# Pancho's Table — full text

> Pancho's Table is an independent editorial publication about Mexican home cooking: tested recipes with exact ratios, technique explainers, and honest notes on what actually matters at the stove.

# How to Make Corn Tortillas (Just Masa Harina and Water)

> Corn tortillas take just two ingredients: masa harina and warm water. Mix 2 cups masa harina (240 g) with 1 1/2 cups warm water (355 ml) and 1/2 teaspoon salt, knead until it feels like soft Play-Doh, and rest 15 to 30 minutes. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 33 g), press each to 1/16 inch — roughly a 6-inch round — then cook on a hot, dry skillet about 30 seconds, flip for 60 seconds, and flip back for a final 15 to 30 seconds. Stack in a towel to keep them soft. Makes about 18 tortillas and takes about an hour, since one skillet cooks them one at a time.

Source: https://panchovillany.com/how-to-make-corn-tortillas/  
Publisher: Pancho's Table  
Published: 2026-07-19  
Updated: 2026-08-16

## Masa Harina, Water, and a Hot Skillet

Corn tortillas need exactly two ingredients: masa harina and warm water. Mix them into a dough the texture of Play-Doh, rest it, press balls of dough flat, and cook each round on a hot, dry skillet in three turns — roughly two minutes apiece. No press required. Budget about an hour from bag to table, not the thirty minutes often claimed: one skillet cooks one tortilla at a time, and a batch is eighteen of them.

Masa harina is corn that has been nixtamalized — cooked and steeped in an alkaline lime solution — then ground and dried. That process gives tortillas their flavor and flexibility. Cornmeal and corn flour are *not* substitutes; they skip nixtamalization and turn out crumbly, flat-tasting rounds. Look for bags labeled "masa harina" or "instant corn masa flour."

### The Masa Harina to Water Ratio

Start with **2 cups masa harina to 1½ cups warm water**, plus ½ teaspoon of fine salt. That is a starting point, not a law: brands absorb water differently, and so does the humidity in your kitchen. Expect to add another tablespoon or two as you knead.

| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Masa harina | 2 cups (about 240 g) | Spoon and level — scooping packs the cup and throws the ratio dry |
| Warm water | 1½ cups (355 ml, 355 g) | Warm to the touch, not boiling; warm water hydrates masa faster |
| Fine salt | ½ teaspoon (about 3 g) | Stir into the dry masa so it dissolves evenly |

That is about 598 g of dough — **roughly 18 tortillas at about 6 inches**, a comfortable taco size. Halve or double it freely; the ratio holds.

**The dough is right when** a pinched piece feels like soft Play-Doh: moist enough not to crack when squeezed, dry enough not to stick to your palm. Too dry and the edges split as you press; too wet and it glues itself to the plastic.

### Step by Step

1. **Mix.** Stir the salt into the masa harina, add the warm water, and mix by hand until a shaggy dough forms — about a minute.
2. **Knead.** Work it in the bowl 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time if it feels crumbly.
3. **Rest.** Cover with a damp towel and wait 15 to 30 minutes. This lets the masa fully hydrate; skipping it is the most common cause of cracked edges.
4. **Portion.** Roll into balls about 1½ inches across (about 33 g each), a little smaller than a golf ball. You should get around 18. Keep them covered.
5. **Press.** Flatten each ball between two pieces of plastic to about 1/16 inch, which spreads 33 g to roughly a 6-inch round — thin enough to just see your hand's shadow through it.
6. **Cook.** Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium-high. Cook about 30 seconds on the first side, flip, cook 60 seconds, flip back for a final 15 to 30 seconds. Press the next ball while this one cooks. With luck it puffs like a balloon — steam separating the layers, the sign of a well-made tortilla. No puff? It will still taste great.
7. **Stack.** Move each finished tortilla into a towel-lined bowl and keep it covered. They steam each other soft as the stack grows.

