Can't Decide Between Red and Green? Make Salsa Campechana

Can't Decide Between Red and Green? Make Salsa Campechana

Ever found yourself struggling to decide between salsa roja and salsa verde? Jonathan Zaragoza has the solution: make salsa campechana and gets the best of both worlds.

Charred tomatoes bring sweetness and depth, while tomatillos add brightness and acidity. Serranos and garlic tie everything together, creating a salsa that's smoky, vibrant, and the right amount of spice. Made in a molcajete for that nice rustic texture, it lands somewhere between a roja and a verde while being entirely its own thing.

This is the kind of salsa you'll find yourself putting on everything at a carne asada.

Salsa Campechana

Salsa Campechana

Jonathan Zaragoza

Category

Salsas

When you can't decide between salsa roja and salsa verde, make salsa campechana. Charred tomatoes and tomatillos come together with serranos and garlic for the best of both worlds.

Ingredients

  • 3 Roma tomatoes or similarly sized heirloom tomatoes

  • 6 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed

  • 4 serrano chiles

  • 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat a comal over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, and garlic.

  2. Cook the serranos and garlic until softened and charred in spots, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the comal and set aside.

  3. Continue cooking the tomatoes and tomatillos until softened, blistered, and lightly charred, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat.

  4. Peel the garlic and add it to a molcajete with a generous pinch of salt. Use a little of the juice released by the charred tomatoes to help grind the garlic into a smooth paste.

  5. Add the serranos and continue grinding until incorporated.

  6. Add the tomatoes and tomatillos and grind until the salsa comes together. The salsa should feel rustic rather than completely smooth.

  7. Taste and adjust salt as needed before serving.

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