I posted this recipe on my old mediumgeek blog that I have now retired. I thought I should repost it here since I occasionally get asked for the recipe and it is something that I make again and again and never seem to tire of it. Discovering this recipe has really made my life bearable after moving outside the US. I might be exaggerated a little bit but this salsa was one of the things I miss the most from my college years in Tulsa Oklahoma.

On The Border was my favorite restaurant that served pretty good Mexican food and absolutely heavenly salsa. I sometimes just went there and bought a bag of chips and a big jar of salsa for dinner. I would continue eating until my mouth was too injured from the chips to continue. After I moved to Norway (which was probably a blessing for my waistline) I found myself repeatedly craving for their salsa. After many disastrous attempts I had given up all hope of ever being able to make it on my own.

Until I came across a copycat recipe on some forum that is now long gone that put me on the right track. One of the tricks was to give up on using fresh tomatoes and go for canned. Maybe had something to do with the pale tasteless tomatoes you get here in Norway. They are just to tasteless and boring to work.

I have applied a couple of other tricks of my own to the recipe so it isn’t completely like the original and I have tried the real thing afterwards (in South-Korea of all places) and there is something still missing. But it is enough to get me through the days and it is so good that I am no longer able to eat pre-made salsa from a jar.

Salsa

On The Border Salsa Copycat

Protip: When I tell you not to run the blender for too long, don’t! The salsa should look red and fresh and not brown and frothy. This really is the key!

1/2 white onion, chopped
Juice of 1-2 limes
1 box canned tomatoes (minus some of the liquid)
12-15 branches fresh coriander
12 slices of canned jalapeño (I prefer Santa Maria’s)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Salt

Marinate the chopped white onion in the lime juice for approximately half an hour. If you don’t have enough juice to cover all the onion, stir couple of times.

Drain the lime juice off the onions (the lime juice is excellent to use in guacamole if you are making it at the same time). Put half of the tomatoes into a blender together with the onion. Run the blender for few seconds until the tomatoes and onions are crushed. Chop the jalapeño and coriander coarsely and add them into the mix together with the cumin, red chili flakes, and garlic. Now add the rest of the tomatoes but try not to use all the liquid or it will get a bit too watery. Run the blender again for few seconds or just long enough to get it all chopped and mixed. Move to a bowl. At the end add the salt, stir and taste until you get the right amount of salt. It should be a little bit salty. It is best to let the salsa sit for half an hour before serving.

Salsa and chips are an excellent match

Spice tip:
If you want a salsa that kicks your butt more than this one use 15 slices of jalapeño and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. If you want a milder variant reduce the red chili flakes and jalapeño down to maybe 1/4 tsp and 8 slices.