### How Long This Actually Takes

About 4 minutes to mix and knead, 15 to 30 hands-off minutes to rest, then 32 to 36 minutes at the stove, since 18 tortillas at roughly 2 minutes each go through one skillet in sequence. Pressing overlaps with cooking, so call it 55 minutes to a little over an hour. A second skillet halves the griddle stretch and brings the batch in around 40 minutes; halving the recipe does the same.

### No Tortilla Press? No Problem

A press is convenient, not necessary. Two methods work just as well:

- **Flat-bottomed pot or skillet:** Put the ball between two squares of a cut-open zip-top bag and press straight down with slow, even pressure. Rotate the plastic a quarter turn and press again for an even round.
- **Rolling pin:** Roll over the plastic-sandwiched ball, flipping the packet once, until thin. The shape is less perfectly round; the taste is identical.

Cut plastic beats parchment or plastic wrap — the tortilla peels off cleanly instead of tearing.

### Why Do My Corn Tortillas Crack?

Cracking is almost always a hydration problem, with three usual causes:

- **The dough is too dry.** If edges split as you press, knead in water a teaspoon at a time until a squeezed piece no longer cracks.
- **You skipped the rest.** Masa needs 15+ minutes to absorb water fully. Dough that felt fine at first can press dry.
- **The balls sat uncovered.** Masa loses surface moisture fast, and in a batch this size the last ball waits half an hour for its turn. Keep them under a damp towel until you press.

Overcooking causes the other failure: tortillas that leave the skillet fine but stiffen into crackers. Pull them while flexible with light brown spots, not rigid.

### How to Keep Corn Tortillas Soft

Softness is mostly trapped steam. Stack tortillas in a towel as they come off the heat and let them rest 10 minutes before serving — and since the batch takes half an hour at the stove, the early ones will have done exactly that by the time the last lands. Leftovers keep in a sealed bag in the fridge about 4 days; reheat one at a time on a dry skillet 20 to 30 seconds per side, which revives them far better than a microwave.

Warm tortillas want something bright alongside. A bowl of [fresh pico de gallo](/pico-de-gallo-recipe/) is the natural partner, and the full [tortillas and masa collection](/tortillas/) picks up where this recipe leaves off.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the masa harina to water ratio for tortillas?**

Start with 2 cups masa harina (about 240 g) to 1 1/2 cups warm water (355 ml), plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Brands absorb water differently, so treat this as a starting point and add more water a tablespoon at a time while kneading. The dough is right when a squeezed piece holds together without cracking and doesn't stick to your palm — about the texture of soft Play-Doh. That batch is roughly 598 g of dough, or about 18 six-inch tortillas.

**How long does it take to make corn tortillas from scratch?**

About an hour for a full batch, not the half hour many recipes claim. Mixing and kneading take about 4 minutes and the rest is 15 to 30 hands-off minutes, but the griddle is the real clock: 18 tortillas at roughly 2 minutes each go through a single skillet in sequence, which is 32 to 36 minutes. Running a second skillet alongside the first halves that stretch and brings the batch in around 40 minutes; halving the recipe has the same effect.

**Can I make corn tortillas without a tortilla press?**

Yes. Place a dough ball between two squares cut from a zip-top bag and press straight down with a flat-bottomed pot or skillet, rotating the plastic a quarter turn and pressing again for an even round. A rolling pin over the same plastic sandwich also works. Cut plastic releases the tortilla more cleanly than parchment or plastic wrap, which tend to tear the dough.

**Why do my corn tortillas crack when I press them?**

Cracked edges almost always mean the dough is too dry. Knead in water a teaspoon at a time until a squeezed piece no longer splits. Two other common causes: skipping the 15-to-30-minute rest, which the masa needs to fully hydrate, and leaving dough balls uncovered so their surface dries out. With a batch this size the last ball waits half an hour for its turn, so keep everything under a damp towel until the moment you press.

