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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.
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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