Salsa tatemada (charred salsa) is a bold, smoky Mexican salsa made with charred tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and garlic. This cast-iron version recreates the classic tatemada technique easily at home with just a handful of simple ingredients. Ready in 15 minutes.
Want more salsa recipes? Try my salsa de molcajete, authentic roasted salsa recipe, or chile de árbol salsa next.
🔍 A Quick Look: Salsa Tatemada (Charred Salsa)
- 📝 Recipe name: Salsa Tatemada
- 🕒 Total time: 15 minutes
- 👥 Servings: about 2½ cups
- 🎯 Key ingredients: tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, garlic
- 🌱 Diet: vegan, dairy-free, oil optional
- ✨ Best for: tacos, bowls, beans, dipping
- 💕 Why you’ll love it: smoky, bold, pourable, restaurant-style flavor
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My favorite way to use this salsa tatemada roja is with Instant Pot refried beans or vegan taquitos, and drizzled over these easy grilled potatoes in foil, served with a side of homemade easy guacamole (so good!).
This tatemada salsa recipe has the kind of flavor you’d expect from a great taqueria, with incredible depth thanks to fresh charred vegetables and the natural sweetness of roasted tomatoes.
It’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients, blended with the browned bits scraped straight from your cast-iron skillet. It’s one of those recipes that makes everything better.
What is Salsa Tatemada?
Tatemada means charred. It’s a Mexican cooking technique where tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic are blistered over high heat, traditionally on a comal, before blending.
The goal isn’t gentle roasting, but bold char.
That intense blistering caramelizes the natural sugars in tomatoes and chiles, creating the deep smoky flavor that defines salsa tatemada and sets it apart from raw or boiled salsas.
If you’re into bold flavors, don’t miss my easy cowboy caviar, pico de gallo salsa, mango salsa with avocado, and this creamy jalapeno sauce recipe. So good!
Why This Recipe Works
- High-heat charring builds deep smoky flavor fast
- Cast iron mimics traditional comal cooking
- Deglazing captures concentrated flavor
- Blend controls texture — rustic to pourable
- Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this salsa tatemada roja:
- Fresh tomatoes – Roma or plum tomatoes char well. Vine-ripened tomatoes work too, but they produce a bit juicier salsa. Halve for quicker char, or toss in whole.
- Onion – White or yellow works.
- Jalapeños: Add serrano peppers or extra jalapenos for extra heat. You can also throw in a chile de arbol or two for extra heat. Halve for faster charring, or leave whole. For a milder version, remove jalapeno seeds.
- Garlic cloves - Use more or less based on your preference. Leave cloves unpeeled and whole.
- Optional cilantro or fresh lime.
See the recipe card for all ingredients and quantities.
Drizzle tatemada salsa over red Mexican rice or this easy cilantro lime rice recipe, beans, veggies, and Mexican pickled jalapenos and carrots for a delicious burrito bowl.
How to Make Salsa Tatemada (Charred Salsa)
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Char tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and whole garlic (skin on). Let everything blister and char deeply.
- Step 2: Turn off heat. Add a splash of water and scrape up the browned bits.
- Step 3: Peel the garlic. Transfer everything to a blender with salt. Blend until it reaches your desired consistency.
This smoky salsa tatemada roja adds big flavor to vegan 7 layer bean dip recipe, tacos dorados receta (potato tacos), and my nacho bowls recipe.
Tested Tips
- You want blistered skins and deep browning; black spots are good, full scorching isn’t.
- Garlic cooks fast. Toss it in near the end so it sweetens instead of turning bitter.
- When the tomatoes slump and the skins blister, they’re ready.
- You want rustic and pourable, not whipped. Pulse until it looks right and stop.
- Fresh tatemada can taste spicy and sharp. Give it a few minutes — it mellows beautifully.
- If your skillet is small, roast in batches so the vegetables char instead of steaming. A comal or grill flame works beautifully, too.
I like to add this charred salsa recipe into my bowls of soup for extra depth (a spoonful or two). It's especially good in vegan chickpea noodle soup, slow cook black bean soup, or my vegan enchilada soup.
