Easy Salsa Taquera (5 Ingredients)

Easy Salsa Taquera (5 Ingredients)

This 5-ingredient salsa taquera recipe is ready in 15 minutes and packed with bold, spicy, and savory flavors. Showcasing arbol chiles, tomatoes, and fresh garlic, it pairs perfectly with just about any Mexican dish.

4.86 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course Appetizer, Dip, Sauce

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Mexican, Vegan

Servings 20 tablespoons

Calories 17 kcal

Equipment

Skillet
Saucepan
Blender

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

▢ 30 arbol chiles
▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
▢ ½ medium white onion (roughly chopped)
▢ 2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
▢ 2 medium Roma tomatoes (roughly chopped)
▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice
▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Stem and lightly shake out the seeds of the chiles (don't worry about getting all the seeds out). Heat a skillet over medium and toast the chiles for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle boil, then add the chiles and turn the heat off. Let them soak until they are soft. Reserve a few tablespoons of cooking water and drain the rest.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add in the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Lastly, add in the tomatoes and continue cooking until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to a blender along with the drained chiles, lime juice, and salt. Blend on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times. If your salsa is not blending, add in some of the reserved chile water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
If you don't have a high-speed blender, strain the mixture into a bowl or container for storage. Serve it with tacos, burritos, etc. Happy Eating!

Notes

Proper ventilation when toasting: Make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated, as the toasting process can release intense aromas that might be overwhelming.

Fresh arbol chiles: Use pliable, fragrant arbol chiles for the best flavor. If you need help determining how to choose arbol chiles, check out our dedicated arbol chile post.

Use a high-speed blender: I recommend using a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, for the smoothest consistency.

Strain for smoothness: If you don’t have a high-speed blender or prefer it extra smooth, strain the salsa after blending to remove any chunks.

Be careful not to burn the chiles. If they start to smoke or smell acrid, they’ve gone too far and will make your salsa bitter. It’s better to under-toast them if you’re unsure.

It’s best to avoid boiling dried chiles to rehydrate them since their flavor can transfer too much to the water.

Cooking the onions, garlic, and tomatoes before blending brings out their natural sweetness, which balances the heat of the chiles beautifully.

Before using the chile water, taste it to see if it’s bitter. If it is bitter, I recommend using filtered water instead.

Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.

Nutrition

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