**How do you keep corn tortillas soft after cooking?**

Stack them in a towel-lined bowl straight off the skillet and keep them covered — the trapped steam softens the whole stack within about 10 minutes. Avoid overcooking; pull each tortilla while it is still flexible with light brown spots. Store leftovers in a sealed bag in the fridge for about 4 days and reheat on a dry skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side.


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# Pico de Gallo Recipe: 6 Ingredients, Ready in 15 Minutes

> Pico de gallo is a fresh, uncooked Mexican salsa made from six ingredients: diced Roma tomatoes, white onion, serrano or jalapeño chile, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Work by volume after dicing — 2 cups tomato to 1/2 cup onion, a 4-to-1 ratio, with chile to taste. Dice everything small, season with lime and salt, and rest 10 minutes so the flavors meld. It takes about 15 minutes and makes around 2 1/2 cups.

Source: https://panchovillany.com/pico-de-gallo-recipe/  
Publisher: Pancho's Table  
Published: 2026-07-19  
Updated: 2026-08-16

## The Pico de Gallo Recipe: 6 Ingredients, One Ratio

Pico de gallo is a fresh, chopped Mexican salsa made from six ingredients: tomatoes, white onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Nothing is cooked and nothing is blended — you dice everything small, season it, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the salt and lime pull the flavors together. Total time is about 15 minutes, most of it knife work.

The ratio that makes it repeatable: **4 parts tomato, 1 part onion, chile to taste**, by volume after dicing. Measure the diced vegetables in a cup rather than counting whole ones — tomatoes and onions vary enough in size that counts drift, and the balance is what you're actually after.

### Ingredients (makes about 2 1/2 cups)

- **2 cups diced Roma tomatoes** — about 5 or 6 medium romas (roughly 12 oz / 360 g), cut in 1/4-inch dice
- **1/2 cup finely diced white onion** — about half a small onion, or a third of a medium one
- **1–2 serrano chiles**, minced (seeds in for heat, out for mild); jalapeño also works
- **1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro**, leaves and tender stems
- **2 tablespoons fresh lime juice** (about 1 lime)
- **1/2 teaspoon fine salt**, plus more to taste

Roma (plum) tomatoes are the right call here: they're meaty, with less watery pulp than round slicing tomatoes, so your pico stays chunky instead of soupy. A medium roma runs about 60 to 85 g, so treat the count as a guide and trust the 2-cup measure. If your tomatoes are very juicy, scoop out the seeds and gel before dicing.

### How to Make Pico de Gallo

1. **Dice the tomatoes small** — about 1/4-inch pieces — and transfer to a bowl, leaving excess juice on the cutting board. Stop when you have 2 cups.
2. **Finely dice the onion** and measure out 1/2 cup. If raw white onion tastes harsh to you, rinse the dice under cold water for 30 seconds and drain; it mellows the bite without cooking anything.
3. **Mince the chile.** Start with one serrano; you can always add the second after tasting.
4. **Chop the cilantro** and add it with the onion and chile to the tomatoes.
5. **Season:** add the lime juice and salt, then toss gently.
6. **Rest 10 minutes** at room temperature, taste, and adjust — more salt if it tastes flat, more lime if it tastes dull, more chile if you want heat.

That resting step is the difference between chopped vegetables and salsa. Salt draws moisture out of the tomatoes and onion, the cilantro settles, and the mixture packs down slightly as it goes — that seasoned juice is what ties every bite together.

### What Makes a Pico de Gallo Traditional

"Authentic" here mostly means restraint. A traditional Mexican home version is the six ingredients above and nothing else — no garlic, no cumin, no sugar, no vinegar. Those turn up in US restaurant and supermarket versions, which are built as a chip dip: milder, a little sweeter, often stretched with extra tomato. At a Mexican table it's a condiment instead — sharper, saltier, noticeably hot, spooned onto food by the tablespoon.

