Salsa de molcajete is a roasted red salsa you grind by hand: you char tomatoes, garlic and chiles on a comal, then crush them in a lava rock molcajete, garlic and salt first, chiles next and tomatoes last. To make it today you need 4 or 5 Roma tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves, 2 serrano chiles, coarse salt and about 35 minutes. The recipe card below gives you exact amounts, the grinding order and the signs that tell you it's ready, plus a salsa verde and a chile de árbol version.
This is the salsa many of us grew up watching our moms and abuelas make: smoky, chunky and a little rough in the best way. The stone crushes the garlic and chiles instead of chopping them.
Before you start: use a seasoned molcajete
A new molcajete needs to be seasoned before its first salsa. Grinding rice, garlic and salt cleans loose grit out of the stone, so your salsa tastes like salsa and not like sand. If yours is new, follow our guide on how to season a molcajete first, then come back here. This salsa is a great first recipe for a freshly seasoned stone.
New to the tool? Our guide to what a molcajete is and how it differs from a granite mortar covers the basics. Any lava rock molcajete works for this recipe. The 8 inch Cuitaxi molcajete is real lava rock, never concrete, handmade in Mexico and sold with its temolote. Set it on a folded kitchen towel so it stays put while you grind.
Salsa de molcajete recipe card
- Makes: about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 4 people with chips or a round of tacos
- Time: 10 minutes to prep, 15 minutes on the comal, 10 minutes to grind
- Heat: medium with 2 serranos, mild with 1 serrano and its seeds scraped out
- Tools: a seasoned molcajete and temolote, a comal or heavy skillet, tongs
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 ripe Roma tomatoes (about 12 ounces), or 2 medium round tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 serrano chiles, or 1 jalapeño
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt or kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 to 3 tablespoons water
- Optional: 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion, rinsed under cold water and shaken dry
- Optional: 6 sprigs cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- Optional: a squeeze of lime
Romas have less water than round tomatoes, so the salsa stays thick. Rinsing the onion takes away its raw bite.
How to roast tomatoes, garlic and chiles on a comal
- Heat a comal or a heavy skillet, like cast iron, over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. No oil.
- Lay the tomatoes, the unpeeled garlic and the chiles on the hot surface. For an easy cleanup, set the tomatoes on a square of foil.
- Turn everything with tongs every 2 or 3 minutes.
- Pull the chiles and the garlic as soon as they are soft and blackened in spots, usually 8 to 10 minutes. The garlic is ready when it gives when you squeeze it.
- Keep the tomatoes going until the skins split and blacken in patches and the tomatoes feel soft all the way through, 10 to 15 minutes in total.
- Move everything to a plate and let it cool for 5 minutes. Save any juice that runs out.
- Peel the garlic, pull the stems off the chiles and cut out the tomato cores. Leave some of the charred skin on the tomatoes: that is where the smoky flavor lives.
No comal? A cast iron pan works the same way. Or use the broiler: everything on a sheet pan about 4 inches below the heat, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side until soft.
How to grind salsa in a molcajete, in the right order
The order is the secret. Start with what is firm and dry, finish with what is juicy. Once the tomatoes go in, everything slides around and the garlic won't break down anymore. Tomato juice also loves to splash, so tie on an apron first. Our embroidered Mexican apron has flowers stitched by hand and deep pockets for a towel.
- Garlic and salt. Put the peeled garlic and the salt in the molcajete. Press down with the temolote, then twist, working your way around the bowl. In about a minute you'll have a smooth, sticky paste. The coarse salt gives the garlic something to grind against.
- Chiles. Tear the chiles into pieces and add them. Grind them into the garlic paste until you see only small green flecks. Keep the seeds for more heat, or scrape some out before they go in.
- Tomatoes. Add the tomatoes one at a time. Crush each one against the walls with the temolote, then use a circular motion to work it into the paste. Pour in the saved juices as you go.
- Stop while it is still chunky. You want a coarse salsa with small pieces of tomato, not a smooth puree.
- Finish. Stir in the onion and the cilantro if you are using them. Taste with a chip and adjust the salt.
If your molcajete is on the small side, grind the tomatoes in two rounds and mix everything together in a bowl at the end.
How to get the texture and flavor right
A good salsa de molcajete is coarse and spoonable. It should sit on a chip without running off, and you should see little bits of red skin and green chile.
- Too thick: stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until it spoons easily.
- Too watery: spoon off a little of the liquid. Next time, use Romas and roast them a few minutes longer.
- Tastes flat: it almost always needs salt. Season until it tastes a little salty on its own, because it will taste milder on food.
