The humble salsa has been a popular ingredient in Mexican dishes since before Spanish colonisation. As such, there are many varieties of Mexican salsa recipes, from the savoury to the sweet, using a variety of ingredients and flavours. Here are some of the most popular varieties of Mexican salsa out there.
Salsa taquera: This is perhaps the most common variety of salsa you’ll find outside Mexico. Sometimes known as taco salsa, salsa taquera uses fresh red tomatoes as its base, blended with garlic, onion, and chilli peppers for heat and seasonings. This tomato salsa is a particular favourite as a dip or as an ingredient in Mexican dishes.
Salsa verde: One of the most traditional salsa recipes in Mexico, salsa verde uses a green fruit known as a tomatillo (also known as husk tomatoes) as its base. The tomatillos are cooked or roasted, then blended with green chilli peppers or jalapenos, onion, garlic and coriander. The result is a spicy, green salsa that can be served with any Mexican dish.
Salsa roja: While this red salsa looks very similar to salsa taquera, it uses fresh serrano chilli peppers as its base. The chilli base is mixed with red tomatoes, chopped onion, coriander and seasonings to create a spicy salsa dip. This variety of salsa is a particular favourite when paired with tortilla chips.
Salsa de aguacate: This avocado-based salsa is very similar to guacamole but is thinner in consistency compared to guacamole. This Mexican salsa recipe combines avocado, tomato, garlic and chilli peppers, then mixes them with water for a softer yet delicious salsa sauce.
