Charred Tomato Salsa

This is the salsa from my huevos rancheros, given its own page because it earned one.

Everything gets charred in cast iron first, then blended with lime, cilantro and a few fried tortilla chips, which give it body. Then it gets fried in hot oil for a few minutes, and that step is what makes it taste like more than the sum of its parts. It makes about 3 cups. It won’t last the week.

Charred Tomato Salsa

A fire-charred tomato salsa, blended with lime, cilantro and a few tortilla chips, then fried in hot oil for deep flavor.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 3 Cups

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 on-the-vine tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño
• 1/2 onion peeled
• 2 garlic cloves unpeeled
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste
• Pinch of caldo de pollo chicken bouillon powder
• 1 fried tortilla piece or a small handful of tortilla chips
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying the salsa

Equipment

• Cast iron skillet
• Blender
• Tongs
• Jar for storing

Method

 

Char the vegetables.

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the tomatoes, jalapeño, onion half and garlic cloves and cook, turning, until lightly charred all around. Pull the garlic first, once the skin is blackened in spots and it’s soft inside. Peel it.

Blend.

1. Add the charred vegetables to a blender with the lime juice, salt, caldo de pollo, tortilla chips and cilantro. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt.

Fry the salsa.

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pour in the salsa all at once. It will sputter hard, so stand back. Stir, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes, until it darkens slightly and some of the liquid cooks off.

Cool and store.

1. Let it cool, then keep it in a covered jar in the fridge.

Notes

The chips. Freshly fried corn tortilla chips are my favorite here, but bagged chips work fine. A fried flour tortilla quarter works too.

Why fry the salsa. Pouring the blended salsa into hot oil is a traditional Mexican step. It deepens the color and flavor in a way simmering alone doesn’t.

Spice level. Medium. Add a second jalapeño for more heat, or use half for less.

How I use it. Poured over eggs in the morning, on tacos, with chips, or a spoonful stirred into Mexican rice after toasting the rice in the skillet. It’s also the salsa in my huevos rancheros.

Storage. Keeps about 5–7 days covered in the fridge.

High-elevation adaptations. Moisture evaporates faster up high, so the salsa reduces faster. Start checking at about 3 minutes and pull it once it’s heated through. No other changes needed.

Enjoy!