Salsa Roja

The scent of homemade salsa roja always takes me back to my childhood. The aroma of rehydrating dried chiles mingling with fresh serrano chiles or jalapeños, tomatoes, onion, and garlic was a weekly occurrence in our household. It was always too spicy for my young palate, but I never got sick of the smell wafting through the house. Though I’ve grown into a heat-seeker as my palate has evolved, this version doesn’t have to be spicy at all. Adding a single serrano chile to the mix gives this mild salsa recipe a small kick; you can always add more if you prefer a sauce that’ll make you sweat a little.

Most of the flavor in my salsa roja recipe comes from dried mild chiles, like ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. I prefer using a blend of all three (two parts ancho to one part each of guajillo and pasilla), but the sauce will still be great with just one or two varieties. The real secret here is the ratio of dried chiles to the other ingredients: cilantro, lime juice, and just a tiny bit of cinnamon to help bring out the natural sweetness and fruity notes in the chiles. I developed this recipe to be the base for chilaquiles, but I also like serving it with eggs at breakfast, using it as the base for enchiladas, dousing tacos with it, and scooping it up as a snack with tortilla chips.