Chipotle Salsa

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Easy Tomato Chipotle Salsa

This chipotle salsa is smoky and robust with juicy blackened tomatoes, chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce and sea salt.  Yes you read that right, TWO INGREDIENTS, plus salt.  So it’s kind of an understatement when I say this is recipe quick, easy and simple.  It cannot possibly get more simple than this recipe, yet it is so good that it will become a staple salsa for life(I dare say).  Since discovering this chipotle salsa recipe, it has become my number one go-to salsa recipe and I make it all the time!  If you’re like me and have a chip and salsa addiction or a Mexican food addiction in general, this will surely become a salsa recipe that you will put in the books.

I learned how to make this chipotle salsa recipe when I was working at my first job at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant.  We used to char the tomatoes on the grill until the skin was burnt completely black.  Now I can’t blacken them this way because I don’t have an indoor grill, the way the restaurant did, so I typically cook them under the broiler on high.  This method does not produce exactly the same result because it doesn’t turn all of the skin black, which really only changes the aesthetic, and it tastes just as good. If you choose this method just know that the skin will not blacken fully and the appearance of the salsa, in its final result, will be slightly different.  It will be a brighter and lighter red, as it will not have the same amount of black speckles or the deep burgundy color as the other methods will produce.  For the recipe I made for this post and video, I made an outdoor fire and roasted them over the flames until the skin turned black. Preparing them over a real, wood-burning fire adds the wood smoked taste which isn’t what I was used to, but was still amazingly tasty.   

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is a product that comes in a can.  There are several different brands that sell this specific product and all of them will work.  These peppers are SPICY so be sure to not over do it, unless you are looking to bring the heat!  You will add 1 chipotle pepper, or slightly more, into the blender with the tomatoes and this is where the salsa gets its medium-spiced heat and smokiness.  The last touch to this recipe is sea salt which is always an essential to balance and maximize the flavors.  

I made this chipotle salsa recipe for a taco salad that I was making.  I had a ton of leftovers and used it for the better part of a week on top of various combinations of sweet potatoes, veggies, salads, inside of burritos and for chips and salsa of course!  You can find the taco salad recipe here. 

This is my favorite recipe for when I have a hankering for chips and salsa. This salsa is also amazing in burritos and for dipping quesadillas in.  Wow typing out “dipping quesadillas” just made my stomach extremely hungry.  I really enjoy this salsa on rajas de poblano, which is strips of poblano peppers and onions that are grilled or sautéed.  The earthy flavors of the poblano peppers pair well with the smoky chipotle and robust tomato flavors.  I also think this salsa pairs well with chicken.  You could bake the chicken in this salsa and even think of it as a sauce.  Some other options could be grilling a mixture of veggies such as zucchini, squash, chayote, peppers or onions and smothering them in this chipotle sauce on the grill.

This chipotle salsa or chipotle sauce would be great on a Mexican breakfast of eggs such as a classic breakfast, an omelet or chilaquiles. 

Traditionally, you may not think “healthy” when you think chips and salsa, however, this is a healthy salsa being only a couple of ingredients and no preservatives or sugars or unhealthy oils.  Just make sure you get tortilla chips that are fried in a healthier oil.  I always avoid generic “vegetable oil” and “canola oil”.

Yields: 6-7 cups of salsa 

Chipotle Salsa Ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned)
• Salt

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Ingredient Notes: Smoky Chipotle Salsa Recipe

• 8 large ripe tomatoes
• Jar of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  Will use 1 pepper or (slightly more) and a spoonful of sauce in this recipe.
• Salt- use good quality sea salt.  Start with a generous pinch and add more to taste at end. 

Don’t add water, the juices in the tomatoes is enough liquid to give it the perfect consistency.  Plus, you don’t want to lessen the flavor!

Instructions for Fire Roasted Chipotle Salsa:

1. Place tomatoes on cooking source to blacken the skin.  Use one of the following: grill, oven broiler on high or outdoor fire. 
2. Turn tomatoes using kitchen tong’s until all sides are black.
3. When the entire surface skin of tomatoes are completely burnt, remove tomatoes from cooking source and transfer them to a high speed blender.
4. Add 1 chipotle pepper(or slightly more) and a spoonful of the sauce canned adobo to the tomatoes in the blender.
5. Add a large pinch of salt.
6. Blend until the blackened skin turn to small flakes or black speckles and there are no more chunks of tomato.
7. Enjoy this authentic Mexican chipotle salsa recipe!