Two ingredient choices carry most of that character:

- **White onion, not yellow.** White onion eats crisp and clean raw, with a bite the lime softens. Yellow onion is more sulfurous uncooked and muddies the flavor; red is an acceptable stand-in for color but tastes sweeter.
- **Serrano, not jalapeño.** Serrano is the everyday chile across much of Mexico: thinner-walled, grassier, hotter for its size, so a little seasons the bowl without adding bulk or water. Jalapeño is the usual US substitute — milder, thicker-fleshed, and fine if it's what you have.

### Pico de Gallo vs. Salsa: What's the Difference?

Both are salsas; pico is the uncooked, chopped kind, what a Spanish-language recipe calls a *salsa fresca* or *salsa cruda*. The differences that matter at the table:

| | Pico de gallo | Blended salsa |
|---|---|---|
| **Texture** | Chunky, distinct dice | Smooth or semi-smooth, pourable |
| **Cooking** | None — everything raw | Often roasted, boiled, or simmered |
| **Water content** | Low; sits on a chip | Higher; coats and pools |
| **Best use** | Topping tacos, grilled meats, eggs | Dipping, dousing, cooking into dishes |
| **Shelf life** | Best within 24 hours; 2–3 days refrigerated | Cooked versions hold 5–7 days refrigerated |

Because nothing is blended, pico works where a wet salsa would slide off — spooned over tacos on warm [homemade corn tortillas](/how-to-make-corn-tortillas/), folded into scrambled eggs, or piled onto grilled chicken or fish. For blended reds and greens and the chile technique behind them, see the rest of our [salsa collection](/salsas/).

### How Long Does Pico de Gallo Last in the Fridge?

In an airtight container in the refrigerator, pico de gallo keeps for **2 to 3 days**, and it's at its best within the first 24 hours. What changes is mostly texture: the salt keeps pulling water out, the tomatoes soften, and pink liquid pools at the bottom. Pour that off before serving day-two pico — or spoon it into a pot of beans — then re-taste, because a fair amount of the salt and lime leaves with it.

Being raw, it belongs back in the fridge promptly: no more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Don't freeze it — thawed raw tomato collapses into mush.

### Quick Fixes

- **Too watery?** Drain in a fine-mesh strainer for a few minutes, or seed the tomatoes next time.
- **Too spicy?** Stir in more diced tomato to dilute the heat.
- **Tastes flat?** It almost always needs salt first, then lime.
- **Onion overpowering?** Use the cold-water rinse in step 2, and check that you measured 1/2 cup rather than eyeballing half an onion.

Use tomatoes worth eating raw, season until it tastes like something rather than like vegetables, and this stops being a recipe you look up and becomes the thing you make while everything else cooks.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between pico de gallo and salsa?**

Pico de gallo is one kind of salsa — a salsa fresca, made of raw ingredients chopped rather than blended. Because the pieces stay distinct and little liquid is released, it sits on a chip or a taco instead of sliding off. What most people mean by "salsa" is the blended, often roasted or simmered sauce sold in jars: smoother, wetter, better for dipping and for cooking into a dish. Use pico as a topping and a blended salsa as a sauce.

**What makes a pico de gallo authentic?**

Restraint, mostly. A traditional Mexican home version stops at six ingredients — tomato, white onion, chile, cilantro, lime, salt — with no garlic, cumin, sugar, or vinegar, which are additions common to US restaurant and supermarket versions built as a chip dip. The other markers are white onion rather than yellow, because it eats crisp and clean raw, and serrano rather than jalapeño, since serrano is the everyday chile across much of Mexico: hotter for its size and thinner-walled, so it seasons without adding bulk.

**How long does pico de gallo last in the fridge?**

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, pico de gallo keeps for 2 to 3 days, and it is at its best within the first 24 hours. What degrades is texture: the salt keeps drawing water out, the tomatoes soften, and liquid pools at the bottom. Drain that off before serving and re-taste for salt and lime. Refrigerate it promptly — no more than 2 hours at room temperature, 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C — and skip freezing, which turns raw tomato to mush.

