Last Updated on July 3, 2023 by Catrina
Besides the obvious difference in color, how different are salsa roja and salsa verde? Here in Mexico where I live, both red and green salsas are prevalent in Mexican homes, restaurants, and street food stands. These table salsas and sauces are used for enchiladas, chilaquiles, and other Mexican food every meal of the day. This article will cover what each of these salsas is, what ingredients are typically used, how the taste differs, and what these different types of salsas are used for. Plus, I share with you my favorite homemade salsas so that you can make your own salsa at home!
Let’s dig in!
What is salsa roja?
Salsa roja translates to “red sauce” in English. Essentially, the words salsa roja refer to salsa with a red color. Typically, salsa roja is made with a tomato base and can include onions, chiles, and garlic, as well as other ingredients. According to Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana, this salsa is also known as salsa de jitomate or salsa de tomate rojo, depending on the region.
Because the base of salsa roja is tomatoes, the salsa tends to be a bit sweeter than its green salsa counterpart, which is typically made from the more tart tomatillo.
While some salsas that are made with dried red chiles also have a red color, these salsas in my experience usually go by the name of the main chile ingredient, like salsa de chile morita or salsa de chile de árbol. They don’t go by the name salsa roja.
How to make salsa roja
As with any salsa, there are several ways to make salsa roja. The ingredients can be used raw. Or the ingredients can be cooked by boiling, grilling, roasting, or frying. Sometimes a combination of cooking methods can be used, where some ingredients are cooked and others added raw. Each cooking method and the ingredients included in the salsa will provide a unique flavor.
The ingredients are then blended to the desired consistency or they can be ground on a traditional pestle and mortar called a molcajete, which gives the final salsa a bit more texture.
What is salsa roja used for?
So what is red salsa used for? Salsas can be used in so many different ways! Red salsa can be used for topping tacos, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, sopes, or other hand-held Mexican snacks. Oftentimes in the United States, these salsas are offered as an appetizer with tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants. This salsa can be also used to smother enchiladas or chilaquiles. We often use a non-spicy red sauce (salsa in Spanish) as a broth for serving fritters (like Mexican chicken and vegetable fritters and cauliflower fritters) or chile rellenos.
So, as you can see, salsa roja is versatile and can include a variety of ingredients to give each type of salsa a unique flavor. Many regional variations of salsa exist in Mexico and home cooks each have their own particular recipes for salsa which makes each salsa unique!
FAQs about salsa roja
Which is correct: salsa roja or salsa rojo?
Salsa roja is the correct way to refer to a red-based salsa. “Salsa” is a feminine word in the Spanish language and therefore the adjective used to describe it must also be feminine. Roja is the feminine version of the word “red” and rojo is the masculine version. So, using rojo to describe salsa would be incorrect.
What’s the difference between salsa roja vs. salsa fresca?
Salsa fresca or salsa Mexicana is sometimes used as a synonym for pico de gallo, a mix of chopped tomatoes, onions, chiles, cilantro, lime, and salt. Salsa fresca translates to “fresh salsa” in English, so it can also be used to describe raw salsa (or salsa cruda) that is made with uncooked ingredients. Although both salsa roja and salsa fresca can use tomatoes as the main base ingredients, the term salsa roja generally will be used to refer to a more liquid-based sauce made with tomatoes, while salsa fresca could be either a liquid or chopped salsa version.
What is salsa verde?
Salsa verde translates to “green sauce” in English. According to Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana author Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, the base is typically made from tomatillos (green husk tomatoes) and can include other ingredients like jalapeño or serrano peppers, onions, fresh cilantro, and garlic. This type of salsa is sometimes called tomatillo salsa, after its base ingredient.
While salsa verde usually gets its green color from the tomatillos, there are green salsas that don’t use tomatillos at all! These other “green” salsas get their color from avocados (like salsa de aguacate) or green chile peppers.
Where is salsa verde from?
As mentioned above, the word salsa in Spanish means sauce. So, while many of us may think of salsas as coming from Mexico, many Spanish-speaking countries have their own versions of green sauce. For example, chimichurri is a green cilantro and parsley-based sauce used commonly in Argentina and Uruguay. So to say salsa verde comes only from Mexico, would leave out all of the other green sauce varieties found throughout Latin America!
It is generally thought that Mexican salsa verde originated in the states of México, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, and Mexico City, since green salsa is more prevalent in these regions.
What is salsa verde used for?
Besides using salsa verde as a table sauce for topping tacos dorados, tostadas, or quesadillas, it can also be used to prepare enchiladas suizas, chilaquiles verdes, or used as a base for stewed meat dishes, like pork ribs in salsa verde with purslane. Our favorite recipe for tamales is made with chicken and green salsa!
