Homemade Salsa Recipes | Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde, Pico De Gallo, Mango Salsa, Avocado Salsa
Homemade salsa is a set of fresh Mexican sauces you can make from scratch in your own kitchen, and this guide covers five of the most popular ones: Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo, Avocado Salsa, and Mango Salsa. They range from smooth and roasted to raw and chunky, from mild and refreshing to sweet-and-spicy, so between the five you will always have the right sauce for tacos, chips, wraps, or grilled dishes. Best of all, every one of these salsas is naturally vegan and made with real, whole ingredients.
Mexican cuisine is full of flavorful dishes loved by people all around the world. But there is something more to these dishes, something that gives them that extra special taste, and you know what I’m talking about: it’s the salsas, of course! Once you make them at home, you will taste the difference against anything from a jar, and you can dial the heat and acidity exactly to your liking.
The Five Salsas at a Glance
Each salsa in this post has its own personality. Knowing what sets them apart makes it easy to pick the right one for whatever you are serving.
- Salsa Roja — a cooked, smooth red salsa built on tomatoes and dried ancho chilies. Deep, warm, and lightly smoky.
- Salsa Verde — a green salsa made from tangy tomatillos and jalapeño, sauteed and blended with cilantro. Bright and a little sharp.
- Pico de Gallo — a raw, chunky salsa of diced tomato, onion, jalapeño, and lime. Fresh and crunchy.
- Avocado Salsa — a creamy corn-and-avocado mix with olives and bell pepper. Mild and refreshing.
- Mango Salsa — a sweet-and-spicy fruit salsa with mango, jalapeño, and citrus. The crowd-pleaser.
Salsa Roja / Tomato Salsa
In case you already went to a Mexican restaurant, or if you are passionate about this type of cuisine, I am sure you have heard about Salsa Roja by now! This is the classic red table salsa. For this version you boil the tomatoes together with dried ancho chilies, onion, and garlic, then blend everything smooth with oregano, cilantro, and olive oil.
Two notes that make a difference here. First, boiling the tomatoes for those few minutes loosens the skins so they peel away easily, which keeps the finished salsa smooth rather than stringy. Second, ancho chilies are dried poblanos, so they bring mild fruity warmth rather than sharp heat — if you want more kick, that is where a fresh hot chili or extra black pepper comes in. Taste and adjust the salt at the very end, since the flavors concentrate once everything is blended.
Salsa Verde
Salsa Verde gets its color and its signature tang from tomatillos, the small green fruits wrapped in a papery husk. For this recipe you sautee the tomatillos with onion and jalapeño first, then add garlic once things are going and cook until the tomatillos are slightly browned. Blending them with fresh cilantro and salt finishes the sauce.
Cooking the tomatillos before blending is what tames their raw, mouth-puckering acidity and turns it into a rounder, savory tang. Watch for that light browning as your doneness cue: it means the sugars have started to caramelize and the tomatillos have softened enough to blend into a smooth green salsa. Peel and rinse the sticky residue off the tomatillos before you start, since it can taste bitter.
Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is the simplest of the bunch and the only one that stays completely raw. You just mix together diced Roma tomatoes, onion, seeded jalapeño, cilantro, scallions, salt, lime juice, and a little garlic powder in a bowl. No blender, no stove.
The one step you should not skip is the rest in the fridge. Chilling the mixture for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight, gives the salt and lime time to draw out the juices and let the flavors marry, so it tastes like a finished salsa instead of a plate of chopped vegetables. Seeding the jalapeño keeps the heat gentle; leave the seeds in if you like it hotter. Dice everything to a similar small size so every spoonful has a bit of each ingredient.
Avocado Salsa
This one is a little different: a creamy, corn-based salsa with avocado, black olives, red bell pepper, and red onion, dressed with a garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice mixture. I chose to make this avocado salsa super refreshing and not spicy at all, but of course, you can add some fresh chopped chili peppers as well. If you love avocado in every form, you will find plenty more ideas in these savory avocado recipes.
The important detail here is timing: mix the corn base with the dressing and refrigerate it overnight so the flavors develop, but stir the diced avocado in only right before serving. Avocado browns and softens once it is cut and exposed to air, so adding it at the last minute keeps the pieces green and fresh instead of mushy and dull. The lemon juice in the dressing helps slow that browning too.
Mango Salsa
If you are a fan of spicy and sweet dishes just as I am, then you will surely love this mango salsa! It comes together like Pico de Gallo — everything mixed in a bowl and chilled — but swaps in ripe mango, red bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, lime and lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Trust me, it’s so good that you will want to eat it plain, directly from the bowl!
The magic of this salsa is the contrast: the sweetness of the mango plays against the heat of the jalapeño and red pepper flakes, while the lime and lemon keep it bright. Use a mango that is ripe but still firm so it holds its shape when diced. As with the pico, a rest in the fridge lets everything come together before serving.
