12 Creative Ways to Eat Salsa (That Don’t Involve Chips)

When cooking at home, few fridge and pantry staples are as versatile—or as often underestimated—as salsa. Most often found beside a bowl of tortilla chips, this vibrant and utilitarian condiment deserves a prominent role in far more than just snacking. But is everything we know about salsa wrong? Or at least, extremely limited? We spoke to the chef who wrote the book on salsa to explore all the things it can be, and more importantly, how to use salsa in surprising ways. From baking to braising to serving with pizza, there are not only endless uses for this beloved condiment, but also endless variations of what salsa is. 

From classic pico de gallo and tomato-based varieties to fruit-based salsas packed with seasonal produce, there’s a salsa to suit every dish and occasion. Whether you're entertaining guests or making a cozy weeknight dinner, these inspired ways to eat salsa will bring fresh flavors to your table.

Salsa Explained 

The typical North American perception of salsa sits in a jar on the shelf next to tortilla chips. It’s almost always tomato-based, and its perceived use is limited: as a dip for those neighboring chips. Rick Martinez, chef, recipe developer, and author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way Into Mexican Cooking, says salsa should be viewed, in the broadest sense, as a sauce for nearly anything. "It can be chopped, smashed, blended, cooked, fermented, or pickled," Martinez says. "It can be sweet or savory, cream-based or oil-based. It’s a whole category, as broad and versatile as 'pasta' or 'bread.'"

Encouraging people to stop thinking of salsa as something you scoop with chips, Martinez wrote his book, Salsa Daddy, as a gateway for readers to learn more about Mexican cooking and culture, starting with one of the foundations of its cuisine. "[Salsa] can be a condiment, a salad, a poaching liquid, a marinade, a base for stews or casseroles, or even part of dessert. Once you understand that, your pantry becomes a salsa playground." 

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Consider Making Your Own Unique Salsas

You can use premade salsa in various ways to make any dish more interesting, but consider making your own salsa too. Martinez advocates using your imagination to invent unique interpretations, “About 75 percent of the recipes in Salsa Daddy were invented by me, they don’t exist in the Mexican culinary canon,” he says. “They were created by my mood, instinct, and the belief that salsa can be anything. That spirit of risk, creativity, and honoring where you come from is the heart of this book." Martinez shared some tips to get you started on DIY salsa at home. 

1. Be resourceful: “One of the most surprising discoveries was how easily you can invent a salsa from your imagination—or whatever’s in your fridge,” Martinez says. An example is his El Pepino salsa, which "came from half a cucumber I wasn’t going to use and didn’t want to waste. It turned out to be one of the most refreshing, palate-cleansing salsas in the book—and it can handle a ton of chile heat because of that cooling effect, like spa water.”
2. Focus on balance: Martinez leans on a checklist of five important considerations when coming up with unique salsa recipes: heat, salt, fat, acid, texture. From there, he says, you can use anything—fruit, nuts, herbs, chiles, alliums, or whatever’s in your fridge. “When you stop thinking of salsa as red or green and start seeing it as a way to add flavor, moisture, and joy to any dish, it changes everything.”
3. Don’t overthink it: "There are no rules. The supermarket, your fridge, and pantry are at your salsa whim. Use what you have, use what you like, and use what is in season and make something uniquely yours!"
   

How to Eat Salsa Beyond Chips

We've established that salsa is delicious for more than snacking, but where to start widening your salsa boundaries? Martinez has many suggestions, some are very unexpected.

Baking 

Using salsa in baking may seem a surprising application at first, but it can open the door to many creative and unexpected bakes. Salsa can replace dairy, oil, and fruit additions to baked goods, depending on the type of salsa or more specifically, its base. If the salsa is particularly wet, Martinez advises reducing other liquids slightly to accommodate the extra moisture. And don’t forget to think about the visual impact of using salsa in baked goods, such as a prominent swirl or drizzle to showcase color or texture. 

Quick breads, savory muffins, drop biscuits, enriched doughs: Martinez suggests replacing part of the liquid or fat in the dough or batter with a cream-based salsa. “Creamy salsas add moisture and richness, plus a tangy depth that works beautifully in cheddar muffins, cornbread, or buttermilk biscuits,” he says.   

