SALSA MAJARRA– Grilled, Rustic, and Straight from the Heart

Bowl of Salsa Majarra—rustic, hand-crushed grilled tomatoes, tomatillos, and mixed chiles with visible char.

Salsa Majarra Recipe – Charred Tomatoes, Peppers & Family Tradition

Intro

You’ll never be able to replicate this salsa, and honestly, that’s the beauty of it. Food is a direct expression of the person making it and the ingredients at hand.

This recipe is my grandfather’s. Most likely named “salsa martajada” (roughly crushed), but in his small rancho in Jalisco he called it “salsa majarra.” I miss him. He was a farmer, a storyteller, and the kind of man who never let you leave his house without a plate of food. Beans, salsa, cheese, maybe chicharrón if he’d been to the carnicería - it was hospitality at its purest.

This salsa is special not only because its window is small (made best with peak-summer tomatoes and peppers) but because it’s a way to remember him. My mom and I made this batch using produce from her garden: tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, even garlic. Her garden is her pride, just like her father’s was, and her vegetables are the best I’ve ever had. She grows them with love, and I get to carry that love forward in a salsa that connects three generations.

This is a salsa of the harvest, but also a salsa of memory.

Why This Salsa Works

🔥 Charcoal magic – Deep smoke and char that you just can’t fake.
🍅 Garden fresh – Tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers at their peak = unmatched flavor.
🪨 Rustic technique – Crushed by hand or molcajete, not over-blended.
❤️ Heritage – A recipe passed down, alive through storytelling and sharing.

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Ingredients

YIELD: 2.5 quarts

• 1,645g heirloom tomatoes, whole (about 10–12 large)

• 635g tomatillos de milpa (about 12–14 medium)

• 235g poblano chiles, roasted/peeled/seeded (about 3 large)

• 155g banana peppers, whole (about 2 peppers)

• 125g garlic, whole, in skins (about 2 heads)

• 117g green jalapeños, whole (about 3–4 peppers)

• 85g red jalapeños, whole (about 2 peppers)

• 20g serrano chiles, whole (about 2–3 peppers)

• 8g habanero chiles, whole (about 1 chile)

• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1️⃣ Grill everything

Heat a charcoal grill to medium-high. Place all ingredients on the grill, turning often until evenly charred and tender. Tomatoes/tomatillos should be blistered and soft; peppers blackened and pliable.

2️⃣ Steam & peel

Transfer tomatoes, tomatillos, and peppers to a bowl. Cover and let them steam as they cool, then peel and seed the peppers. Remove most of the blackened skins from tomatoes/tomatillos, but leave some char for flavor.

3️⃣ Make the paste

Using a molcajete, grind the grilled garlic with the poblanos into a paste. (Or chop/mash by hand.)

4️⃣ Crush the salsa

Add the paste back into the bowl. Wearing gloves, squish the tomatoes and tomatillos to your desired texture. Tear the peppers into strips and mix in.

5️⃣ Season

Add salt to taste, mash everything together, and adjust until the texture feels rustic and right.

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Tools I Used

• Charcoal grill (for smoke + char)

• Molcajete (for grinding)

• Mixing bowl (for steaming + finishing)

Tips & Tricks

🌽 Don’t over-purée – This salsa should stay rustic and chunky.
🔥 Control the heat – Use fewer serranos/habaneros if you want it milder.
🌱 Garden-fresh bonus – If you can get homegrown tomatoes or peppers, do it.
💭 Make it yours – Just like my grandfather did, adapt with what you’ve got.

Make It & Show Me

If you make this Salsa Majarra, tag me @goatboyintl. Share it with friends, family, and neighbors—because that’s what this salsa is really about.