**Salsa taquera** is a tasty Mexican sauce made with juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, bold garlic, fragrant cilantro, tart lime juice, zesty chili powder, salt, and pepper.
This salsa has a milder flavor than its green counterpart, salsa verde, but it still packs quite a punch.
You can serve salsa taquera as a condiment to accompany your favorite dishes or use it to top off an entire meal.
It’s also one of the most versatile sauces you can whip up at home because it’s so quick and easy to make.
What is the difference between salsa taquera and salsa verde?
Salsa taquera is the more common name for the green version of the recipe, while salsa verde is the red version.
So what exactly does “taquera” mean?
In Spanish, taquera means “to cut” or “to slice.”
The green version of the salsa uses chopped onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños.
However, if you want to make a red version of the sauce, you can add tomato paste, paprika, and/or crushed red pepper to give it some extra kick.
The main difference between salsa taquera and salsa verde is the way they are prepared.
Salsa taquera is typically cooked on the stovetop, while salsa verde is cooked in a blender or food processor until it becomes smooth and creamy.
Another important distinction is how much heat each type of salsa contains.
While both versions of salsa contain plenty of chile flavor, salsa taquera tends to be a bit more spicy than salsa verde.
To get the same level of spice in salsa verde, you need to increase the amount of jalapeño peppers used when making the sauce.
If you like a little more heat in your salsa, you should definitely try out salsa verde.
If you prefer a less spicy sauce, salsa taquera will do just fine.
How do you make salsa taquera?
To prepare salsa taquera, simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and give them a good stir.
You don’t have to be precise about how much salt or pepper you add, since these spices are already included in the other ingredients.
If you want to get fancy, you can chop up some jalapeños into small pieces before adding them to the mix.
It will intensify the heat of your salsa taquera, especially if you like spicy food.
Once you’ve mixed everything together, you can keep it refrigerated until you need to use it.
But you can also freeze it for longer periods of time, which makes it perfect for when you have company over.
Just let it thaw out at room temperature before using it.
Ingredients
1 Large sized tomato
4 medium sized tomatillos or 6 small ones
2 garlic cloves unpeeled
⅓ of a medium white onion
15 dried Arbol peppers
Salt to taste
Instructions
Heat a skillet or heavy griddle over medium heat, once it’s hot.
Arrange the tomatoes, onion, tomatillos and garlic to roast on the skillet.
Roast the ingredients until they start showing some blistering and look slightly softened, turning them to make sure they roast evenly.
The garlic cooks in a few minutes and you will need to remove it, peel the skin, and set aside.
The roasting process will take about 8 minutes.
If your tomatoes don’t look to softened, wrap them in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes, this will help them to finish cooking.
When your tomatoes and onion look softened, it’s time to remove them and set aside or place in your blender or food processor along with the garlic.
Now add the Arbol peppers to the hot griddle and slightly roast them, this will be a very fast step since the peppers skins burn easily, which gives them an unpleasant bitter taste, so be sure to turn them and roast the peppers without burning them.
Once all the ingredients, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion and arbol peppers are in the blender, process them until you have a fine texture.
If your salsa is too thick add a little water.
Season with salt and serve in a bowl.
What is in salsa taquera?
What makes salsa taquera different from other salsas is that it uses a variety of ingredients instead of just one.
You’ll find chopped fresh tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and more in this recipe.
The addition of these ingredients gives the salsa a distinctive taste and color.
Some people say that salsa taquera tastes like a combination of salsa verde and pico de gallo (a traditional Mexican salsa).
The heat level of salsa taquera can vary depending on how spicy you want it to be.
If you don’t like hot foods, you can always add less chili powder to the recipe.
On the other hand, if you love spicy foods, more chili powder will likely give you a kick.
You can also adjust the amount of salt and pepper you put into your salsa taquera.
If you prefer a hotter salsa, you may need to increase the amounts of both spices.
When it comes time to season your salsa taquera, remember to taste it before adding any additional ingredients.
How spicy is salsa taquera?
The amount of heat in salsa taquera depends on how much chili powder you add to the mix.
You can increase the spice level by adding more dried chilies (or even jalapeño peppers) while decreasing the amount of chili powder.
For instance, if you want a medium-spicy salsa, you can add about 1 teaspoon of chili powder to every cup of salsa taquera.
If you want a less spicy version, you can reduce the amount of chili powder to half a teaspoon per cup.
On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means “extremely spicy,” salsa taquera typically ranges between 3 and 5 when made correctly.
But don’t let this stop you from experimenting.
Try increasing the amount of chili powder until you find the perfect balance of spiciness for your taste buds.
How long does salsa taquera last?
The best way to store salsa taquera is in the refrigerator.
You can keep it there for about 5 days, although the longer it stays on hand, the more flavorful it becomes.
To preserve its flavor, don’t let it get too cold.
If you refrigerate it after making it, leave it out at room temperature for a few hours before serving it.
If you want to freeze it, you should wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag.
Once frozen, you can transfer it to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and just throw it into your freezer.
When you need some salsa taquera, all you have to do is thaw it out in the fridge overnight.
