A good salsa ranchera recipe will take your homemade Mexican meals from good to great.
In fact, as a Latina dietitian I often recommend my clients use homemade salsa as a quick and easy way to increase their vegetable intake.
Not only does keeping a batch of this salsa on hand give you a quick way to add a bit of vegetables to any meal, but it’s one of the easiest Mexican recipes for you to master.
I’m giving you this simple salsa ranchera recipe to start with but I strongly recommend you play around with it. You’ll memorize how to make salsa ranchera in no time and it will be a part of your weekly meal prep routine.
What is salsa ranchera?
Traditional Mexican salsa ranchera is a salsa you will see you used over and over again in Mexican food. It typically includes roasted tomato and roasted jalapeno. you may also see onion, garlic, and other flavorings.
When you think classic roasted salsa flavor, you’re probably thinking about salsa ranchera.
Is it spicy?
Salsa ranchera can be spicy. While depending on your personal taste preferences, the person making it, as well as a little bit of luck. My mom has always said that some peppers are hotter than others and you don’t know until you taste the final dish!
If you are looking for a less spicy version, start with just 1/2 jalapeño and add more if needed.
What to serve with salsa ranchera
You can serve this salsa ranchera with almost anything. You can make this the number one staple salsa in your household.
I think this recipe is a particularly good salsa ranchera for eggs. This is the salsa recipe I use to make huevos ahogados, huevos rancheros, and more.
How to Make
Salsa Ranchera (5 ingredients)
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 griddle or comal
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno stem removed
- 1/2 onion peeled
- 3 clove garlic peeled
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a comal or griddle over medium-high heat
- Place the tomato, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on the comal.4 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 3 clove garlic, 1 jalapeno
- Heat the vegetables. Turning occasionally until the skin is blistered. You will likely have to remove the garlic cloves earlier than the other vegetables.
- Place the vegetables in the blender with the salt. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.1/2 tsp salt
Nutrition
It’s no secret that I love using salsa as a way to eat more vegetables.
This traditional Mexican salsa ranchera is mostly made from tomatoes, so it’s an excellent source of lycopene–an important antioxidant that may have heart health benefits (1).
And the capsaicin from the chile is anti-inflammatory (2).
Need more healthy Mexican meal ideas?
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