**What tomatoes are best for pico de gallo?**

Roma (plum) tomatoes are the best choice. They're meaty with relatively little watery pulp, so the pico stays chunky instead of turning soupy. A medium roma weighs roughly 60 to 85 g, so it takes about 5 or 6 of them to give the 2 cups of dice this recipe calls for. Ripe round tomatoes work in a pinch — just scoop out the seeds and gel before dicing. Ripeness matters more than variety: a hard, pale tomato makes flat-tasting pico.

**How do you keep raw onion from overpowering pico de gallo?**

First, measure it: 1/2 cup of finely diced white onion to 2 cups of diced tomato. Half an onion by eye is often closer to a full cup, which is what tips a pico onion-heavy. Then, if raw onion still tastes harsh to you, rinse the dice under cold running water for about 30 seconds and drain it well. The rinse washes away the sharp sulfur compounds released by cutting, mellowing the bite without cooking the onion or costing it any crunch.


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# Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe: Smoky Salsa Roja

> For roasted tomato salsa roja, blister 500g Roma tomatoes, 1 to 2 serrano chiles, a quarter white onion, and 2 unpeeled garlic cloves under a hot broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, turning until softened and charred in spots. Peel the garlic, pulse everything with salt to the texture you want, then fry the salsa in 1 teaspoon oil for 5 to 7 minutes. The result is about 2 cups of smoky, spoonable red salsa.

Source: https://panchovillany.com/roasted-tomato-salsa-recipe/  
Publisher: Pancho's Table  
Published: 2026-08-31  
Updated: 2026-08-31

## Salsa roja begins with a little controlled scorching

For roasted tomato salsa roja, blister 500g Roma tomatoes, 1 to 2 serrano chiles, a quarter white onion, and 2 unpeeled garlic cloves under a hot broiler for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them until soft and charred in spots, then peel the garlic and pulse everything with salt. Fry the blended salsa in a teaspoon of oil for 5 to 7 minutes and you have about 2 cups of smoky red table salsa.

Unlike [pico de gallo](/pico-de-gallo-recipe/), this salsa gets its personality from heat twice: first the dry blast that chars the vegetables, then a short fry after blending that rounds the flavour and sets the texture. It is spoonable, not watery, and assertive enough for tacos, eggs, beans, grilled meat, and the chip you allegedly picked up only to check the salt.

Salsa roja is a broad name, not one fixed recipe. Mexican home cooks make red salsa with fresh or dried chiles, raw, boiled, roasted, or fried tomatoes, and countless family ratios. This is a roasted tomato-serrano version built for an ordinary oven or comal.

## Ingredients for about 2 cups

- 500g (about 1.1 lb) Roma tomatoes, usually 5 or 6 medium
- 1 to 2 serrano chiles
- 1/4 medium white onion, about 60g
- 2 garlic cloves, left in their skins for roasting
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon neutral cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, optional and added only after tasting

Use ripe tomatoes that smell like tomatoes at the stem. Roma or plum tomatoes contain plenty of flesh and less watery seed gel than large slicing tomatoes, which helps the salsa stay substantial after roasting. If only round tomatoes are available, use them and expect a slightly longer reduction.

Serrano chiles are slim, grassy, and often hotter than jalapenos. Start with one if you do not know the batch. You can blend in more roasted chile; you cannot summon it back out after the blender has distributed it with ruthless efficiency.

## Oven-broiler method

### 1. Prepare the tray

Move an oven rack about 15cm (6 inches) below the broiler element and heat the broiler. Line a rimmed metal tray with foil for easier cleanup. Do not use parchment under an intense exposed broiler unless its manufacturer explicitly allows it at that setting.

