Description
Salsa Morita is a smoky, slightly spicy Mexican sauce made by broiling tomatoes and serrano chile, then blending them with soaked dried morita chiles, garlic, onion, and seasonings. This versatile salsa adds a rich, smoky depth to tacos, chips, and other Mexican dishes and is ready in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Chiles
- 1 lb tomatoes (cored)
- 1 small serrano chile (stemmed and sliced lengthwise)
- 3 morita chiles (rinsed)
- 1 small white onion (quartered)
- 4 cloves garlic
Liquids & Seasonings
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Broil the Tomatoes and Serrano Chile: Preheat your broiler and line a baking tray with foil. Place the cored tomatoes on the tray and broil until they are slightly charred on one side. Then, remove the tray, add the serrano chile, and turn the tomatoes over. Return to the broiler until the other side of the tomatoes is charred.
- Hydrate the Morita Chiles and Cook Aromatics: In a small saucepan, combine the rinsed morita chiles, water, quartered onion, and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover the pan to allow the chiles to hydrate and the onion to soften.
- Blend the Salsa: Drain the morita chiles and transfer them, along with the charred tomatoes, serrano chile, softened onion, and garlic, into a blender or food processor. Add the white vinegar, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and sugar. Puree the mixture until smooth and well combined.
- Season and Serve: Transfer the salsa to a bowl and taste. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or spoon over your favorite tacos.
Notes
- For a spicier salsa, add more serrano chiles or keep the seeds.
- Adjust the sugar to balance the acidity if desired.
- This salsa can be refrigerated for up to one week and often tastes better the next day as flavors meld.
- Using fresh morita chiles ensures the authentic smoky flavor; if unavailable, dried chipotle chiles can be a substitute.
