Looking to spice up your meals? What better way than with some homemade Mexican sauces?
From fiery salsas to vibrant sauces, here are 8 different recipes to awaken your taste buds and add that special something to every dish.
Each sauce delivers an explosion of flavor and a unique experience!
1. Cilantro Sauce
For all my cilantro fans, this bright green sauce is a must. This tangy, fresh sauce is super easy and needs just five ingredients.
The lime juice and cilantro blend perfectly. Simply use enough garlic to tone down the tartness.
Making this sauce doesn’t need any cooking skills. Just throw everything into a mixer and blend! Starting to end, it won’t be more than 5 minutes.
2. Enchilada Sauce
This enchilada sauce is a long-time favorite of mine. It only takes 10 minutes to prep and packs plenty of flavor. The combination of garlic, cumin, and oregano is amazing and it’s wonderfully thick.
A pinch of cinnamon provides a hint of sweet heat.
This sauce is hearty and amazing! Once you make it, licking your fingers will be a must.
While it’s called enchilada sauce, go ahead and put it in your next burrito or taco dish.
3. Easy Salsa Roja
Salsa Roja, sometimes known as red salsa, is likely the most popular Mexican sauce around. Even those with little love for Mexican dishes enjoy “normal” salsa.
This sauce offers fresh, cool garden flavors of tomato and cilantro. If you love garden-fresh flavor, this is a real treat!
You’re able to make it as mild or spicy as you want. I really like it with a little heat over a plate of Mexican shrimp! Put it on top of your dinner or have it with tortilla chips; either way, you’re sure to quickly fall in love with this one.
4. Salsa Taquera
Although it might not be as famous as salsa, this vibrantly colored orange sauce is incredible. Any real taqueria or Mexican grocery store is sure to have it.
Its key flavors come from lime juice, tomatoes, and chiles de árbol. The combination offers a spicy zest unlike anything else.
You can also easily alter its thickness. I like salsa taquera that is thick, but if you like it thinner and lighter, add more water. You really can’t get any easier than that!
Serve with tortilla chips or on your favorite tacos; either way, all who sample it are sure to love it.
5. Salsa Verde
In recent years, salsa verde, also known as green salsa, has become increasingly popular. Even so, it’s not as commonly used as its red relative. You’ll find it on the menu at most Mexican restaurants, however.
It’s made with tomatillos (green tomatoes) instead of red tomatoes. Otherwise, it’s a lot like salsa Roja.
Also, salsa verde tends to be milder than salsa Roja. Some think it also has less sweetness.
If you’ve never had it, give it a sample. You might be shocked by how much you enjoy it! And if you already love it, even better!
Here’s a simple recipe that shows you how to make your own.
6. Ranchero Sauce
Here’s a Mexican sauce that’s thick, delicious, and a bit chunky. This sauce is like salsa, but with more spices and smokiness.
There’s paprika, oregano, two kinds of peppers, and garlic, plus a lot of other delicious ingredients.
You can make it in a mere 15 minutes. It’s fantastic on so much more than just Mexican cuisine. For a little extra richness, I often put it on my steak.
7. Guajillo Chile Salsa
If you enjoy salsa but tomato-inspired heartburn isn’t your thing, give this crazy delicious guajillo chile salsa a try! The stunning red color is from the chiles, not tomatoes.
But don’t be scared by that because it’s an incredibly mild salsa. There’s a fruity flavor that makes it uniquely tasty.
Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make, even though it takes a bit of time. You only need six ingredients, and very little hands-on time is needed.
The next time you want to add flavor (but not heat) to your dinner, give this one a try.
8. Mexican Tomato Sauce
It’s easy to mix up Mexican tomato sauce and salsa, and they’re even used interchangeably at times, but the two sauces aren’t quite the same. This Mexican sauce goes through a more intense cooking process, unlike many popular salsa brands that use raw ingredients.
In contrast, you always cook Mexican tomato sauce, such as with this recipe’s cook time of about 2 hours, which includes canning time. In addition, Mexican tomato sauce is a bit thinner than traditional salsa.
So, if you’re using it in a Mexican casserole, use it sparingly. That being said, if you love salsa, you’ll definitely enjoy Mexican tomato sauce.