Salsa is one of those simple but totally magical condiments that just makes everything taste better. It's great with chips or on top of tacos, of course, but I love to use it cooked right into dishes, too. It's the kind of sauce that can instantly liven up any dish—a nice acidity with a kick of spice. You know you're going to have it around for Cinco de Mayo this year, so use it in one of these amazingly creative ways after the fiesta.
1. Use it as a marinade.
Pour it over chicken, fish, or pork, let the mixure marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours, for the heartier meats). Bake in the oven (or throw in the slow cooker) and cook until meat is tender. The acid will help tenderize the meat and it will absorb all of that delicious salsa flavor, so every bite is boosted with spice.
Try it at home tonight with our recipe for Tortilla-Crusted Chicken—just let the chicken marinate in the salsa for awhile before cooking to give it the maximum amount of flavor.
2. Pack it into chicken breasts.
Stir some shredded cheese into your favorite salsa and use it as a filling for chicken breasts—you'll end up with a deliciously melty, zesty new dish that's totally different from your standard weeknight go-to.
3. Stuff it into sweet peppers.
Mix it up with classic fillings like rice and beans or ground beef to add big flavor. Then, use the mixture to stuff sweet bell peppers and bake in the oven until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot.
4. Turn it into a sandwich spread.
Mix it with a little something creamy, like mayo, to give the usually tame condiment a hit of heat, then stack your go-to sandwich ingredients right on top. Or, use it as is to top a spicy, Southwestern- or Caribbean-inspired burger.
Make our Shrimp Burgers with Mango-Avocado Salsa and try this at home tonight!
5. Make a salsa-pizza.
On a piece of flatbread, a tortilla, or pizza crust, spread salsa just like you would a standard tomato sauce. Top it with classic nacho ingredients, like shredded Cheddar, pickled jalapeños, radishes, and cilantro, or go a slightly different route and make a hearty, meaty pie with ground beef or sausage, a smoked mozzarella or gouda cheese, and spinach.
6. Sauté with it.
Instead of waiting for something to marinate, make a quick meal by throwing salsa right in the pan with a quick-cooking protein like shrimp. Add some fresh greens or other fast ingredients, like summer squash or canned black beans, serve with pre-made rice or other starch on the side, and you've got a meal in under 5 minutes.
7. Add it to scrambled eggs.
Spoon some salsa right into the pan with your egg mixture while cooking to add texture and bold flavor—no need to bring out the hot sauce later! Eat them on their own for breakfast, or use them at dinner as an unexpected vegetarian taco filling.
8. Roast vegetables in it
This one might sound a little out there, but hear me out—we all add oil, lemon or vinegar, and some spices to veggies before roasting, so why not a perfectly pre-seasoned sauce that basically has all of those things already in it? I love veggies (really, I do), but they all benefit from some serious seasoning—you might disagree, but I firmly believe that if there's a vegetable you think you hate, it's probably because you've never had it prepared the right way, with plenty of salt, spice, and yes, fat. The acid from the tomato will give a lift to heavier root vegetables as well as lighter green things, and make them taste even better than they do on their own.
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