Tomato Molcajete Salsa makes a delicious and tasty topping on your favorite Mexican dishes. Watch the video or follow the step-by-step pictures below to recreate this yummy recipe.
A few weeks ago, I seasoned my molcajete. Ever since then, I’ve been making salsas left and right. There’s something about making it fresh and having a beautiful volcanic rock on the dinner table. LOVE!
To make your Tomato Molcajete Salsa, you will need tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, and onion.
Roast all the tomatoes on the stove with the aluminum foil. Clean up is super easy with the foil paper. You can also stick everything under the broiler until the tomato skin is charred.
Mexican food is made up of rustic, home cooked dishes. Any salsa you make in a molcajete, however, will come out chunky. If you’re into smoother salsas, this is NOT your recipe. This might offenda those who use a blenda. lol.
Make sure your Molcajete is clean. Getting a molcajete totally clean is virtually impossible. It’s made from volcanic rock and has little holes. Soap and water, and clean it as best as you can.
There are a few crucial steps to making Tomato Molcajete Salsa. You always start by mashing the garlic and salt. It will help season the salsa.
Roasted garlic and salt will help season the sides of the molcajete. I also feel that this is the only time you get to really mash it up. No one wants to eat big chunks of garlic.
These are two chile peppers. One is a jalapeno, and the other is a serrano. You can use either, or both, or two of the same, or one of each. It all depends on you and your personal tastes.
Mash according to your desired texture. You might need to use some good elbow grease to make your Tomato Molcajete Salsa. As you can see, I really got in there. This is the only grease you’ll need. Save the manteca for the masa.
Onions can go in here if you like. Mash as much or as little as you like. Or, you can add them at the very, very end.
How many tomatoes do you need? It depends on the size of your molcajete. This is one case where size does matter. 😉 I like my Tomato Molcajete Salsa extra spicy. My guys can’t handle my heat level. What I do is I make mine first, separate my salsa, then add a tomato or two to tame the beast. lol.
When you’re adding the tomatoes, add one at a time. Slowwwwwwly press down to release the juices of the tomato, then mash away. If you start mashing right away, the tomato will squirt at you.
With a spoon, slightly scrape the bottom and sides of the molcajete to combine everything. Some ingredients will stay at the bottom. You want to bring allll that goodness to the top.
Optional ingredients: cilantro and lime. Yes and yes. It’s all up to you. You can also add other chiles. This is a very basic molcajete recipe. Please adjust as you like. Spice up any meal with this recipe, or serve as is with chips. Hope you enjoy!
Don’t forget to Watch the Tomato Molcajete Salsa Video
Tomato Molcajete Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 tomatoes
- ¼ onion, sliced (or however you like it cut)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 jalapenos peppers (depending on heat level)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Add olive oil to a pan and place the tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, and peppers.
Watch the garlic and onions, and remove after 2 minutes so they won’t burn.
Continue cooking the tomatoes and peppers.
Roast until the tomato and jalapeno skins are black.
(You can also do this under the broiler for 5-6 minutes).
Remove and let cool slightly until ready to use.
In a molcajete (or mortar and pestle), add salt and garlic cloves.
Mash until smooth.
Add the jalapenos, mash until smooth or until desired texture.
Add onion, mash slightly.
Add one tomato at a time.
Press down slowly on the tomato to release juices, then continue mashing.
Add the second tomato.
Again, press slowly until the juices have been released, then continue mashing.
With a spoon, mix to combine all the ingredients.
Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Slowly press down on the tomato, or it will squirt out.
For Mexican Salsa Recipes:
Chile de Arbol Salsa
Salsa Borracha
Chipotle Salsa
Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
Avocado Mango Salsa
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Avocado Salsa
Mexican Red Salsa
Pineapple Salsa
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
[…] Tomato Molcajete Salsa Before blenders, there were molcajetes (or Mexican mortar and pestles). […]