Try this easy Mexican Salsa Ranchera aka ranchera sauce for a homemade and great tasting salsa! Made with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili, and cilantro. This delicious salsa requires only 6 ingredients and 30 minutes of your time!
If you love Mexican food, then you’re going to LOVE this salsa! It’s a salsa that you can’t beat! Authentic, simple, but LOADED with flavor!
What is Salsa Ranchera?
This salsa is pretty common in Mexico, it’s a type of salsa roja made with vegetables that are roasted in the oven with a touch of heat from jalapenos or serranos. It’s not meant to be too spicy, but it all depends on which chili you use and whether you remove the ribs and seeds of the chili or not.
Ranchero Salsa aka Salsa Ranchera is delicious with huevos rancheros, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tamales, eggs, chicken, beef, and vegetables.
Overall, this salsa will take your Mexican feasts to the next level!
Salsa Ranchera Ingredients
To make salsa ranchera, you will need the following ingredients:
- Tomatoes – fresh ripe tomatoes.
- Chili – you can either use jalapeno or a serrano chile (remember, serrano chile means more heat!).
- Garlic and onion.
- Salt and fresh cilantro leaves.
For extra flavor, Feel free to add additional seasonings to the salsa such as dried oregano, thyme, cumin, worcestershire sauce, and ground black pepper.
How to Make Salsa Ranchera
The vegetables are roasted, then they’re blended together to get a somewhat smooth salsa. It’s very simple and quick to make, and definitely worth the effort. Here’s what you have to do:
Slice the tomatoes, chilies, and onion in halves. Season with salt and pepper (pepper is not necessary but adds flavor), and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet skin side up with the garlic cloves.
Roast the vegetables until they’re tender, then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes.
Then place the roasted vegetables (and any optional seasonings, see recipe card notes for ideas) in a food processor or blender, and blend the ingredients until the salsa is smooth.
How Hot or Spicy is Salsa Ranchera?
This salsa is quite mild as it uses just one jalapeno. To make it hotter, use serrano chiles (for medium heat). It also depends on whether you choose to deseed the chiles or not. For a milder salsa, always remove the seeds and the ribs of the chili.
For even more heat, add habanero chiles or even scotch bonnets. No judgments will be made by our team, now that’s for sure! 😉 I mean, if you can handle the heat!
For more Mexican salsas and condiments, check out my pico de gallo recipe, the best ever guacamole, and my favorite lime crema!
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Salsa Ranchera
Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes about 1 pound – halved
- 1 jalapeno* halved (seeds and ribs removed if you want a mild salsa) – see notes*
- 1 onion yellow or white – quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Season the sliced tomatoes, onion, and chili with salt and pepper (if using), and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet skin side up with the garlic cloves.
- Roast the vegetables until they're tender (about 20 minutes), then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes.
- Place the roasted vegetables (and any optional seasonings, see recipe notes below*) in a food processor or blender, squeeze out the garlic cloves, and blend the ingredients until the salsa is smooth.
- Mix in chopped cilantro, or use it as a garnish when serving.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to add additional seasonings to the salsa if you like, such as dried oregano, thyme, cumin, ground black pepper.
- This salsa is quite mild as it uses just one jalapeno. To make it hotter, use serrano chilies. It also depends on whether you choose to deseed the chilies or not. For a milder salsa, always remove the seeds and the ribs of the chili. For even more heat, add habanero chilies or even scotch bonnets.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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