By Pati Jinich
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 4(296)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Every region of Mexico has its way of making a chunky, fire-roasted salsa, with the classic tomato, onion and chile trio; it goes by tatemada, if charred, or martajada, if mashed. With only three ingredients, regional variations taste radically different based on the chile of choice, which becomes the soul of the salsa, defining its personality. In the Yucatan, the feisty habanero rules, but in Mexico’s north (as well as Arizona and New Mexico), the king is Anaheim chile, whose crisp bite and mild, peppery taste embody this salsa tatemada norteña, a favorite for carne asada cookouts. The secret to making this salsa shine is to be generous with the salt; the charred juicy ingredients will appreciate it. Dip your chips in it, top your quesadillas with it or ladle it on sunny-side-up eggs sitting on refried beans for a northern style variation of huevos rancheros.
Featured in: Finding the Soul of Sonora in Carne Asada
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Ingredients
Yield:About 2 cups (6 servings)
- 1pound ripe Roma tomatoes
- ½pound whole, fresh Anaheim chiles (2 to 3 large chiles); see Note
- ¼peeled large white onion (about 3 ounces)
- 1teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
23 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 233 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Start a charcoal or prepare a gas grill. Once hot, place the whole tomatoes, chiles and onion on the grill. Let the ingredients char for about 12 to 15 minutes, flipping every 3 to 4 minutes. Pull them off the grill once cooked: The tomatoes should be completely mushy, as their skins start to break and their juices start to come out. The chiles should be wilted, charred and wrinkled. The onion should be darkened and softened. (Alternatively, ingredients can be charred under the broiler on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet, or directly on a preheated comal or a cast-iron pan set over medium heat.)
Step
2
Place charred chiles in a plastic bag, and close the bag well. Let chiles steam and sweat for 5 to 10 minutes. As soon as they have cooled enough to handle, remove them from the bag, slip off their skins, make a slit down the side of each and remove their seeds and stems. You could rinse the chiles under a thin stream of water, to help remove the seeds, or rinse them off by dipping them into a bowl of water. (Don’t remove or discard the skin, seeds or juices from the tomatoes and onion.)
Step
3
Set the charred tomatoes, onion and cleaned chiles on a chopping board, and finely chop. Place in a bowl, add salt, and mash and mix with a fork. (Alternatively, ingredients can be mashed in a molcajete.) Taste for salt and add more, if needed.
Step
4
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The salsa can be eaten cold, though is best consumed lukewarm or hot. If desired, you can reheat it in a small saucepan until warmed.
- Known as chile verde in Sonora, Anaheim chiles are also referred to as Fresno, California or New Mexico chiles.
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4
out of 5
296
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Pat
Don't rinse roasted peppers, it removes the best part of the char. Just peel them and deseed. When will this myth be squashed? Rinsing roasted peppers should be a crime.
seoul cooker
This is a basic Salsa Roja (red), which includes tomatoes. Salsa Verde (green) does not, and uses tomatillos instead. They look like small green tomatoes, but are actually in the pepper family. Start by roasting the ingredients until they char, then puree. Add cilantro to the mix. Anaheim peppers are Sonoran cuisine, but other regions use spicier peppers. Choosing the pepper drives the flavor; control the heat by the amount of chile pepper you include.
Christopher
Dip your chips in it? No. At least here in Baja California Sur where I live salsa is ALWAYS served with a spoon in the bowl. This goes back at least to 2008, and probably much earlier - it's not a covid thing. You spoon the salsa onto your chip/totopa/tostada/taco or whatever and savor it. But you do not dip.
Tom, SFBA
Well, that’s in Baja California Sur.This recipe and the accompanying article are about Sonora, Mexico.
lynn rogers
If you read Pati’s header notes, each salasa is very particular and is much-defined by the chile used. You simply made something entirely different than this recipe.
Patricia
I'm sorry, Fresno, California (did you mean Anaheim?) and New Mexico chiles are not the same. Here is all you need to know about chile peppers: http://chilefacts.nmsu.edu/
Susan
Interesting as this is about the chilies. Anaheim (green large) chilies are relatively mild and are not Fresno (red - sized like jalapeños & can be spicy) chilies. Also not like lovely Hatch (from New Mexico) chilies. This is likely a lovely recipe but please don’t group the chilies or other similar ingredients together, thinking that we won’t notice.