Savory swirl breads, focaccia, yeasted rolls, laminated doughs: Use an oil-based salsa in savory breads like you would use a pesto—swirl it into doughs, braided loaves, or even laminated puff pastry pinwheels. You can also use oil-based salsa as a topping for focaccia or stuffed into cheesy pull-apart bread, Martinez says.

Cakes and cookies: Incorporate sweet heat by substituting ¼ to ⅓ cup of butter with salsa macha in cake or cookie recipes to add heat, crunch, and a surprising savory richness, says Martinez.

Galettes, upside-down cakes, and thumbprint cookies: Use a fruit-based salsa as a layer in pound cake or coffee cake batter. You can even spoon fruit salsas into cookie centers or between cake layers. "Reduce moisture slightly elsewhere in the batter," advises Martinez. "And use fruit salsa as you would jam or compote—it gives an unexpected spicy twist!" 

Pasta, Noodle Dishes, and Soups

You can add salsas to hot noodles, baked pasta, and soups just as easily as you would any other broth or pasta sauce—and don’t forget about cold noodle salads! 

Mac and cheese, creamy baked pasta, cold pasta salads, ramen-style broths: Stir any type of cream-based salsa you prefer into cooked pasta as a sauce base. "Think of it like a spiced béchamel or alfredo," Martinez says. "Or add to a soup pot just off the heat to enrich a broth without curdling. Avoid high-heat boiling once added to soups to preserve the creamy texture."

Chile oil noodles, garlicky pasta, ramen, pozole-style soups, dumpling sauces: Toss any kind of oil-based salsa directly with hot noodles for instant flavor, suggests Martinez. You can even drizzle over a finished bowl of soup for richness and layered heat. He warns that a little can go a long way, so be sure to start with a spoonful and build from there. 

Cold noodle salads, pasta with seafood, spring rolls, sweet-savory soups: You can toss any salsa with chilled noodles (Martinez suggests rice noodles) and grilled shrimp or tofu for a light, spicy-sweet salad, he says. Using bright salsa in cold and creamy coconut-milk-based soups is a great way to provide contrast. 

Baked ziti, tomato-based pastas, shakshuka-style dishes, sopa de fideo, pozole, noodle soups: More than any other type of salsa, tomato and tomatillo-based salsas are most comparable to a direct replacement for tomato sauce in any pasta bake or saucy noodle dish. Martinez suggests adding salsa to pasta water to flavor the noodles from the inside out—this is especially great for fideos or small pasta shapes, where you can cook the pasta through in a smaller amount of water without draining any excess.

Simmer, Braise, and Stew With Salsa

For easy one-pot dinners, look no further than the powerhouse combo ingredient that salsa can be: many flavors combined into one, a genius shortcut to Roasted salsas deepen as they cook; raw or verde salsas stay bright and tangy—choose depending on the mood you’re in.

Poached or baked eggs: Inspired by the North African dish shakshuka, use salsa in a cast-iron pan to poach eggs for a Mexican twist on this famous dish. "Finish with a sprinkle of queso fresco or cotija and a drizzle of crema for richness and contrast,” says Martinez. He suggests keeping the heat gentle to avoid curdling, and to balance the dish with a splash of lime before serving.

Sauteing shrimp and other quick-cooking protein: “Use oil-based salsa to poach, sauté, or shallow-fry shrimp—perfect for Mexican shrimp cocktails, summer rolls, or rice bowls,” says Martinez. He loves this technique for adding heat, umami, and texture all at once.

Poaching fruit for spicy-sweet desserts: Nothing pairs better with fruit than more fruit! Try simmering fresh fruit in fruit-based salsa to create a warm, spiced compote, which Martinez says is perfect over ice cream, as a pie or cobbler filling. Take it one step further by topping with crumbled cookies, dulce de leche, or lechera, otherwise known as sweetened condensed milk. "Pair with raw, chile-dusted fruit on the side for a fruit two-way that’s sweet, tart, and a little wild,” he recommends. He suggests choosing fruits that hold their shape well, such as peaches, mangoes, or pineapple. 

Braising fish, chicken, shellfish, tofu, or vegetables: Martinez recommends a tomato or tomatillo-based salsa to stand up to the heft of protein and vegetables. "Brown your protein or veggies, then dump salsa right over the top and braise, covered, on low heat—or slide into a low oven—until tender," he says. "It’s the ultimate one-pot, dump-and-stir dinner."