Salsa Roja Tatemada

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This is a charred, red salsa, aka Salsa Roja Tatemada. It's loaded with deep, roasted flavor and can be made in a molcajete or blender. This salsa is the perfect topping for tacos or even just by itself with a side of chips.

Salsa tatemada translates to “charred salsa,” and it’s one of the most traditional Mexican salsas—built on smoky flavor from fire-roasted ingredients. This version uses both chiles de árbol and serrano for balanced heat and color, giving you that true rustic, street-style flavor you’d find served alongside tacos al carbon or carne asada.

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Everything starts with a hot, dry skillet or comal. The tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chiles are charred until blistered, which builds layers of smoky sweetness. The softened ingredients are then ground by hand in a molcajete or pulsed in a blender—keeping the salsa thick and textured rather than smooth.

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DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: CHILE ARBOL

• Preheat a large cast iron pan or skillet over medium heat. Separately, bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Toast the árbol peppers until just beginning to char then remove from the pan. Add the arbol peppers to the water, then turn off the heat and let soak 15–20 mins.

STEP 2: CHAR

• Add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook until softened and blistered. Remove garlic when finished and add to molcajete. Add the tomatoes and serranos and cook until charred, fully cooked, and soft.

STEP 3: GRIND

• Add the garlic to the molcajete and grind until it turns to a paste, then add in the softened arbol peppers and break them down as well. When the tomatoes, onions, and serranos are done, add them to the molcajete and grind until your desired consistency. This is optional, but some of the tomato skins can be removed during the grinding process.

STEP 4: FINISH

• Discard some of the thicker cilantro stems, then add a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro to the salsa and mix, but don’t grind. Season with salt to taste.

STORAGE

• This salsa is best fresh, but it’ll last about 3–4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

  
  

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INGREDIENTS

Makes about 1.5 cups

• 5 ripe Roma tomatoes, halved and destemmed (about 500g)

• 3 cloves garlic, halved

• 3 chiles de árbol, deseeded

• 1 serrano pepper, halved

• 1/2 white onion, sliced

• Handful of fresh cilantro (about 8–10g)

• Squeeze of lime juice

• Kosher salt to taste

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