• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Checkout the new Living in Normal Shop!

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Mail
living in normal logo

Living in Normal

Life is short. Buy the shoes. Drink the wine. Eat the dessert.

  • Blog
    • Recipes
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
      • Instant Pot
      • Grandma’s Recipes
      • Paleo Recipes
    • Lifestyle
    • Entertaining
    • DIY
    • House & Home
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Shop
    • Living in Normal Shop
    • Shop My Instagram
  • About
  • Home
Home » Blog » Recipes » Easy Authentic Mexican Salsa

Easy Authentic Mexican Salsa

June 3, 2022 by Molly
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

This delicious authentic Mexican salsa recipe is super easy, makes a large batch for a crowd, and gets better each day the flavors marinate in the fridge. It’s a chunky salsa and can be made as spicy or as mild as you want, but either way, I think you will love the flavors!

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Where did this authentic Mexican salsa recipe come from?

When I was young (like 5 years young!), we lived in Arizona for a few years. During that time, my mom gathered tons of delicious recipes for authentic Mexican dishes from her friends. My mom and I still make many of them today. One of our favorite recipes is Barb’s Hot Salsa, which tastes to me like a true authentic Mexican salsa.

We called it Barb’s Hot Salsa because we had a dear family friend named Barb who shared the recipe with us. After we moved from Arizona, we lost touch with Barb. However, I think of her every time my mom or I make her salsa recipe.

homemade salsa in a bowl

A recipe for a crowd

During my childhood, we had tons of parties and get-togethers. My mom would make all of the food for these events.

Most of the dishes my mom would make were things that served a large crowd. I remember Barb’s Hot Salsa being one of those dishes we often had. It is so easy to make, it makes plenty for a crowd, and she was able to make it a couple of days ahead of time. In fact, this authentic Mexican salsa is even better after it sits for a day or two in the fridge.

bowl of authentic Mexican salsa with tortilla chip

If you love dishes that make enough for a crowd and can be made ahead, check out these recipes:

  • Marinated Slaw
  • Marinated Potato Salad

What is in Barb’s Hot Salsa?

This recipe is truly so easy and packed full of authentic Mexican flavors. It’s also more of a chunky salsa. The ingredients include:

  • Canned stewed, peeled tomatoes
  • Canned diced green chilies
  • Green onions
  • Cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Hot taco sauce
ingredients for salsa

All of the ingredients, except the green onions, are straight from the pantry. I don’t think I’ve ever had a dish full of so many flavors that was mainly from my pantry.

The great thing about this authentic Mexican salsa is all you have to do is chop the tomatoes and onions, add the other ingredients, then mix everything in a bowl.

My trick to quickly chop the peeled tomatoes—use kitchen scissors to cut them into small pieces! The original directions say to use your hands to crush the tomatoes, but the kitchen scissors are less messy.

peeled tomatoes in a bowl
chopped, peeled tomatoes in a bowl with kitchen scissors
chopped green onion
all ingredients in a bowl

Substituting or modifying the ingredients

You can add as much or as little cumin, green chilies, green onions, and hot taco sauce as you want. If you’re feeding a group of hungry children at a birthday party, you may want to use less of the hot taco sauce. The hot taco sauce could even be replaced with mild taco sauce. Of course, if you want really spicy salsa, go ahead and add a jalapeño or habanero sauce!

My favorite hot taco sauce is Siete traditional hot sauce, because this hot sauce has all-natural ingredients and does not have any added sugars. We use Siete products for the majority of our Mexican dishes, because all of their products are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, vegan, and use wholesome ingredients.

Siete hot sauce sitting among the other ingredients

Another way to make your salsa more mild is to use less of the green chilies. Green chilies usually aren’t super spicy to begin with, but some people find them to be strong when there are too many in a dish. You can also add more to add that extra spice.

Cumin really gives this authentic Mexican salsa it’s “authentic” taste. Cumin is frequently used to season Mexican dishes. However, if you use too much, it can give the dish a somewhat bitter taste. My suggestion would be to add a small amount, do a taste test, and add more if needed. I typically start with one tablespoon, then add more as needed.

