Salsa is not a condiment on a taco, it is an ingredient. Learning ten of them gives you a vocabulary that works across every style of taco you will ever eat.
1. Salsa roja
Roasted tomato, chile de árbol or guajillo, garlic and onion, blended smooth. Medium heat, all-purpose, and the default red on most tables.
2. Salsa verde
Tomatillo, serrano, garlic, onion and cilantro, raw or boiled. Tart and herbaceous. Perfect on carnitas and pork.
3. Pico de gallo
Chopped tomato, onion, serrano, cilantro and lime. Not a sauce so much as a fresh relish. Best on grilled meat and fish.
4. Guacamole and avocado salsa
Mashed avocado with lime and salt, or blended with tomatillo for a pourable version. Cooling, rich, and a natural partner to spicy fillings.
5. Salsa macha
Dried chiles, garlic and nuts or seeds fried in oil. Not blended smooth, oily and crunchy, with deep roasted flavor. Excellent on eggs, beans and grilled meat.
6. Chile de árbol salsa
Fiery, thin and bright red. Small amounts only. Cuts fatty carnitas and suadero perfectly.
7. Guajillo salsa
Mild, fruity and slightly sweet, guajillo is the workhorse dried chile. Great as a base for braises as well as a table salsa.
8. Charred tomatillo salsa
Same ingredients as salsa verde, but blistered under a broiler first. Smokier, rounder and less sharp.
9. Habanero salsa
Yucatán style, often with citrus and roasted onion. Intensely hot with a fruity aroma. The standard partner to cochinita pibil.
10. Chipotle crema
Sour cream or Mexican crema blended with chipotles in adobo. Smoky, creamy and mild. Built for fried fish and shrimp.
Heat, from mildest to hottest
Avocado salsa, guajillo, charred tomatillo, chipotle crema, pico de gallo, salsa roja, salsa verde, salsa macha, chile de árbol, habanero. Exact heat varies by batch, so always taste before pouring.
Keeping salsa fresh
Fresh salsas last three or four days refrigerated. Cooked and oil-based salsas like macha last for weeks. Always store in glass; plastic holds chile aroma forever.
