Name: Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 10 serrano peppers; ¼ cup oil; ¼ onion; 1 garlic clove; ¼ cup water; 2 limes ((or 4 key limes)); 1 tsp salt; ½ cilantro ((bunch))

This Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano is the absolute best and easiest topping for tacos or serve with chips for a slightly addicting appetizer. Spicy, creamy, and full of flavor. Ready in under 15 minutes!

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Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano served in a glass container with a spoon and surrounded by cilantro and lime.

Any Mexican taco stand (or Taqueria) will have a good Serrano Salsa.

It’s creamy, spicy, and goes great on Birria Tacos, Tacos Gobernador, or Tacos de Bistec.

Vegan. Dairy-free. Delicious!

The best part, though, is that it’s ready in under 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Serrano Peppers – There’s no way around it. This salsa is SPICY because of the serranos. Here is where they fall on the Scoville Scale.

Oil is what will give the salsa a creamy texture. I recommend either canola oil, grapeseed oil , or a neutral-flavored oil for this recipe.

Onion
Garlic
Salt
Cilantro

Water – The more you use, the thinner the salsa will be.

Lime – or use White Distilled Vinegar to preserve the salsa longer, but it will taste tangier.

Serrano peppers sliced in half and seeds removed.

Cut off the stems
Remove the seeds and the veins.

By doing this, you’ll bring down some of the heat. If you can handle the heat, be my guest. Leave the seeds and the veins in.

For a milder salsa, use a combination of jalapeno and serrano peppers.

Jalapenos vs. Serrano Peppers

Jalapenos are often used interchangeably with serrano peppers in many recipes.

Please know that serranos are spicier than jalapenos.

Instructions

A collage showing serrano peppers cooking in a skillet.

Heat the oil in a skillet.
Add the serranos. Cook for 4 minutes.
Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
Let them cool slightly before adding to the blender.

It’s a good idea to open up the windows right about now.

This will make you and the people around you start coughing.

A collage showing how to make the serrano salsa in a blender.

Place in a blender the ingredients from the skillet.
Also add the salt, lime, and water.

Some taquerias have really runny salsas. They are trying to stretch the serrano by adding water.

For a really velvety salsa, add more oil. 1 tablespoon of oil will do the trick.

No cream or dairy products are used to make the salsa cremosa (or creamy). The oil is what gives it a creamy texture, making it a 100% vegan salsa.

Storing:

Place in an airtight container. The salsa will last for up to 5 days. If you use vinegar, it can last for up to 10 days.

Salsa Serrano served in a glass container with a spoon and surrounded by cilantro and lime.

More Mexican Salsas:

Chile de Arbol Salsa

Salsa de Aguacate

Tomatillo Habanero Salsa

Chile Piquin Salsa

Serve this Creamy Taqueria-Style Serrano Salsa for Taco Tuesday. Or, serve it with chips, and you’ll see it vanish before your eyes. Provechito!

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