Wash and dry the tomatoes and chiles. Halve the onion through the layers, leaving a compact quarter. Keep the garlic cloves in their papery skins so the interior softens without burning.

### 2. Broil the first side

Arrange everything in one layer. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, watching closely, until tomato and chile skins blister and develop dark spots. The exact time depends on the broiler, distance, and vegetable size. You want patches of black, not vegetables reduced to evidence.

Garlic may finish first. Remove it when the skin is darkened and the clove inside feels soft. The onion should colour at the edges and begin to soften.

### 3. Turn and finish

Turn the tomatoes, chiles, and onion with tongs. Broil another 4 to 7 minutes until the second side is blistered and the tomatoes sag but still hold together. Keep every drop of juice on the tray.

Let the vegetables stand until safe to handle. Pull the stem from the chiles and peel the garlic. For less heat, split the chile and scrape out seeds and pale interior ribs. Gloves are sensible if your skin reacts to chiles, and touching your eyes during this step is a powerful but unnecessary learning experience.

### 4. Blend to the right texture

Put the onion, garlic, chiles, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and one tomato in a blender or food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining tomatoes and tray juices, then pulse in short bursts.

Stop at the texture you want:

- **Chunky table salsa:** 4 to 6 brief pulses, with visible tomato pieces.
- **Pourable taqueria-style texture:** blend 10 to 20 seconds.
- **Molcajete texture:** crush garlic, chile, and salt first, then work in onion and roasted tomato a little at a time.

Do not add water unless the blades genuinely cannot move. Roasted tomatoes bring their own liquid. Water is easy to add and tiresome to remove.

### 5. Fry the salsa

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the salsa; it may spit. Stir and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly darker, integrated, and thick enough to leave a brief trail when a spoon crosses the pan.

Taste after frying. Add the remaining salt as needed. Stir in cilantro off heat if using. Add lime only if the tomatoes taste flat; good tomatoes often bring enough acidity on their own.

Cool briefly before serving. Hot salsa tastes less salty and less nuanced than warm or room-temperature salsa, so do not perform the final seasoning while your tongue is negotiating with steam.

## Comal or skillet roasting method

No broiler is required. Heat a dry comal, cast-iron skillet, or heavy stainless-steel pan over medium-high. Place whole tomatoes, chiles, onion, and unpeeled garlic directly on it.

Turn each ingredient as the contact side blisters:

- garlic may take 6 to 10 minutes total;
- chiles and onion often take 8 to 12 minutes;
- tomatoes can take 12 to 20 minutes, depending on size and heat.

Those are starting ranges, not a synchronized finish. Remove each item when dark-spotted and softened. The tomatoes will char unevenly because only one curve touches the pan at a time; that irregularity is part of the method.

Ventilate the kitchen. Roasting chiles releases pungent vapour, and coughing beside a skillet is not a traditional technique.

## How charred is too charred?

Good char appears in irregular black patches surrounded by softened red skin. It adds bitterness in a supporting role. A tomato that is black all over and dry at the edges has crossed from roasted to cremated.

Peel away fully carbonized, papery skin, but leave the blistered brown and black patches that still feel supple. Garlic is less forgiving: a black, hard clove tastes bitter through the entire batch, so discard it and roast another.

If the finished salsa tastes too bitter, blend in another roasted tomato and a small pinch of salt. Lime can brighten it but cannot erase heavy burning. Sugar usually makes the bitterness sweet rather than absent.

## Adjusting texture and flavour

### Too watery

Return the salsa to a wide pan and simmer uncovered, stirring, until it lightly coats a spoon. Next time choose meatier tomatoes or keep added water out of the blender.

### Too thick

Stir in warm water one tablespoon at a time. Give each addition a minute to integrate before deciding.

### Too hot

Roast more tomato, onion, and garlic without chile, blend them, and combine with the spicy batch. Dairy or avocado can calm an individual serving, but they turn it into a different sauce and shorten its storage life.