As far as the green onions, the recipe calls for two bunches, chopped. I find this to be plenty, but feel free to add more if you love the flavor of green onions.

authentic Mexican salsa in a bowl

How to serve your chunky salsa

Most everyone eats salsa with tortilla chips. As I mentioned above, our favorite brand is Siete. I also like to use plantain chips to dip in salsa. Since this is a chunky salsa, it’s easy to dip using tortilla chips or plantain chips.

salsa in a bowl, tortilla chips in a basket, and red flowers

Need a quick weeknight meal? Add salsa with chicken breast and cook it in the Instant Pot for chicken tacos. I will also use salsa in place of enchilada sauce when I make enchiladas, if that’s what I have on hand.

This authentic Mexican salsa recipe makes such a large amount, it’s perfect for a party. It also keeps very well in the fridge for two–three weeks. Since it stays good for a while, you can add it to your tacos on Taco Tuesday for several weeks!

bowl of Authentic Mexican Salsa with a tortilla chip sticking out

Authentic Mexican salsa is our favorite

This authentic Mexican salsa recipe (AKA “Barb’s Hot Salsa”) is our favorite salsa and gets rave reviews when I make it for a crowd. I hope you love it as much as we do!

xoxo,
Molly

bowl of Authentic Mexican Salsa with a tortilla chip sticking out

Easy Authentic Mexican Salsa

Easy authentic Mexican salsa makes a large batch for a crowd, can be made spicy or mild, and gets better each day the flavors marinate.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 4 28 oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
  • 2 bunches green onions (Can add more if you wish.)
  • 4 4 oz. cans chopped, green chilies (Can add more if you wish.)
  • 1 small bottle of hot taco sauce (Start with half the bottle and add more as necessary for spice level. You can use jalapeño or habanero taco sauce for added spice.)
  • ground Cumin to taste (Start with 1 Tbsp. and add more for taste. I generally use about 3 Tbsp.)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Crush tomatoes with hands, or chop with kitchen scissors until chunky.
  • Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  • Can serve immediately, but the flavors get better the longer it sits in the fridge.
  • Store in fridge for 2 – 3 weeks.
Pinterest image for Authentic Mexican Sala with salsa, chips, and ingredients

More from my site

  • The Best Fried Fish RecipeThe Best Fried Fish Recipe
  • Family Trip to ChicagoFamily Trip to Chicago
  • Marinated Slaw RecipeMarinated Slaw Recipe
  • Italian Fruit SaladItalian Fruit Salad
  • Third Sunday MarketThird Sunday Market
  • Angel Food Cake with StrawberriesAngel Food Cake with Strawberries
Category: Appetizers, Recipes
Previous Post:farmhouse tablescapeFarmhouse Spring Décor Ideas
Next Post:The Hidden Treasures of Antiques and Vintage ItemsRosebud Chintz place setting on table

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda

    June 5, 2022 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    Truly one of my favorite recipes! So happy you are still making this after all these years! Here’s to our dear friend Barb….the salsa brings back wonderful memories! Thank you Molly for sharing for all to enjoy!

    Reply
  2. Jess

    June 10, 2022 at 7:36 am

    5 stars
    This recipe looks perfect! I love a good chunky salsa. Will definitely try your tip about the kitchen scissors instead of crushing by hand. 😊

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Star Ratings




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Welcome to Living in Normal! I love sharing everyday style ideas, delicious food, real life adventures, travel, bargains and anything that makes life exciting. Learn more about Molly.

Trending Posts

  • sliced prime rib roast cooke medium on a white plate
    How to Cook a Boneless Rib Eye Roast
  • hurricane victims
    Helping the Hurricane Victims
  • Dad's dogs at the Hilton Garden Inn Valdosta
    A Georgia Hotel Made a Positive Impact for Pet Owners in the Wake of Irma
  • Instant Pot
    My Instant Pot Review




Join my email party!

about

grandma’s recipes

contact

PRIVACY POLICY | DISCLOSURE | TERMS OF SERVICE |

Copyright © 2023 · Living in Normal · All Rights Reserved