What to Serve These Salsas With
Salsas are meant to be shared, and they turn a simple plate into something festive. Spoon Salsa Roja or Salsa Verde over vegan enchiladas or fold them into vegan quesadillas for an instant flavor boost. Pico de Gallo and Mango Salsa are perfect alongside vegan wraps or a side of Mexican rice, and any of them make great dippers with tortilla chips. For a bigger spread, set out all five in small bowls and let everyone build their own plate.
Storing and Making Ahead
Most of these salsas actually improve after a rest, which makes them ideal for making ahead. The cooked ones, Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde, keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about four to five days, and their flavor deepens on day two. Pico de Gallo and Mango Salsa are best within two to three days, since the fresh tomato and fruit soften over time and release liquid; drain off any excess before serving.
The Avocado Salsa is the exception because of the avocado. Make and store the corn base ahead as directed, but only stir in the diced avocado just before serving so it stays green. If you want to freeze anything, the two cooked, blended salsas hold up best; the raw, chunky ones lose their texture once thawed. These sauces also fit naturally into a wider spread of hot and spicy vegan recipes or a homemade vegan sauces collection, so it is worth keeping a jar or two on hand.
Now it’s your turn: pick a salsa (or make all five!) and tell me how it went. If you tried the Mango Salsa and ended up eating it straight from the bowl like I do, or if you spiced up the Avocado Salsa with a fresh chili, I would love to hear about it — please rate the recipe and leave a comment below with your favorite of the five.
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Homemade Salsa Recipes | Salsa Roja, Salsa Verde, Pico De Gallo, Mango Salsa, Avocado salsa
Ingredients
Salsa Roja:
- 2 ancho chili peppers dried
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 onion peeled
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- 2 Tbsp cilantro chopped
- olive oil for blending
Salsa Verde:
- 5 tomatillos
- ½ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ onion
- 1 jalapeño
- salt to taste
- olive oil for sautéing
Pico de Gallo:
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp cilantro freshly chopped
- 1 Tbsp scallions freshly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Avocado Salsa:
- ½ sweet corn
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and diced
- 2 Tbsp black olives drained and sliced
- ¼ red bell pepper chopped
- ½ red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Mango Salsa:
- 1 mango peeled, pitted and chopped
- ¼ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp scallions chopped
- 2 Tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- For Salsa Roja:
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.
- Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, onion and garlic to the pot.
- Boil for about 5 minutes.
- Take the vegetables out and let them cool.
- Peel the tomatoes and add them to a blender. Add the chili peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, cilantro and olive oil. Blend until smooth, then season with salt and black pepper.
- For Salsa Verde:
- Sauté the tomatillos, onion and jalapeño in a preheated skillet with a little olive oil for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add the garlic cloves and continue cooking until the tomatillos are slightly browned.
- Remove from the heat, then blend the cooked vegetables with the cilantro and salt in a blender.
- For Pico de Gallo:
- In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- For the Avocado Salsa:
- In a medium bowl, mix the sweet corn, black olives, red bell pepper and red onion.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Stir the corn mixture together with the garlic mixture and refrigerate overnight.
- Add the diced avocado to the mix just before serving, so it stays green.
- For the Mango Salsa:
- In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
This guide covers five classics: Salsa Roja (a smooth cooked red salsa of tomato and ancho chili), Salsa Verde (a tangy green salsa of tomatillo and jalapeno), Pico de Gallo (a raw chunky salsa of tomato, onion, and lime), Avocado Salsa (a creamy corn-and-avocado mix), and Mango Salsa (a sweet-and-spicy fruit salsa). Between them you get a range from mild and refreshing to smoky and hot.
Yes, all five salsas in this post are naturally vegan. They are made entirely from plant-based ingredients like tomatoes, tomatillos, chili peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, corn, avocado, mango, citrus juice, and olive oil, with no dairy, eggs, or other animal products.
Salsa Roja is red and gets its color and depth from tomatoes and dried ancho chilies, which are boiled and then blended smooth for a warm, lightly smoky flavor. Salsa Verde is green and built on tomatillos and jalapeno, which are sauteed before blending for a bright, tangy taste. Roja is mellow and rich, while Verde is sharper and more citrusy.
Prepare and refrigerate the corn base ahead of time, but stir the diced avocado in only right before serving. Avocado browns once it is cut and exposed to air, so adding it at the last minute keeps the pieces green and fresh. The lemon juice in the dressing also helps slow the browning.
The cooked salsas, Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about four to five days and their flavor deepens on day two. Fresh salsas like Pico de Gallo and Mango Salsa are best within two to three days before the tomato and fruit soften and release liquid. Avocado Salsa should be eaten the day the avocado is added.
Yes, the heat is easy to adjust. To keep things mild, seed the jalapenos before chopping and skip the red pepper flakes; the Avocado Salsa is already spice-free. To turn up the heat, leave the jalapeno seeds in, add fresh chopped chili peppers, or increase the black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
I didn’t know about mango salsa before, but it’s my favorite now! Love it so much! 🙂
It’s delicious! 😀