Go Back
–+ servings
Tub of homemade red tomato salsa on a wooden counter

Tomato and Chilli Salsa (Family Recipe, Taqueria Style)

Ben Goshawk
A charred tomato and chilli salsa taught to me by a friend and passed down through her family. Small sweet tomatoes are blistered in a dry pan, then blended with golden garlic and dried chillies for a loose, taqueria-style salsa with some body. It is the sort of salsa that belongs on the table with tacos.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salsa
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10
Calories 16 kcal

Equipment

  • Stick blender
  • High-sided container
  • Frying pan
  • Wooden / Stirring spoon
  • Chef's knife
  • Chopping board
  • Measuring jug

Ingredients
  

  • 30 cherry tomatoes or baby plum or grape tomatoes
  • 2 small garlic cloves peeled
  • 10 dried chile de arbol or other dried chillies
  • 1/4 teaspoon chicken stock powder or 1/4 of a stock cube, chopped to a powder
  • 25 ml water roughly
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat your pan
    Place a dry frying pan (no oil) on medium heat.
  • Add the tomatoes
    Add around 30 small, sweet tomatoes (cherry, baby plum, or grape).
    Let them cook dry: you want the skins to blister and char slightly.
  • Char the tomatoes
    Shake the pan every 30 seconds.
    Keep going until 1 or 2 tomatoes begin to burst.
  • Add oil and garlic
    Push the tomatoes to one side.
    Turn the heat to low, and add 1 tsp of oil to the empty space.
    Drop in 2 peeled garlic cloves.
  • Gently fry the garlic
    Cook the garlic in the oil, turning every 30 seconds, until golden on the outside (no more than 2 to 3 minutes).
  • Mix everything in the pan
    Stir the garlic and tomatoes together.
    Turn off the heat completely.
  • Add dried chiles
    Add 10 dried chiles to the pan.
    Mix them around in the residual heat to gently release their flavour (about 30 seconds).
    Note: don't turn the heat back on. Dried chiles burn easily.
  • Transfer to blending container
    Scoop everything from the pan into a high-sided blending container.
  • Deglaze the pan
    Pour 25ml of water into the hot pan.
    Use a wooden spoon to scrape and lift the browned bits from the bottom.
    Add this water to your blending container.
  • Season
    Add ¼ tsp chicken stock powder (or a quarter of a stock cube, finely chopped) and a small pinch of salt.
  • Blend and taste
    Use a stick blender on medium speed to blend the salsa.
    Pulse gently and don't over-blend. You want a loose consistency with some body left from the tomatoes.
    Taste and add a little more salt if needed.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 16kcalCarbohydrates: 2.6gProtein: 0.6gFat: 0.6gSaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 36mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 1.4g
Keyword fresh tomato salsa, homemade salsa, tomato and chilli salsa
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!