- Bitter: the garlic or the chiles burned. Next time, pull them when they are blackened in spots, not black all over.
- Gritty: the stone still needs seasoning. That's normal with a new molcajete: grind one more round of rice and salt before the next batch.
Lime is optional. Many cooks in Mexico leave it out, because roasted tomatoes bring their own tang.
Salsa verde de molcajete variation
Same method, with tomatillos instead of tomatoes. This green salsa is bright and tangy, and it goes well with chicken, eggs and carnitas.
- 3 to 4 medium tomatillos (about 8 ounces), husked and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 or 2 serrano chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- A small handful of cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion, rinsed
- Roast the tomatillos, garlic and chiles on the comal, turning often. The tomatillos are ready when they are soft, blackened in spots and turning from bright green to olive green, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Grind the garlic and the salt to a paste, then grind in the chiles.
- Add the tomatillos one at a time. They are juicier than tomatoes and break down fast, so go gently.
- Stir in the cilantro and the onion, plus 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if it feels thick.
Chile de árbol salsa variation
For a hotter, deeper red salsa, swap the fresh chiles for dried chiles de árbol. Everything else stays the same.
- Stem 4 to 8 dried chiles de árbol. Start with 4 for a warm salsa; 10 or more makes it very hot.
- Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring all the time, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until they smell toasty and look a shade darker. Turn on the fan, because toasting chiles makes the whole kitchen cough.
- Take them out right away. If they turn black, start again: burnt chiles make a bitter salsa.
- Roast the tomatoes and garlic as in the main recipe.
- Grind the garlic and salt to a paste. Crumble in the toasted chiles and grind until you see only small red flecks. Then add the tomatoes one at a time.
Dry chiles soak up juice, so this version usually needs 2 or 3 extra tablespoons of water.
How long molcajete salsa keeps
Salsa de molcajete is best the day you make it. Keep leftovers in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, let it sit out for about 20 minutes, stir and taste the salt again: cold dulls flavor.
Once the salsa is out, rinse the molcajete with water and scrub it with a brush, no soap needed. Let it dry completely before you put it away.
How to serve salsa in the molcajete
Bring the molcajete straight to the table. Wipe the rim with a damp towel, set it on a cloth or a wooden board and let everyone serve themselves. In many families, that stone bowl in the middle of the table means dinner is ready.
Serve it with:
- Warm corn tortillas and tacos of carne asada, carnitas or chorizo with egg
- Totopos or tortilla chips as a botana before dinner
- Huevos rancheros, frijoles de la olla, quesadillas and grilled meat
Picking a molcajete for salsa at your house:
- Everyday salsa for the family: the 8 inch molcajete comes with its pestle and a traditional embroidered tortilla warmer, so the salsa and the tortillas reach the table together.
For parties: the 10 inch molcajete is a full 10 inches across and holds enough salsa or guacamole for a crowd.
See the 10 inch molcajete- To serve: the heart molcajete with 3 legs has a roomy 6 inch interior that holds nearly 2 cups and doubles as a serving bowl.
- A spare temolote: if yours chipped or went missing, a replacement temolote of volcanic stone is handmade in Mexico too.
For parties: the 10 inch molcajete is a full 10 inches across and holds enough salsa or guacamole for a crowd.
Everything for salsa de molcajete at home
Lava rock molcajetes handmade in Mexico, a spare temolote and an embroidered apron for the stove.
Free US shipping on orders over $35.
Frequently asked questions about molcajete salsa
Can I make salsa de molcajete in a blender?
Yes. Blend the garlic and chiles first, then add the tomatoes with their juices and pulse to a coarse puree. It comes out smoother and a little different. The molcajete gives you that chunky, rustic texture.
Should I peel the roasted tomatoes?
You don't have to. A little charred skin adds smoky flavor and those red flecks you see in a good salsa roja. If a piece of skin is very black or tough, pull it off before grinding.
Why does my molcajete salsa taste gritty?
A little grit means the stone is new or not fully seasoned yet. That's normal: grind another round of rice and salt, rinse the molcajete and let it dry. The stone gets smoother with every use.
How do I make molcajete salsa less hot?
Use 1 serrano or 1 jalapeño and scrape out the seeds and veins before grinding. You can also grind in one more roasted tomato. For the chile de árbol version, start with 4 chiles and taste before adding more.
What is the difference between salsa de molcajete and pico de gallo?
Pico de gallo is raw: tomato, onion, chile and cilantro chopped with a knife. Salsa de molcajete is roasted and then ground, so it is smoky, saucy and spoonable. Both are great on the same table.
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