This spicy red salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, roasted jalapeño, garlic and cilantro, pureed in a blender then simmered until the tomatoes deepen in color. Serve with your favorite baked chips and Sinless Margaritas!
There are so many varieties of Mexican salsas with different levels of heat, some chunky, some smooth, some raw and others cooked. This one is smooth and cooked, perfect for topping a burrito bowl or simply enjoying with some tortilla chips. I love the smoky flavor of roasting jalapeños, which I did right over my stove. I let it sit for a few minutes over a medium flame, turning a few times. When the skin started to char I removed it from the flame and peeled off some of the charred parts. You can do this on the grill as well.
If you want a milder sauce remove the seeds before putting it in the blender. This is so easy to make, put all the ingredients in the blender, then simmer for 25 minutes. That's it!!
Salsa Picante Roja
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 1 pt
Calories: 22.5 • Fat: 1.0 g • Protein: 0.7 g • Carb: 3.5 g • Fiber: 0.8 g • Sugar: 0.1
- 3 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed and roasted
- 3-4 small cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 3-4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt to taste
In a blender, add tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro and water and pulse a few times until completely smooth.
Add oil to a deep skillet, then pour in tomatoes. Season with salt and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, makes about 1 1/2 cups. You can refrigerate a few days or freeze the rest.
Some other salsa recipes you may also enjoy:
Corn Salsa with Lime - Skinnytaste
Roasted Vegetable Salsa - Gluten Free Goddess
Avocado and Mango Salsa - Skinnytaste
Mango, Tomato and Avocado Salsa - Mango & Tomato
Southwest Black Bean Salsa - Skinnytaste





















This looks lovely! I haven't made a cooked salsa in a very long time. Should give this a try!
ReplyDeleteLady you've been reading my mind! I'm making this recipe this week to use with my egg whites!
ReplyDeleteAhh .. salsa can make any and every meal just a little bit better. I will put it on anything!
ReplyDeleteI will have to try this! I LOVE salsa but every time I have tried to make it, it turns out awful. This looks soo good!
ReplyDeleteI've only tried cooked salsa with tomatillos. Can't wait to try this, it looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful . . . Girl THANK YOU!!! Salsa is my favorite and I've wanted a recipe like this!!! Like Martin Lawrence from tv - You go girl.
ReplyDeleteI've never cooked salsa before, but this looks so pretty! and bright.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link :)
This looks gorgeous, absolutely bookmarking this for another day.
ReplyDeleteChips and salsa... my guilty pleasure! This will be perfect for Cinco de Mayo.
ReplyDeleteYum! I can't wait to try this. I make my own salsa but I have never cooked it, it really makes it look flavorful. Try it with Snyder's of Hanover Restaurant Style corn chips, only 3pts per serving.
ReplyDeleteI made this with Cinco De Mayo in mind!! This is a thinner salsa, not a chunky one like you would make with raw tomatoes. It's delicious, kind of like the hot salsa at Chipotle's.
ReplyDeletelooks/sounds DELICIOUS!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, I've been always wondering how to make salsa roja and actually somehow it never occurred to me that it ought to be cooked haha.
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog and I am SOOO excited about it! I have a feeling my computer is going to be with me in the kitchen a lot more now!! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDelete-Sarah from Create Studio
www.createstudio.blogspot.com
oh.looks great, i just love salsa. This is very nice.
ReplyDeleteGina, you're the best! This looks delicious, will try soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for new salsa recipes. This one, I'm definitely trying.
ReplyDeleteYummy! Def. going to try this soon! :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks awesome.. Thanks
ReplyDeleteyvonne
I need a good red salsa recipe (with no bell pepper) -- this one might be the ticket!
ReplyDeleteDo you really need the oil if you use a non-stick pan? Would love this to 0 points plus! ;O
ReplyDeleteNope, you can leave the oil out. I like to add a little bit but will be just as wonderful without.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog about 2 weeks ago and I have tried 2 recipes so far and I'm in love and hooked to this blog! Thank you for doing this! My best friend is also hooked!
ReplyDeleteI love to hook people in : )
ReplyDeleteCan you used cans of diced tomatoes? If so, how many cans? By the way, LOVE your blog and your pictures are by FAR the best of any food blog out there!
ReplyDeleteokay Gina, I'm not very cooking smart. How can I roast a jalapeno without a gas stove and no grill??
ReplyDelete-sarah
Stick them under the broiler, you just want the skin to char a little. If no broiler, just use the jalapeno as is.
ReplyDeleteWhat my mom use to do to get the tomatoes and chiles to get the skin to darken or char I guess you'd call it. She would just put them on a comal or a skillet and just let the skin darken. Not sure if that would work for ya but that is how I make my salsa's if I want the roasted flavor on the veggies.
