Salsa Ranchera recipes come a dime a dozen but every hand behind the technique varies. Regardless, the salsa is magic. The extra steps in active time required to make delicious salsa is all the difference (I break it down below with steps) in each spoonful of its savory and spicy taste.
You’ll dig this recipe added to your salsa rotation. Get your grito (shout) ready and let’s make this salsita!
What Is Salsa Ranchera?
Universally known salsas are in various colors for the beauty of culture and beloved spice! I often spot red and green salsa from my every day Cali living. Salsa ranchera is red from it’s tomato base and can be modified to have little to no texture (which is less active time because no chopping and only machine blending).
No texture would be more like a sauce, often this is can also be called ranchero sauce. But it’s not the original juicy bite of authentic salsa ranchera especially along a traditional rice recipe.
If there is red and green runny hot sauce at the table. Let there always be a third, texture rich-red salsa ranchera to fill joy in the eyes, heart, and belly of all my peeps!
Why Try This Recipe
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about what makes good salsa. My traditional recipe of ranchera has mild texture for scooping up with totopos, known as corn tortilla chips. Warm tortillas with a slice of fresh cheese and extra topping that’s perfect on tamales.
Quick frying a couple spoonfuls for weekend Huevos Rancheros, or topping for a Papas con Huevo breakfast bowl. Spice optional too, for my not heavy on spice eaters.
The latest compliment I received was; “It’s delicious, and looks just like my moms salsa.” Aww, too sweet. 🙂
Ingredients For Salsa Ranchera
Grocery Quick List: fresh tomato, jalapeno, onion, garlic, chile de arbol, sea salt, and cilantro is entirely optional.
- 4 roma tomato
- 3 jalapeno or serrano
- 1/4 onion pieces
- 2 garlic cloves
- sea salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 2 chile de arbol, toasted (optional)
- DIY Mexican spice blend (optional)
Ingredient Notes / Variations
- Tomato – roma or round tomato are good for this recipe. If you have tomatoes that are near the end, select the softest (which means the ripest and oldest) since they’ll be roasted and prevents waste.
- Jalapeno is enough but if you want spicier or only have serrano in stock, use that instead or in addition to. The more the merrier to bring the heat if spicy-spicy is what you like.
- Onion / garlic – fresh forever and always. For spicier onion flavor, keep the onion raw. If you are missing one of the two, substitute with some pantry powdered onion or garlic but definitely come back to try it with fresh for this recipe!
- Tomato Substitution – If using canned tomatoes, use unsalted. Canned is versatile and available anywhere in the world so we won’t knock it.
- DIY Spice Mix optional or use just salt. Ground cumin isn’t in all salsas but some people do prefer that additional pop of flavoring. If that’s your flavor, sprinkle in a bit and let it settle.
- For addition of chile tostado, see next topic below!
Method Preview
Fresh ingredients are charred until softened on a comal or pan. Cooling is optional, then all parts are brought together either by hand, molcajete, or in blender/food processor.
Salsas are also made from all raw fresh ingredients. It’s definitely still classified as salsa fresca.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make the Salsa Ranchera
Allow Ingredients to cool a bit
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
Your salsa-eating self is gonna love it!
Spicing Up Salsa Ranchera
For bold spice, dried and toasted chiles are known as chile seco and chile tostado.
The type used will depend on what is available to you but the one most frequented used in making this salsa is chile de arbol, or chile japones. Being toasted allows them the ability to easily break up during the blending process.
Spot the tiny pieces of chile de arbol in the salsa at the top of this post if you’d like to see it.
Ways To Enjoy The Salsa
Serve the salsa as a scrumptious dip with tortilla chips, or make a spread of party favorites:
- Black Bean Dip
- Avocado Crema
- Asada Tacos with Guacamole and Salsa Ranchera
- Crunchy Shredded Beef Tacos
- Mexican Rice Recipe
Ways To Flip [Salsa Ranchera]
- Fry the salsa to make Huevos Rancheros.
- Add a softened guajillo or ancho chile and re-blend the salsa. Then fry it in 1 tsp of oil to make your red stewed guisado or chilaquiles.
- Breakfast Papas Rancheras
I love to help maximize the uses of your foods and ingredients!
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: 2 cups salsa, 32 tablespoons of salsa.
Storage: Keep covered in proper food safe storage and under refrieration when not eating. Salsa will last 7 days when stored properly. Your flavorite salsa will thank you through your tastebuds.
Fresh sliced avocado atop anything you eat with salsa ranchera is next level good.
Spoon, use a clean spoon always for dipping into your salsa to prevent cross-contamination.
Lime wedges are a nice touch to this salsa when eating it as a meat or vegetarian guisado.
Salsa Recipe FAQs
- Blending for too long will result in ranchero sauce instead of textured ranchera salsa. Know your favorite style of salsa texture and time it as directed!
- If made while all ingredients were still warm, salsa will turn rich red once it cools.
- Pre cooked ingredients can be used to make this salsa. Just make the salsa within two days.
- Red onion, small diced, can be added to this salsa once already blended. It provides additional mild onion flavor, more bite, and looks beautiful in the salsa.
- Salsa, picante, or spicy sauce, are all terms used to describe a spicy salsa.
- You don’t need to use oil when roasting ingredients on pan. That is only a preference.
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Salsa Ranchera
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- Blender
- Knife
- pan for pan roasting
- Chopping board
- Foil paper optional for lining the pan for roasting and easy clean up
Ingredients
- 4 whole roma tomato
- 1 cup water for runnier, add 1/4 cup more.
- 2 whole jalapeno (or serrano) 3 for spicy, 2 medium, 1 mild
- 1/4 pieces onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 chile de arbol toasted use 2,3,4 for even spicier
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
Optional Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion chopped
Instructions
- Place all ingredients on a pan, set to medium heat for 8 minutes on each side until slightly charred. 15 minute-ish total.
- Once softened place in a bowl and let cool.
- Once ingredients have cooled, combine in blender with measured water and salt.
- Chop cilantro just before/after blending for extra crispy texture.
- Transfer salsa, add chopped cilantro and stir well.
Notes
- Recipe yield: 2 cups salsa, 32 tablespoons or 16-1 ounce servings.
- Storage: Keep covered in proper food safe storage and under refrigeration when not eating. Salsa will last 7 days when stored properly. Your flavorite salsa will thank you through your tastebuds.
- Fresh sliced avocado atop anything you eat with salsa ranchera is next level good.
- Spoon, use a clean spoon always for dipping into your salsa to prevent cross-contamination.
- Lime wedges are a nice touch to this salsa when eating it as a meat or vegetarian guisado.
For all my tips and recommendations for enjoying Salsa Ranchera see the full post at LatinasQueComen.com!
Nutrition
Equipment
- Knife
- Pan or comal
- Blender of choice or molcajete
- Bowl
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