Molcajete salsa is an authentic Mexican roasted salsa made with ripe tomatoes, fresh chilies, garlic, and onion, all crushed together in a traditional molcajete. It’s smoky, chunky, and irresistibly fresh!
Also called salsa de molcajete or salsa martajada, this salsa gets its name from the molcajete, a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle made of volcanic stone.
The ingredients are roasted until perfectly charred, then gently crushed to create a rustic texture and deep flavor.
Molcajete salsa is the kind of sauce that brings every taco, grilled meat, or plate of beans to life.
Ingredients
This salsa is made with just a few ingredients, the kind you don’t even need to measure. What matters most is roasting them right.
- Tomatoes: Choose ripe, red, and soft ones. Roma tomatoes are perfect.
- Chilies: Serrano chilies are classic, but jalapeños or any hot green chilies work too.
- Onion: Half for roasting, half chopped fresh for serving.
- Garlic: Two small cloves are enough for flavor, but you can add more if you love garlic.
- Cilantro: Adds a bright finish. Totally optional but highly recommended.
How to Make Molcajete Salsa
Heat your comal or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Roast the tomatoes first until the skins blister and darken.
Then add chilies, onion, and unpeeled garlic. Turn them often until everything looks slightly charred and softened.
(No comal? Use your oven at 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes.)
In your molcajete (or mortar), start with garlic and salt. Grind until you have a rough paste.
Add the roasted chilies and onions, and keep grinding until everything starts to come together.
Add roasted tomatoes one by one, crushing gently until the salsa looks chunky and rustic. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Mix in the chopped raw onion and cilantro. Serve directly from the molcajete, it looks beautiful and keeps the salsa’s warmth.
No Molcajete? No Problem!
You can make this rustic roasted salsa in a blender:
- Add garlic, salt, and a few roasted chilies and tomatoes.
- Blend 15–20 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the rest and pulse two or three times but don’t over-blend!
- Pour into a bowl, stir in the chopped onion and cilantro, and that’s it.
This molcajete salsa goes with just about everything. Carne asada, tacos, fajitas, or even as a dip with corn chips.
At my mom’s house, it was always served next to warm tortillas, queso fresco, and a bowl of freshly cooked beans straight from the pot.
Mari’s Quick Tips & Notes
- For a milder salsa, remove chili seeds and veins before roasting.
- Want it hotter? Add an extra chili or two.
- Ripe tomatoes give better flavor and are easier to grind.
- Grinding garlic with salt first makes everything blend easier.
- The molcajete has been used in Mexican kitchens since ancient times. The bowl itself is called molcajete and the pestle is tejolote. Both words come from Nahuatl, Mexico’s ancient indigenous language.
- Almost every Mexican home has one molcajete (or two!), often passed down through generations. My sister Nora still has the one that belonged to our abuela Elvira. Mine came from an online Mexican store, and it’s one of my most treasured kitchen tools.
Got some leftovers?
Molcajete salsa stores nicely in the fridge for up to a week. Just place leftovers on a jar or glass container with an air-tight lid.
And, you can also freeze it for up to 3 months, just don’t garnish with cilantro and onions, you can add those after thawing the salsa overnight and right before serving.
You can also use leftovers to make other dishes such as huevos rancheros, breakfast migas con huevo, or also huevos divorciados.
More Salsas to Try
If you liked this Molcajete Salsa recipe, please don’t forget to leave a comment and rate it below. Also, remember that you can follow this blog on Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Video
Print the recipe
Molcajete Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb ripe tomatoes
- 1 to 5 Serrano or Jalapeño chilies (or any hot chili pepper you prefer)
- 1 medium white onion (halved)
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- Salt (to taste)
For garnish:
- 1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
- 1 small white onion (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat a comal or a cast iron pan over high heat. Roast first the tomatoes, then chilies and onions turning them frequently until cooked and charred.
- In a molcajete or mortar add first the garlic and one teaspoon of salt. Grind you'll have a paste.
- Add chilies and onions. Crush them until combined with the paste.
- Add tomatoes one by one and grind slowly until you reach the desired consistency.
- Add chopped onions and cilantro to the salsa. Mix, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve.
Notes
- For a milder salsa, remove chili seeds and veins before roasting.
- Love spicy? Add extra chilies or keep the seeds.
- Ripe tomatoes give the best flavor and are easier to crush.
- Always grind garlic with salt first, it makes a smooth, flavorful paste.
- Roast ingredients on a comal, cast iron pan, or oven at 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes.
- Cilantro is optional but brightens the salsa beautifully.
- To store: refrigerate in a glass jar for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months (add cilantro and onions after thawing).
- Blender method: pulse gently to keep a chunky, rustic texture.
- Great for tacos, carne asada, huevos rancheros, or just dipping with homemade chips.