smooth texture. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired thickness. A thinner sauce is great for chilaquiles and enchilada sauce.
- Taste the salsa and add salt, pepper, and the juice of a lime to your liking.
- Once cooled, store in clean glass jars and refrigerate. This salsa will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer to be revisited at a later season.
Notes
- Jalapenos aren’t as consistently spicy as they used to be, it seems. If you want to make sure your salsa has a real kick, try leaving the seeds in (or some of them), or swap some or all of the jalapenos with serrano peppers, which tend to be spicier in general.
- 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 favorite, 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.
Nutrition
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!
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.
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.