Adjust salt at end to taste.

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smoky chipotle salsa recipe

Chipotle peppers are jalapeños that have been smoked and dried.  The are usually vine ripened and are the typical medium-hot spice level. 

Peppers happen to be my favorite category of food to cook with (and eat!).  I am drawn to them because of the host of different varieties and the different character, flavor, and spice level that each produce.  Its a fascinating species!  I also cherish the earthiness and love the heat that the bring to a dish.

You could totally make your own chipotle peppers.  This may be of more interest to you if you grow your own jalapeños or have access to local peppers from your farmers market.   If you have a smoker, try it out!  We are in the process of designing a DIY smoker so check back for a post on that soon. 

Since you will only be using 1 chipotle pepper from the can, you may freeze the rest and use it at a later date.  Try cover the opened can with foil and remove contents from jan and put in a small plastic sandwich bag. 

Adobo is a dark red sauce or marinade made of chili peppers, spices, garlic, vinegar, and sugar.  It is tangy, earthy, spicy and bold flavored.  The name comes from Adobar which is Spanish for marinade.   Adobo sauce is seriously good, especially pulled meat smothered in it and then made into a burrito.  If you haven’t tried it, it is a must!  My first adobo burrito I had was “Turkey Adobo” and it was life changing!  

The amount of chipotle pepper that is called for is perfect for chipotle medium salsa recipe.

Equipment:

• High speed blender (example, Vitamix) OR hand-held immersion blender
• Grill or outdoor fire or broiler in oven
• Kitchen tongs

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Authentic Chipotle Salsa

Notes:

Look for bright or deep red tomatoes.  This indicates they were grown in healthy mineral rich soil.  Pale or dull colored tomatoes indicate depleted soil and mineral deficiency. 

Use ripe tomatoes- they should be soft and have some “give” when gently placing pressure on them.

Kitchen tongs are one of those items that once you acquire make you wonder how you ever lived without them.  I have a couple pairs because they are that important to me.  One is just metal and one is covered in silicone, I use them both in different scenarios.  I would use the solely metal ones in this cooking scenario because you are dealing with fire.  They are here if you want to check them out- My Kitchen Tongs. 

I don’t currently have an immersion blender (hand-held stick blender), but if I did, I would be using it for this recipe.  So if you happen to have one, you can use it instead of the blender.  I will link the one I have my eye on from Vitamix.

I was doing a raw vegan cleanse once and tried to make this recipe raw and it was not good at all, just throwing that out to any raw foodies out there.

I have put together a small video showing the simple ingredients and shorts steps to making this delicious salsa recipe.  I hope you do try this chipotle salsa recipe. 

If you liked this recipe please comment, rate and share if you feel inspired to.  Don’t forget to check out the links in this blog post to check out the taco salad I made this salsa for. 

Check out some similar recipes that you may also love, such as, this easy spicy mango salsa.

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Health Benefits: 

-Tomatoes offer many health benefits, one notable benefit is that they are high in lycopene.  This happens to be one of the contributors to the dark red color.  Lycopene is an antioxidant that has been linked to possible reduction of heart disease and cancer.  Tomatoes are also high in vitamins, minerals and other antioxidants.  They may improve vision, skin health and boost immunity.  Tomatoes are also amazing to help reduce stress damage to the cells and are nourishing to the adrenal glands!
-Pepper and Spice- The capsaicin have health benefits such as vasodilation and stimulating the liver for detoxification. 

FAQ’S:

-What if I cannot get the tomato skin fully burnt/black because I am using the broiler method, will that affect the taste?  

It will affect the aesthetic more than the taste.  The taste will vary slightly but it will still be delicious.  The aesthetic will be changed as you will not have the black speckles throughout and the color will also be lighter. 

-Can I use a different type of pepper?  

Yes but it will change the flavor (and maybe spice level).

authentic mexican chipotle salsa recipe