Recipe Roundup

33 Best Salsa Recipes

Whether you're craving fresh pico de gallo or a hit of smoky guajillo, these salsas will perk up tacos, eggs, hot dogs, and more.

By The Editors of Epicurious

October 1, 2020

Step away from the jarred, shelf-stable salsa. With these salsa recipes, you can always have freshly-made salsa on hand, the kind that's packed with bright flavors and just the right amount of heat. Below you'll find 33 great salsa recipes (including a few complete meals where salsa is the star.)

Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
1/33
The Only Salsa You Need
We have a whole bunch of favorite salsa recipes, but this one is worth considering as your go-to. You'll char the ingredients under the broiler for a roasty flavor, then blitz it in batches for the ideal texture.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
2/33
Pico de Gallo Verde
The lime juice and oil will keep the avocado from turning brown, but it’s a good idea to make this pico de gallo recipe right before you serve it.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
3/33
Salsa de Árbol
Pair this chile-spiked cooked tomato salsa with beet tostadas or these fantastic shrimp and poblano tacos.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
4/33
Salsa Guille
This super-savory salsa has no tomato, tomatillo, or citrus. Instead, it's made with cooked onion and serrano chiles, plus creamy peanut butter. It's a great addition to Epi contributor Andrea Aliseda's crispy mushroom tacos.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
5/33
Grilled Serrano Salsa Verde
Grilling the chiles tames their heat a bit and adds a nice smoky flavor to this green sauce. You can fine-tune the heat by using fewer or more chiles, depending on the intensity of the ones you have and your personal taste. This sauce goes well with any grilled meat or fish.
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Photo by Alex Lau
6/33
Valentina's Charred Tomato Salsa
This puréed charred-tomato salsa gets a silky texture from the tomatoes and is as good with chips as it is splashed over tacos.
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Photo by Linda Xiao
7/33
Green Pico de Gallo
This cooling and crunchy green salsa recipe brings together tomatillos and onion, jalapeños, cilantro, and mint.
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Christopher Testani
8/33
Yucatán-Style Habanero Salsa
Be sure to wear gloves when prepping the 25 habañeros that make up this seriously spicy salsa.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
9/33
3-Ingredient Grilled and Fresh Tomato Salsa
Grilling the onions and half of the tomatoes adds smoky depth and sweetness to this riff on pico de gallo.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
10/33
Toasted Chile de Árbol and Tomatillo Salsa
This salsa from Itanoní in Oaxaca starts with toasted chiles. Be sure to carefully remove the seeds and ribs before you start!
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
11/33
Panchos Argentinos (Argentine-Style Hot Dogs)
What's better than a hot dog? A hot dog topped with mayo, mustard, and a generous amount of fresh salsa criolla.
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Peden and Munk Taylor and Jen
12/33
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Winning weekend project plan: make a big batch of this no-cook tomatillo salsa (and maybe some carnitas while you're at it) and freeze leftovers.
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Christopher Testani
13/33
Toasted Guajillo Chile Salsa
Guajillos—the workhorse in this bright salsa—are spicy with a mildly smoky sweetness.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
14/33
Sunny Side Burger with Salsa Verde
What’s better than a griddled burger with the crispiest exterior? One that comes sandwiched between layers of a vibrant tomatillo salsa and topped with a runny fried egg.
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Photo by Linda Xiao
15/33
Roasted Tomato–Cashew Salsa
If we had to give this salsa a heat index rating, it would get three out of five chiles.
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Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
16/33
Mexican Meat Patties with Fresh Corn Salsa
Topped off with a simple raw corn salsa, these patties are a crowd-pleasing and low-maintenance summer dinner.
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Marcus Nilsson
17/33
Dried Chile Salsa
Mixing fresh and dried chiles in a hot skillet gives this salsa a wonderful complexity of flavor. You can make it—and chill it—up to 4 days ahead.
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Johnny Miller
18/33
Corn Fritters with Spicy Zucchini Salsa
This is the perfect way to use up the last of summer's corn and zucchini.
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Photo by Tara Donne, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi
19/33
Avocado Toast with Tomato-Corn Salsa
Your avocado toast deserves a little salsa. To add a smoky flavor to the mix, grill the corn first.
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Photo by Jody Horton
20/33
Jerk Baby Back Ribs With Pineapple Salsa
This pineapple salsa was designed for pairing with chef Tanya Holland's allspice-rubbed ribs, but it's delicious on its own, too.
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Photo by Rhoda Boone, food styling by Rhoda Boone
21/33
Tomatillo Salsa with Serranos
Skip the skins. Boiling the tomatillos makes the salsa smoother without flecks of skin.
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Rhoda Boone, food styling by Rhoda Boone
22/33
Spicy Tomato Salsa with Cilantro and Chiles
Chile de arbol brings the heat to this tasty salsa recipe. Tomato tip: boiling with garlic makes for much easier skin removal.
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Zach DeSart
23/33
Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salsa
If you're short on time and have an avocado, you're more than ready to take on this no-cook salsa.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
24/33
Campechana Extra (Mexican Seafood Cocktail)
This seafood cocktail is the perfect marriage of shrimp, crab, and salsa, with extra layers of flavor thanks to smoky New Mexican chiles, briny olives, and creamy avocado.
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Catherine McCord
25/33
Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo
A simple squeeze or two of lime and some salt will do more than enough to help good tomatoes shine.
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Photo by Todd Coleman
26/33
Fresh Green Salsa (Salsa verde cruda)
Tart and fiery, this classic bright-green salsa shows off the flavor of tomatillos and the lovable grassy sharpness of fresh unripe chiles.
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Peden and Munk Taylor and Jen
27/33
Lebanese Tomato "Salsa"
This Lebanese sauce from Anissa Helou adds cooling mint and olive oil to the mix. The result is fresh and vibrant.
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Photo by Sang An
28/33
Jamaican Jerk Salmon and Mango Pineapple Salsa
This tropical salsa is perfect with fish, or simply with chips and a margarita or two.
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Peden + Munk
29/33
Salsa de Chile Morita
Charring the vegetables adds bittersweet depth; serve leftovers on scrambled eggs.
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Christina Holmes
30/33
Roasted Poblano and Caper Salsa
Briny capers and smoky cumin add interest to this broiled poblano salsa.
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TK
31/33
Pomegranate and Queso Fresco Salsa
The combination of the tart, crisp pomegranate, creamy cheese, and crunchy pine nuts makes a wonderful topping for grilled fish or even a carne asada taco.
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Amy Kalyn Sims
32/33
Sesame Seed and Árbol Chile Salsa
Nuts and seeds have been making their way into Mexican sauces and salsas for centuries. The nutty sesame seeds in this salsa, which is served at a very popular small restaurant in Tijuana called Mi Rincón Cenaduria (My Restaurant Nook), give it body and depth.
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Romulo Yanes
33/33
Pico de Gallo: Fresh Tomato Salsa
Pico de gallo is so elegantly simple that you hardly need a recipe. But the best version, like all salsa recipes, requires attention to detail. Find firm, ripe tomatoes, seed them, and add plenty of lime juice and salt—not skimping on the chiles.
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