Karen
I made this basic salsa but use jalapeños and add garlic and cilantro for added flavor. Pulse in blender. Yum!
Nathan
I’m about to try this and also add a little bit of lime and cilantro Thanks!
Diane
Fresno chiles are not like Anaheims or New Mexico. Fresnos are more like a red Jalapeno. Also Fresnos are often hotter than Anaheims.
Janet MacKenzie
New Mexico chiles are not Anaheims- they are different chiles altogether and may be from Hatch, NM, or similar areas, or from northern NM. They are not mild like Anaheims.
easydoesit
Simple four ingredient salsa. Cooked exactly as written - wonderful flavor.
Simon
This a brilliant salsa. Do it just as it says. Do not add cilantro, lime, anything. What Pati says is exactly on the money - use the right chiles and go generous on the salt. It's subtle, warming and delicious. Three ingredients.
Les Bleus
My first attempt at salsa of any kind, I used this to christen my new molcajete. Added garlic and Cilantro and used a paper bag for the charred Anaheims as suggested in the comments. It was excellent. The listed ingredients only made one serving though.
Sue
it wants a little garlic and a bit of domino but it's yummy and easy
Deborah
First use what chilies you have at hand; Don’t be uppity;I use prepared ones and canned tomatoes fire roasted supplemented by very ripe chopped raw tomatoes. The salsa is gone quickly. Note in height of summer I have added a chopped nectarine or 2 to taste when serving w grilled marinated chicken. I don’t even peel it since peel is so tender.
stephanie
(2/2)hatch chiles are grown only in hatch, NM. (& worth stocking your freezer with if you can snag some in early sept!) all hatch chiles are new mexican chiles but not all new mexican chiles are hatch. hatch have a very particular and delicious flavor. canned hatch* are ok in soups/stews/chili but would be bland here w so few ingred so skip those.*old el paso & ortega have canned green chiles that aren't specifically hatch chiles. these taste like nothing at all & are best avoided entirely IMO.
stephanie
(1/2) chile novices should take note - fresno chiles found in most grocery stores in the US are small & red and not anaheim chiles or a good substitute. anaheim chiles are large (poblano sized) & light green. here in boston we also have bags of "new mexico" chiles but they are dried & dark red - don't attempt to use dried chiles here.
Laurie W.
I make this all the time. It's a staple at our house. I use serranos and sometimes add a little cilantro. It's kept in a jar in our house all the time.
Ronko
In Sonora and Arizona, do not fail to include the mother of all chilies, the chiltepín pepper. Although tiny, it packs a picante punch, and has a wonderful flavor. It is not as hot as an habañero, but considering it’s size, it’s hot. https://www.google.com/search?q=chiltepin&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS895US895&oq=chiltip&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l2.10787j1j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Jordan
has anyone used anything other than Roma tomatoes? We have beautiful heirlooms from our garden and I would like to use those.
WIS Gal
Thank you for sharing Patís recipe/s. I go to her for all recipes Mexican because that's her life. Charring ingredients adds a depth of smoky flavor that cannot be found in a jar.
julie
New Mexican here. In NM we would never use anaheim chiles. Too bland!!! Hatch chile and its variations (Big Jim, etc) only! Great basic recipe. Thnx NYT!
Lori B
For those who can’t get fresh green chile (even in NewMexico it is only available in the early fall!), canned diced green chile is available in many grocery stores. It is an acceptable substitute and comes in different levels of hotness. You may even be able to get Hatch. If you substitute jalapeños, and add lime, you are making a riff on Pico de Gallo, in which everything is raw.
sharon robertson
Can this salsa be frozen for use through the winter? I have a lot of garden tomatoes !
Pati Jinich
yes you can!
Carswell
Why on earth wouldn’t you split and seed the peppers before grilling them?
Gail
Your common sense is not appreciated. ;)
awakenow
Flavor.
Madeline
It's a lot messier. Whole peppers stay dry on the grill so you can get a heavier char, necessary if you want the peeling to go easily, without worrying about the peppers falling apart. I've never tried to skin grilled peppers that were sliced open first (my Mexican father taught me the above technique which I have always used), but I imagine it would be a nightmare.
Nathan
I’m about to try this and also add a little bit of lime and cilantro Thanks!
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