Unique Salsas: The 3 I Ate Daily When I Lived in Mexico

Last updated on October 13th, 2026

These are the unique salsas I ate daily during four years of living in Mexico. Each one taught me something different about flavour, texture and balance, and there is only one rule: they have to taste good.

These are 3 of my all-time favourite Mexican salsas: fresh avocado, a chilli tomato family recipe, and the not so well known peanut! Perfect for tacos, BBQs, grilled meats, or just dipping with chips under the sun. They sit alongside a jar of Mexican escabeche on almost every table I ate at. Easy to make, packed with bold flavour, and guaranteed to impress at your next summer gathering.

The Fresh Avocado Salsa

This one comes together in minutes with barely any prep. Blend the juice of two limes, peeled garlic, coriander and deseeded jalapeños with ripe avocado, a neutral-tasting oil and a good pinch of salt until thick and smooth, then loosen with a splash of water until it reaches a spreadable, almost Greek-yoghurt consistency. It’s fresh, creamy, and endlessly useful as a dip or a spread. If you prefer it chunky, my molcajete guacamole is the one to make. The full recipe is in my avocado salsa post.

Tomato and Chilli Salsa (Family Recipe)

This one was taught to me by a friend and has a few tricks up its sleeve. Char small, sweet tomatoes in a dry pan until the skins start to blister and burst, then push them aside and gently fry garlic in a touch of oil before mixing everything together off the heat with dried chillies and a splash of water to lift the flavour stuck to the base of the pan. Toasting and frying the chillies like this is the same idea behind my toasted-spice chilli oil. Stir in a pinch of chicken stock powder and blend briefly, keeping some texture from the tomatoes rather than going fully smooth. The full recipe is in my tomato and chilli salsa post.

Toasted Peanut Salsa: Mexico’s Answer to Satay

My favourite of the three. Toast dried chillies and raw, unsalted peanuts separately in a dry pan until fragrant and golden, then blend them with garlic, onion, salt, pepper and hot, but not boiling, water. It looks far too loose at first, but as the peanuts break down the salsa thickens into a rich, satay-like dip with real depth. Peanuts bring a similar crunch and richness to my easy chicken pad thai. I remember the first day I tasted this salsa, in a market in Mexico City, and I was completely blown away. The full recipe is in my Mexican peanut salsa post.

Unique Salsa Recipes: How the 3 Differ

Each of these three salsas works in a different way. The avocado salsa is fresh and creamy and needs no cooking, just a blender. The tomato and chilli salsa is built on charred small tomatoes, golden garlic and dried chillies stirred in off the heat. The peanut salsa is the hottest and deepest of the three, with toasted peanuts as the backbone.

Frequently Asked Questions