Oh salsa, let us count the ways we love you. Spicy or mild, smooth or chunky, smoky or fruity, crisp or creamy — salsa comes in so many iterations that we couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. Whether you’re looking to top your steak, dip your chips, fill your tacos, or sauce your chilaquiles, this collection of flavor-packed salsa recipes is sure to have precisely what you’re craving. We even have some unique riffs on the classics, like a pepita-sesame salsa macha, a pomegranate-pistachio salsa, and an avocado-green pea variation that’s awesome with baked rice dishes. Keep scrolling to decide which one you’ll make first.
Tomatillo Salsa Cruda
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez employs a full cup of pungent cilantro leaves and stems along with tart, fresh tomatillos, mixed chiles, and tender scallions for a raw salsa that goes well with just about everything. (Try it on tacos, eggs, or tortilla chips.)
Salsa de Piña Tatemada (Grilled Pineapple Salsa)
Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
This salsa from restaurateur and author Bricia Lopez gets its sweet, hot, smoky complexity from grilling onion, garlic, chiles, and slices of pineapple before mixing in habanero paste and fresh lime juice.
Salsa Macha
Hailing from Veracruz, Mexico, this salsa isn’t made with fresh veggies. Rather, a blend of dried chiles is toasted in olive oil along with garlic, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and cacao nibs; after stirring in a bit of oregano, everything is pulsed in the food processor with vinegar just until coarsely ground.
Pico de Gallo
Matt Taylor-Gross
Fresh is the name of the game here. The simple combination of tomatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro, chiles, and grapefruit or lime juice is always a win when served with tortilla chips.
Salsa Roja Taquera
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Made with fresh plum tomatoes and red jalapeños, the umami-boosting secret to chef Jonathan Zaragoza’s thick, smooth salsa is a touch of chicken bouillon. “I always wondered why my mom’s salsa was better than mine. Until one day, I saw her sprinkle a little magic dust into the blender.”
Pomegranate Salsa with Pistachios
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Charred red onion and serrano pepper are mixed with pomegranate arils, pistachios, and fresh herbs in a tart sherry vinegar reduction for an eye-catching salsa with a lovely crunch. Enjoy it with chips or spoon it over chicken or fish.
Hatch Chile Salsa
Make the most of Hatch chile season by roasting and blending with tender tomatillos, cilantro, sweet onion, lime juice, garlic, and agave for a mildly spicy green salsa that sings atop burgers, enchiladas, and egg dishes.
Chile-Lime Mango Salsa
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall
Get a taste of the tropics with this salsa showcasing juicy Champagne mangoes alongside red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, all tossed in lime juice and dusted with the citrusy heat of Tajín.
Salsa Negra
John Kernick
Deep, smoky, and rich, this salsa negra from chef Carlos Salgado includes blistered guajillo and chiles de árbol plus plenty of fresh garlic and soft, slow-aged black garlic for a dark salsa that you’ll want to put on everything.
Salsa Asada de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa)
Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
Lightly char tart tomatillos on the grill up to three hours ahead and mellow the heat with buttery mashed avocados for this creamy, spicy salsa with the best elements of both guacamole and salsa verde.
Salsa Taquera
Sweet tomatoes and tangy tomatillos pair beautifully with onion, garlic, and a mix of fresh and dried chiles in this salsa from chef Cristina Martínez of Philadelphia taco institution South Philly Barbacoa.
Mixed Fruit Pico
Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Also known as salsa fresca, this fresh pico from Ann Taylor Pittman combines sweet and savory elements like pineapple, mango, kiwi, tomatoes, onions, chiles, and a sprinkling of Tajín.
Habanero Salsa
Con Poulos
Lots of fruity habaneros are roasted with thinly sliced white onion to bring out their sweetness, then pureed with fresh citrus and reduced on the stove for Alex Stupak’s fiery salsa.
Salsa Fresca
This fresh salsa from the Yucatán region of Mexico is all about the crunch. Its blend of jicama, cucumber, radish, and white onion is sweetened with red bell pepper and balanced with lime; cool mint leaves cut the serrano’s heat. Serve it with grilled meat or atop a summer salad.
Pepita-Sesame Salsa Macha
Chef Traci des Jardins swaps in pumpkin seeds for the usual peanuts to make her version of salsa macha, pairing them with sweet guajillo chiles and both white and black sesame seeds for subtle nuttiness and crunch.
Tangy Corn Salsa
Made with a cup of fresh corn kernels, Maricel Presilla serves this crisp summer salsa with her Shrimp and Corn Chowder, but we love to scoop it up with tortilla chips, too. Feel free to add finely chopped fresh chile for a fiery kick.
Salsa Verde Cocida
Two full cups of fresh green ground cherries give this salsa verde its slightly sweet, tropical notes, balancing the zippy jalapeños. A bunch each of epazote and cilantro imparts subtly earthy, pleasantly bitter flavors.
Árbol Chile Salsa
Con Poulos
Warmly spiced with cumin, allspice, cloves, and Mexican oregano, this spicy, tangy salsa requires a full ounce of chiles de árbol. Chef Alex Stupak uses it as an all-purpose hot sauce — it will last almost indefinitely in the fridge and becomes even more complex with age.
Avocado-Green Pea Salsa
Con Poulos
You’ll only need five ingredients plus salt to make this pretty green salsa from chef Jose Enrique — and not one of them is a chile. Serve it alongside baked rice dishes like arroz con pollo.
Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Helene Dujardin
Pleasantly smoky from charred jalapeños, tomatillos, and onion, this salsa verde is pulsed in the food processor to retain some texture. It’s rounded out with fresh cilantro and tart lime juice to make all the flavors pop.
Mango-Tomato Salsa
Ian Knauer
Chef and cookbook author Deborah Schneider’s sweet and savory salsa comes together in just 15 minutes, no cooking required. It’s a beautiful way to take advantage of juicy ripe mangos; a touch of fresh mint brings a cool, refreshing quality that offsets the zesty chile.
Salsa Casera
Casera means “homemade” in Spanish. This versatile version is completely smooth — to make it, simply blend guajillo chiles, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes, then season and serve.
Salsa Criolla (Peruvian Red Onion Relish)
Kate Winslow
A brief soak in cold water mellows the bite of red onions for a fresh relish that pretty much goes with everything, from grilled and roasted meats to tacos.
Salsa de Chile Fresco Asado (Roasted Fresh Chile Salsa)
Lucy Schaeffer
This workhorse salsa from chef Rick Bayless is essentially a fresh, chunky version of standard hot sauce. Mix and match four ounces of your favorite chiles to make it — from there, the only other ingredients you’ll need are garlic, lime juice, and salt.