How to make salsa verde
Salsa verde can be made the same way as salsa roja. The ingredients can be used raw, boiled, grilled, roasted, or fried. Once the ingredients are ready, they are blended to the desired consistency or can be ground in a molcajete, a traditional stone mortar, and pestle made from volcanic rock.
While salsa verde typically describes a tomatillo-based salsa, there are so many varieties of salsa verde that can be made with other ingredients! These include creamy avocado salsa verde, salsa verde with tomatillos and avocado, salsa verde without tomatillos like in this creamy jalapeño salsa, and roasted salsa verde. This fresh salsa verde (or salsa verde cruda) made from all raw ingredients is one of the fastest salsas to make! Simply add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth!
How does green salsa taste?
As with any salsa, the ingredients and how they are cooked (or not cooked) will determine the final flavor. It is important to note that tomatillos are generally more tart than red tomatoes. This tartness comes through in the final salsa verde flavors that use tomatillos. Roasting the tomatillos helps to mellow out their flavor, but green salsas are generally less sweet than their red tomato salsa counterparts.
Beyond red and green: other types of salsas
You could probably write a large cookbook full of just Mexican salsas because the ingredients, preparation methods, and regional variations are so vast here in Mexico. But it is good to know, that not all salsas fall into the salsa roja made with tomatoes or salsa verde made with tomatillos categories.
Salsas have an amazing array of ingredients that contribute to a wonderful range of salsa colors.
Here are some of my other favorite salsas!
Salsa roja vs. salsa verde – what’s the difference?
Both salsas can be made with a variety of ingredients and can be used for a variety of dishes. So, how different are they? Here I summarize the main differences between these two sauces.
Base salsa ingredients
The main difference between these two types of salsas, as mentioned previously, are the base salsa ingredients. The primary ingredient for salsa verde is tomatillo while the key ingredient in salsa roja will be red tomatoes.
Taste
Because the base ingredients are different, these two types of salsas tend to have distinct flavor profiles. Red salsa will be a bit sweeter from the red tomatoes. Salsa verde will be a bit more tart, due to the use of tomatillos. Of course, how the salsa is prepared and what other ingredients are added in, will also impact the final flavor!
FAQs about salsas
Which salsa is best?
I sometimes get asked the question…”So, which salsa is best?”. The answer is, it depends! Oftentimes, a particular salsa might work better with a certain dish. Maybe the tartness of the tomatillo or the sweetness of the tomato will play particularly well with other flavors or ingredients. Other times, which salsa is best is strictly a matter of personal preference! So, you decide! Which salsa is best for you?
How long is salsa good for?
Properly canned or jarred salsa can last nearly indefinitely on your pantry shelf unopened. Once the salsa is opened, it is best to keep any leftovers covered in the fridge and consume them within a few days. In my experience, homemade salsa will last between 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge, depending on the ingredients. Avocado-based salsas tend to oxidize faster than other varieties for example.
Is salsa vegan?
The short answer to this question is, it depends. Typically, table salsas (the ones used to put on tacos, tostadas, and quesadillas) will be vegan. Sauces that are cooked, may or may not be vegan. If you are looking for more in-depth information on this topic, check out this “Is Salsa Vegan?” article!
Is green or red salsa spicier?
There isn’t a hard and fast rule that will tell you whether salsa verde or salsa roja is spicier. The spice level depends entirely on the type of chile and the amount used in the salsa. I have eaten mild versions of both green and red varieties, as well as screaming hot versions of both!
So, if you are eating out, ask which salsa is spicier or what chiles were used to make them. Or if you are buying salsa at your local grocery store, the labels will sometimes indicate a spice level of mild to hot, although these levels are a bit subjective.
The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to make your own salsa at home! Then you can adjust the spiciness to your own personal tastes!
If you need some help understanding which peppers are hotter or milder than others, Mike over at Chili Pepper Madness has a great article that compares the spiciness between different types of chile peppers.
Is salsa healthy?
Yes! In general, salsa is made with fresh ingredients, like fresh tomatoes, tomatillos, red or white onions, lime juice, fresh cilantro, garlic cloves, and of course, chile pepper! With so many fresh ingredients, salsas can’t help but be healthy!
So there you have it! Salsa is such an important part of Mexican cuisine that I hope this article on salsa roja vs. salsa verde helped to answer your questions about the difference between these two sauces, how they can be used, and how to make your own salsas at home!
Let me know if there are any questions that I didn’t address in the article in the comments below!
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