24 Vibrant Salsa Recipes Make a batch of homemade salsa and you may never look back at the jarred stuff. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on January 18, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Oh salsa, let us count the ways we love you. Spicy or mild, smooth or chunky, smoky or fruity, crisp or creamy — salsa comes in so many iterations that we couldn't possibly pick a favorite. Whether you're looking to top your steak, dip your chips, fill your tacos, or sauce your chilaquiles, this collection of flavor-packed salsa recipes is sure to have precisely what you're craving. We even have some unique riffs on the classics, like a pepita-sesame salsa macha, a pomegranate-pistachio salsa, and an avocado-green pea variation that's awesome with baked rice dishes. Keep scrolling to decide which one you'll make first. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 24 Tomatillo Salsa Cruda Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez employs a full cup of pungent cilantro leaves and stems along with tart, fresh tomatillos, mixed chiles, and tender scallions for a raw salsa that goes well with just about everything. (Try it on tacos, eggs, or tortilla chips.) Get the Recipe Save 02 of 24 Salsa de Piña Tatemada (Grilled Pineapple Salsa) Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva This salsa from restaurateur and author Bricia Lopez gets its sweet, hot, smoky complexity from grilling onion, garlic, chiles, and slices of pineapple before mixing in habanero paste and fresh lime juice. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 24 Salsa Macha Jen Causey Hailing from Veracruz, Mexico, this salsa isn't made with fresh veggies. Rather, a blend of dried chiles is toasted in olive oil along with garlic, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and cacao nibs; after stirring in a bit of oregano, everything is pulsed in the food processor with vinegar just until coarsely ground. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 24 Pico de Gallo Matt Taylor-Gross Fresh is the name of the game here. The simple combination of tomatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro, chiles, and grapefruit or lime juice is always a win when served with tortilla chips. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 24 Salsa Roja Taquera Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Made with fresh plum tomatoes and red jalapeños, the umami-boosting secret to chef Jonathan Zaragoza’s thick, smooth salsa is a touch of chicken bouillon. “I always wondered why my mom’s salsa was better than mine. Until one day, I saw her sprinkle a little magic dust into the blender." Get the Recipe Save 06 of 24 Pomegranate Salsa with Pistachios Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Charred red onion and serrano pepper are mixed with pomegranate arils, pistachios, and fresh herbs in a tart sherry vinegar reduction for an eye-catching salsa with a lovely crunch. Enjoy it with chips or spoon it over chicken or fish. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 24 Hatch Chile Salsa Victor Protasio Make the most of Hatch chile season by roasting and blending with tender tomatillos, cilantro, sweet onion, lime juice, garlic, and agave for a mildly spicy green salsa that sings atop burgers, enchiladas, and egg dishes. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 24 Chile-Lime Mango Salsa Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Get a taste of the tropics with this salsa showcasing juicy Champagne mangoes alongside red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, all tossed in lime juice and dusted with the citrusy heat of Tajín. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 24 Salsa Negra John Kernick Deep, smoky, and rich, this salsa negra from chef Carlos Salgado includes blistered guajillo and chiles de árbol plus plenty of fresh garlic and soft, slow-aged black garlic for a dark salsa that you'll want to put on everything. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 24 Salsa Asada de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa) Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Lightly char tart tomatillos on the grill up to three hours ahead and mellow the heat with buttery mashed avocados for this creamy, spicy salsa with the best elements of both guacamole and salsa verde. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 24 Salsa Taquera Clay Williams Sweet tomatoes and tangy tomatillos pair beautifully with onion, garlic, and a mix of fresh and dried chiles in this salsa from chef Cristina Martínez of Philadelphia taco institution South Philly Barbacoa. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 24 Mixed Fruit Pico Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Also known as salsa fresca, this fresh pico from Ann Taylor Pittman combines sweet and savory elements like pineapple, mango, kiwi, tomatoes, onions, chiles, and a sprinkling of Tajín. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 24 Habanero Salsa Con Poulos Lots of fruity habaneros are roasted with thinly sliced white onion to bring out their sweetness, then pureed with fresh citrus and reduced on the stove for Alex Stupak's fiery salsa. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 24 Salsa Fresca Victor Protasio This fresh salsa from the Yucatán region of Mexico is all about the crunch. Its blend of jicama, cucumber, radish, and white onion is sweetened with red bell pepper and balanced with lime; cool mint leaves cut the serrano's heat. Serve it with grilled meat or atop a summer salad. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 24 Pepita-Sesame Salsa Macha Aubrie Pick Chef Traci des Jardins swaps in pumpkin seeds for the usual peanuts to make her version of salsa macha, pairing them with sweet guajillo chiles and both white and black sesame seeds for subtle nuttiness and crunch. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 24 Tangy Corn Salsa Greg DuPree Made with a cup of fresh corn kernels, Maricel Presilla serves this crisp summer salsa with her Shrimp and Corn Chowder, but we love to scoop it up with tortilla chips, too. Feel free to add finely chopped fresh chile for a fiery kick. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 24 Salsa Verde Cocida Clay Williams Two full cups of fresh green ground cherries give this salsa verde its slightly sweet, tropical notes, balancing the zippy jalapeños. A bunch each of epazote and cilantro imparts subtly earthy, pleasantly bitter flavors. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 24 Árbol Chile Salsa Con Poulos Warmly spiced with cumin, allspice, cloves, and Mexican oregano, this spicy, tangy salsa requires a full ounce of chiles de árbol. Chef Alex Stupak uses it as an all-purpose hot sauce — it will last almost indefinitely in the fridge and becomes even more complex with age. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 24 Avocado-Green Pea Salsa Con Poulos You'll only need five ingredients plus salt to make this pretty green salsa from chef Jose Enrique — and not one of them is a chile. Serve it alongside baked rice dishes like arroz con pollo. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 24 Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Verde Helene Dujardin Pleasantly smoky from charred jalapeños, tomatillos, and onion, this salsa verde is pulsed in the food processor to retain some texture. It's rounded out with fresh cilantro and tart lime juice to make all the flavors pop. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 24 Mango-Tomato Salsa Ian Knauer Chef and cookbook author Deborah Schneider's sweet and savory salsa comes together in just 15 minutes, no cooking required. It's a beautiful way to take advantage of juicy ripe mangos; a touch of fresh mint brings a cool, refreshing quality that offsets the zesty chile. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 24 Salsa Casera Victor Protasio Casera means "homemade" in Spanish. This versatile version is completely smooth — to make it, simply blend guajillo chiles, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes, then season and serve. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 24 Salsa Criolla (Peruvian Red Onion Relish) Kate Winslow A brief soak in cold water mellows the bite of red onions for a fresh relish that pretty much goes with everything, from grilled and roasted meats to tacos. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 24 Salsa de Chile Fresco Asado (Roasted Fresh Chile Salsa) Lucy Schaeffer This workhorse salsa from chef Rick Bayless is essentially a fresh, chunky version of standard hot sauce. Mix and match four ounces of your favorite chiles to make it — from there, the only other ingredients you'll need are garlic, lime juice, and salt. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Recipes Sauces, Condiments and Preserves Salsa Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit