La Mex Salsa
Did someone say game day snacks?? I DID! The Super Bowl is coming up and we always need a fresh salsa recipe. And this one is a mainstay at our house. And if you grew up in or around Anchorage, Alaska then you know and love, La Mex Salsa. This is your chance to make it at home!
Ask just about anyone who loves Mexican food and who lived in Anchorage back in the day, about La Mex and you’ll get a chorus of “oh man we miss their this and their that.” But what comes up most often is the La Mex Salsa. And how we all miss the salsa. So it stands to reason that when I saw someone share a photo of a newspaper clipping from the 90s that had the recipe on it, I had to grab the recipe. And make it obsessively.
It’s a bit of a confusing recipe but one I was happy to wade through and try to make sense of it. Because what do you mean I cook the cilantro? And what does cooked peeled drained tomatoes mean but save the juice you might want it later. It wasn’t hard to figure out but it is definitively hard to stop making.
La Mex Salsa Ingredients List
This calls for most of the same ingredients a regular salsa calls for, and a surprise ingredient, Mexican oregano. Oregano isn’t in most salsa recipes, but it works so well here, I think it might work in just about any salsa recipe. And any Mexican recipe where you want real depth of flavor. I added more notes below because after using it in Arizona to cook for my mom I am convinced it needs to be a pantry staple!
Here’s What Else You Need For La Mex Salsa:
- canned tomatoes, I used a generic brand but use what ever kind you like, they will be drained but save the juice
- cooking oil
- jalapeño
- onion
- salt
- garlic powder or granules
- cilantro
- Mexican oregano–please see notes below
- salt
Mexican Oregano
Mexican oregano is a variety of oregano that’s actually more closely related to lemon verbena than it is to the Mediterranean oregano most people know and use. It has a stronger, slightly citrusy flavor with a bit of earthiness. That’s which is why it’s commonly used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking.
It holds up well in long-simmered dishes like chili, soups, and sauces without fading into the background. A pinch of it in this salsa is perfection.
If you don’t have Mexican oregano, regular oregano can be used in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be quite the same. If the oregano is meant to be a background note rather than a main flavor, it’s also fine to leave it out entirely rather than force a substitute.
Serve This Salsa Hot Or Cold
As a joke I ladled this up to my husband piping hot, thinking it would be funny if he had hot salsa on a chip. I did warn him before he ate it just so he didn’t burn his mouth, I’m not THAT mean! It sounds kind of gross but it is actually good hot or cold!
Storing La Mex Salsa
Store this salsa in a jar or any sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When we have a little bit leftover we mix it with a scoop of sour cream, a little plain greek yogurt and stir it up together. The resulting sauce can be drizzled over nachos/totchos, a salad, or on taco casserole or soup.
La Mex Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 can cooked peeled tomatoes 14.5 oz drained reserve the juice
- 3 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño seeds and pith removed about 1 small to medium pepper
- 1 tbsp yellow or white onion finely chopped
- Pinch Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1/8 tsp garlic granules or garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice
- Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor or chop by hand and set aside
- Warm the oil in a frying pan over low heat
- Add the jalapeño and onion and cook until just tender
- Add the tomatoes oregano cilantro garlic and salt
- Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes
- Taste using a chip and adjust salt as needed
- Add reserved tomato juice a little at a time if a thinner salsa is desired
- Serve warm or chill until ready to use
Video
Notes
- This salsa thickens slightly as it cools
- Adjust jalapeño or oregano to taste depending on heat preference