### Tastes flat

Try salt first. Then consider lime, cilantro, or another spoon of roasted tomato. A salsa can be fully cooked and still simply underseasoned.

### Tastes raw

The onion was under-roasted or the blended salsa skipped its pan time. Simmer 5 minutes more. If the garlic itself is harsh, the cloves may not have softened fully.

## What to serve with roasted salsa

Spoon it over tacos on warm [homemade corn tortillas](/how-to-make-corn-tortillas/), fried or scrambled eggs, beans, grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, quesadillas, or a plain bowl of rice. Use it as a cooking sauce for chilaquiles only after adjusting the consistency and quantity for that separate dish.

For a salsa flight, serve this warm roasted roja beside cold pico de gallo. One is smoky and blended, the other raw and sharply diced, so they complement rather than duplicate each other. Browse our [salsa collection](/salsas/) for more red and green techniques.

## Storage and make-ahead

Cool the salsa promptly and refrigerate it in a clean airtight container. Use within three to four days, following USDA's general guidance for cooked leftovers. Freeze in small portions for longer storage; the texture may loosen after thawing, but a brief simmer restores it.

Do not leave perishable food at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is above 90F (32C), per USDA guidance. Discard salsa with mould, an off smell, unexplained bubbling, or a storage history you cannot reconstruct. This is a table salsa, not a tested home-canning formula; do not seal it for shelf storage.

The recipe makes about 2 cups because 500g tomatoes lose water during roasting and frying while onion and chile contribute some volume. Tomato juiciness changes the exact yield, so judge the pan, not the fantasy of identical vegetables.

## Sources

- [Mexico in My Kitchen: Roasted Tomato Salsa](https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/how-to-make-roasted-tomatoes-salsa/)
- [USDA FSIS: Keep Food Safe](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/steps-keep-food-safe)

Roast until spotted, pulse rather than puree by reflex, and fry long enough for the flavours to stop introducing themselves separately. The salsa will handle the rest.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do I need to peel roasted tomatoes for salsa?**

No. Charred tomato skin adds roasted flavour and blends into a rustic salsa. Remove only skin that has turned fully black and papery or if you want an unusually smooth texture. Roma tomatoes have enough flesh to survive roasting without collapsing into pure water. Keep the juices on the tray and add them to the blender; that concentrated liquid belongs to the salsa, not the washing-up bowl.

**Should roasted salsa be cooked after blending?**

It does not have to be, but frying the blended salsa for 5 to 7 minutes gives this version a rounder flavour, removes raw onion notes, and lets you control thickness. Use a wide skillet because the mixture may spit when it hits hot oil. A roasted-but-unfried salsa tastes brighter; the fried version tastes deeper. Both are valid, so choose the result you want.

**How do I make roasted tomato salsa less spicy?**

Begin with one jalapeno instead of serrano, remove its seeds and pale interior ribs after roasting, or blend only half the chile before tasting. Heat varies from pepper to pepper, so counting chiles is not a perfect scale. To rescue a finished fiery batch, roast and blend more tomato, onion, and garlic without additional chile. Sugar hides heat poorly and gives salsa a strange new problem.

**Can I roast salsa ingredients on a skillet instead of broiling?**

Yes. Put whole tomatoes, chiles, onion, and unpeeled garlic on a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Turn each ingredient as dark spots form and remove it when softened; garlic and chile usually finish before tomato. The contact char is patchier than broiler roasting but excellent. Open a window, since a dry-roasted hot chile can turn the kitchen air surprisingly argumentative.

**How long does homemade roasted salsa keep?**

Cool it promptly, store it in a clean airtight container, and use it within three to four refrigerated days, following USDA's general cooked-leftover window. Do not leave perishable food at room temperature beyond two hours, or one hour above 90F (32C). Discard salsa with mould, bubbling not caused by recent blending, an off smell, or an uncertain storage history. Freezing is better for longer keeping.


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