ReplyDeletePatti, yes roasting the vegetables deepens the flavor, I love the roasted taste of tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteGonna make this for Cinco de Mayo this week!! Great timing! :)
ReplyDeletePut this on to simmer while I worked on the Fiesta Rice- perfect compliments and great dinner! My husband travels frequently so I'm always on the look out for lighter dishes for one person. It's a bonus if they heat well for lunch too! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMmmm we are having a little Cinco de Mayo lunch at work and I can't to bring this to the table! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have this simmering on the stove right now. Looks delish. I left out most of the seeds thinking my daughter might eat some, too. Now I wish I hadn't. I LOVE hot salsa. Thanks for another great recipe, Gina!
ReplyDeleteMade this yesterday for Cinco de Mayo! YUM YUM!! So easy. I did use the roasted jalapeno w/seeds, but the hubs likes a little more kick. Suggestions? Maybe a serrano pepper w/seeds? Would a habanero w/ seeds be too much? Or maybe just a second jalapeno?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, I will probably be making this ALL SUMMER LONG as tomatoes ripen and come into season locally!
THANK YOU GINA!
Wow, he likes it hot!! Habanero would probably do the trick, use both!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...maybe the jalepeno I picked was too large? (The smaller the hotter, right?) *I* didn't even think it had any spice to it (and hot stuff makes my nose run in an instant!) Maybe I'll try picking a smaller jalapeno before stepping it up to the habanero! ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great recipes! Love them! (BTW, making this again this week. We loved it!)
Oh Gina, I have never thought to cook the salsa after making it before! Every time I make homemade salsa, it's pink and foamy... Ughh. SO, I used my basic salsa technique (very similar to yours, but includes onion and a splash of lime juice which I added after cooking) and cooked it as you did and it was GORGEOUS and delicious--very similar to restaurant-style salsa.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lesson! You continue to be my FAV food blogger!
Thanks Tristin!
ReplyDeleteHey Gina I just made this salsa....it was so incredibly easy I can't believe it! I decided to put in the whole jalapeno and now I am realizing I may have made it too spicy to enjoy. Any suggestions on how to tame it down besides adding more tomatoes because I dont have anymore?
ReplyDeleteMaybe a nice cold corona would help :)
ReplyDeleteHooray for another delicious and easy recipe. I just whipped this up and can't believe I have never made salsa before! Thanks for making all these fabulous WW friendly recipes that make me continue to feel "normal" and not like I am on a diet ... not to mention that my whole house loves to eat!
ReplyDeleteJust made this for a Friday night snack - DELICIOUS! Hands down the best salsa recipe I've tried... Next time I think I'll add another jalapeno pepper just to give it a little more kick, but I did add a bit of chili powder and it tastes fantastic! Another win :)
ReplyDeleteLoved this! i think next time i'll add at least 1 or 2 more jalapenos and maybe an onion. I'm so happy in this recipe that i learned to COOK the salsa! i've tried so many salsa recipes...never simmered before...and it always looks like the picture you have of the salsa in the blender. ha! who knew?! Thanks again!! so happy i've found your site:)
ReplyDeleteMade This yesterday and removed seeds from jalapeno and Wow hot stuff!! love it tho.will be nice to mix with some low fat sour cream.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered this recipe on your site about a month ago and I've already made this 3 times, about to make a 4th batch today. This is hands-down the best (and easiest) salsa recipe ever! Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe and I tell them about this awesome site! The only change I made is that I added onion with the other ingredients in the blender.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of tomatoes do you use? -Jen
ReplyDeleteI used vine tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI just tried this recipe. I left out the Jalapeno because I can't handle any spice and added half of a red onion and half of a yellow bell pepper. After simmering it tasted very plain so I sprinkled some cumin, chili powder, and even some cayenne to try and liven it up. It didn't seem to work. I will have to try with a jalapeno next time. Very easy recipe though!
ReplyDeletethis looks great why not give it a try
ReplyDeleteJust made this salsa - used a gigantic jalapeno because we love spice. Instead of simmering the salsa, I poached chicken in it. I used the chicken with some salsa for enchilladas filling and topped it with more salsa and baked it. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis is my new favorite salsa. I've made this twice so far and love it. I do it without the jalapeño seeds and it's just the right amount of flavor. It's so easy too - I love that I can have fresh salsa without chopping all those tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI made this one last night. I was actually disappointed as it was too me pretty bland compared to the shrimp salsa. There just was no flavor to it. I roasted the jalapenos and I even added red onions to it. This is the first thing that I have made from your website that I was disappointed in how it turned out.
ReplyDeleteI just made this recipe and my salsa is looking brown not red...maybe i added too much cilantro...
ReplyDeleteGina, I can't wait to make this. Have you ever tried canning a larger quantity in jars? Thinking about the time of year when we have more tomatoes than we can eat... Thanks!
ReplyDelete