Whole 30 Classic Salsa Roja

Total time35 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time25 min

Deeply charred tomatoes, onion, and garlic give this salsa its smoky backbone, while toasted guajillo and ancho chiles bring a rich, fruity heat once simmered until tender and blended silky-smooth. A quick fry in oil darkens the puree and thickens it into a spoon-coating salsa with real depth, no shortcuts needed to get there. Mexican oregano and a careful hand with salt round out the flavor without muddying the pure roasted-chile taste. It's whole-food produce and dried chiles from start to finish, which makes it an easy win for a Whole30 kitchen. Spoon it over grilled meats, eggs, or vegetables, or just eat it by the spoonful — either way, this is the kind of staple worth keeping on hand all week.

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Ingredients

8 servings

1 lb roma tomatoes (about 5 medium), halved
Fresh Roma Tomato Red Roma Tomato Organic Red Roma Tomato Roma Tomato Sourced For Good Organic Roma Tomato
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3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 dried ancho chile, stem and seeds removed
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ medium white onion, cut into 2 wedges
1 cup water
1 tbsp neutral oil (such as vegetable oil or canola oil)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp dried oregano (preferably mexican oregano)

Instructions

1
Heat a large dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Place the tomato halves cut-side down, the onion wedges, and the unpeeled garlic cloves in the skillet. Cook undisturbed until the tomatoes are deeply charred on the cut side, about 5–6 minutes. Flip the tomatoes and continue cooking until the skins blister and the flesh softens, another 3–4 minutes. Turn the onion and garlic occasionally until charred in spots and softened, about 8 minutes total. Transfer everything to a plate and peel the garlic once cool enough to handle.
2
In the same dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles one at a time, pressing each flat with a spatula for 10–15 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened — watch closely, as they can scorch quickly. Transfer the toasted chiles to a small saucepan, cover with 1 cup water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 8 minutes until the chiles are fully softened and pliable, then remove from heat.

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