Can you freeze salsa taquera?
Yes, you can freeze salsa taquera in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to four months.
Just remember to defrost the frozen salsa before using it.
To do so, place the bag in a bowl or sink filled with cold water until thawed.
If you want to preserve the salsa longer than four months, you can freeze it in ice cube trays.
Once it’s frozen, transfer the cubes to Ziploc bags and store them in the freezer for up to two months.
Defrost the salsa cubes before using them.
What do you eat salsa taquera with?
If you’re looking to add more flavor to your meals, then you should definitely try out this recipe.
The combination of salty, tangy, sour flavors in salsa taquera will complement any meal – whether it’s a bowl of chicken soup or a plate of tacos.
This recipe is perfect for those who love Mexican food, especially if you have a hankering for tacos, quesadillas, or nachos.
You can also pair this sauce with a variety of other foods like pasta, rice, beans, or even popcorn.
Another thing we recommend is using salsa taquera on top of fish and seafood.
The acidity of this sauce makes it an ideal pairing with delicate fish such as snapper, cod, and tilapia.
What are some alternative uses for salsa taquera?
If you like to have fun with your cooking, then salsa taquera offers lots of opportunities for experimentation.
You can play around with different combinations of ingredients to create unique flavors – for example, if you want to add more heat, simply increase the amount of chili powder by 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired level of spice.
In addition to being tasty, salsa taquera is also incredibly healthy.
In fact, it contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy. If you’re looking for something extra special, try adding a few drops of honey to your recipe.
Try these simple recipes for making salsa taquera today!
What are some tips for making the perfect salsa taquera?
The key to making the best salsa taquera lies in the ingredients.
If you want to get the most out of your salsa taquera, try using only fresh ingredients.
That means no canned products like tomato paste or bottled sauces.
The best way to ensure that your salsa taquera tastes fresh is by choosing ripe tomatoes that have just started to ripen on the vine, which will give them a more intense flavor.
You also want to choose small red onions that have a nice crunchy texture to them.
Try not to overdo it when adding the vegetables because they should be chopped fairly finely.
Remember to add the onion last because it needs to cook down before the other ingredients.
Once you add the onion, wait until it starts to soften before adding the tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes right away after you chop them up into chunks.
Then, once everything is combined, let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Once the salsa taquera is done cooking, you need to taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Seasoning with salt and black pepper is usually all you need to do, but if you want to add additional flavors, go ahead and experiment with different herbs and spices such as oregano, thyme, cumin, or paprika.
Finally, squeeze in some lime juice to brighten things up a bit.
What are some common mistakes people make when making salsa taquera?
While there isn’t a lot of variation in how you make it, there are certainly some common mistakes that people make when they’re trying to cook this dish properly.
Here are a few things to avoid when making salsa taquera:
Overly salty
Salsas tend to be on the salty side, but you don’t want them to taste overwhelmingly salty.
If you’re unsure about whether your salsa is too salty, try adding a pinch of sugar or sour cream to see if that helps balance out the flavors.
Not enough acidity
The acidity level in salsa taquera should be just right.
Too much acidity will make the salsa bland and watery.
You can add more vinegar or lemon juice to adjust the acidity level, but you don’t need to add any additional sugar or salt either.
Not cooking the onions long enough
When you’re making salsa taquera, you should always let the onions cook until they’re soft before adding the other ingredients.
Otherwise, the onions won’t get fully cooked and their flavor won’t come through as well.
Not using fresh cilantro
If you use dried cilantro instead of fresh, it doesn’t have the same texture or flavor.
If you’ve got access to fresh cilantro, go ahead and use it!
Fresh cilantro adds a nice touch to the sauce, and it makes the whole dish even better.
Using frozen tomatoes
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes available, you can use canned tomatoes instead, but you may find that the sauce ends up tasting different.
Since canned tomatoes aren’t as fresh, they contain less liquid and therefore take longer to thicken up into a sauce once you add the rest of the ingredients.
Salsa Taquera Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet or heavy griddle
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato
- 4 medium tomatillos or 6 small ones
- 2 garlic cloves unpeeled
- ⅓ white onion medium
- 15 Arbol peppers dried
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or heavy griddle over medium heat, once it’s hot.
- Arrange the tomatoes, onion, tomatillos and garlic to roast on the skillet.
- Roast the ingredients until they start showing some blistering and look slightly softened, turning them to make sure they roast evenly.
- The garlic cooks in a few minutes and you will need to remove it, peel the skin, and set aside.
- The roasting process will take about 8 minutes.
- If your tomatoes don’t look to softened, wrap them in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes, this will help them to finish cooking.
- When your tomatoes and onion look softened, it’s time to remove them and set aside or place in your blender or food processor along with the garlic.
- Now add the Arbol peppers to the hot griddle and slightly roast them, this will be a very fast step since the peppers skins burn easily, which gives them an unpleasant bitter taste, so be sure to turn them and roast the peppers without burning them.
- Once all the ingredients, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion and arbol peppers are in the blender, process them until you have a fine texture.
- If your salsa is too thick add a little water.
- Season with salt and serve in a bowl.
Video
Nutrition
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