Make it Your Way
- Add another roasted jalapeño, serrano chile, or a chile de árbol before blending. Taste as you go, roasted peppers mellow more than you expect.
- Remove pepper seeds or blend in an extra roasted tomato to soften the heat.
- Blend just enough for rustic and spoonable, or go longer for a smoother, pourable salsa.
- Add a splash of water after blending and pulse again until it reaches your desired consistency.
Looking for more bold vegan sauces? Check out my guide to 30+ vegan sauces for bowls, rice, and meal prep.
Suggested Servings
There are so many ways to use tatemada salsa in Mexican recipes, but here are my go-tos:
- Use on vegan refried pinto beans or refried beans recipe from canned black beans, and add a big spoonful of salsa; top with fresh, diced onions, shredded cabbage, and a handful of tortilla chips (so good!).
- Drizzle this charred salsa recipe on vegan tofu taco recipe.
- Warm corn tortillas, layer in slices of avocado, and spoon salsa tatemada on top (an all-time favorite).
Storage & Meal Prep
- Fridge: Store in an airtight jar or container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Yes, you can freeze this salsa. Let it cool completely, then pour into a freezer-safe container.
- Vegan meal prep: This is one of my favorite make-ahead salsas, along with my avocado salsa recipe and creamy tomatillo salsa. I double them when I’m prepping for vegan smothered burritos, taco bowls, or just a solid week of beans + rice + something saucy.
Salsa Tatemada FAQs
Salsa tatemada is a Mexican charred salsa made by blistering tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic over high heat, then blending everything into a smoky, pourable sauce. The deep char is what gives it its signature flavor.
It can be, but you control the heat. Jalapeños make it mild to medium, serranos add more kick, and chile de árbol makes it hot. Roasting softens the heat slightly.
Yes. A cast-iron skillet, a heavy pan, or the grill works perfectly. The key is high heat and deep blistered char, not the specific tool.
Instead of using raw or boiled ingredients, tatemada salsa is built around charring. That caramelized char creates a deeper, smokier flavor that spreads through the blended sauce.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Salsa Tatemada
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Ingredients
- 4-6 Roma tomatoes, halved (see Notes)
- 1 white or yellow onion, (medium size) quartered
- 6-8 cloves garlic, unpeeled, adjust to your liking
- 2 jalapeños, stem removed (leave whole or roughly halved)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, adjust to taste
- ½-1 cup water, (for deglazing and blending)
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, optional, chopped
- 1-2 squeezes fresh lime, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place tomatoes cut-side down with onion and jalapeños. Cook until blistered and deeply browned, turning occasionally, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic in the last 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Add water to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits. Transfer vegetables, liquid, and salt to blender.
- For a pourable salsa, blend a bit longer and add water as needed. For a chunkier texture, pulse just until combined. Avoid high speed, which can make the salsa frothy and change the flavor.
- Taste and adjust salt, lime, or spiciness to your liking. Finish with chopped fresh cilantro and diced white onion if desired. Serve warm or chilled.
Video
Notes
- Tomatoes: I use 4-6 Roma tomatoes, depending on size. Make sure they fit in your skillet in a single layer for the best char.
- No cast iron? Char the vegetables in any heavy skillet, on a comal, grill, or under the broiler (10-15 minutes, turning halfway). For open flame or comal cooking, leave vegetables whole and skip deglazing — just add about ½ cup water when blending.
- Oil: Traditional tatemada is cooked dry, without oil, which gives you the best char. A light drizzle (1-2 teaspoons) can help prevent sticking if your pan isn't well-seasoned, but it's not needed.
- Tomato skins: Leave them on or peel them off after charring; either way works.
- Refry for even deeper flavor (optional). Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering, carefully pour in the blended salsa. Be careful, it will sizzle. Simmer 1-2 minutes to meld flavors, or up to 5 minutes for a thicker, richer salsa, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
I make this at least once a week—sometimes twice! It goes with everything and never lasts long. If you haven’t tried making your own salsa, it’s so worth it. This one’s fresh, bold, and always a hit.