Creamy Jalapeno Salsa

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce! Similar to Salsa Dona from TacoDeli in Austin, Texas this jalapeno salsa is SO good! Spicy jalapeno sauce that tastes great on everything. A must-make if you like the heat!

this Recipe

Wow, this creamy jalapeno salsa. If you’ve talked to me since our trip back to Austin, I’ve likely talked about this creamy jalapeno sauce. It was the reason I checked in to Whole Foods almost daily to see if they had any of this sauce back in stock. It’s the reason I brought 10 mini-containers home with me from TacoDeli to try and recreate at home. I may or may not have drank three of those containers before we actually made it back to St. Louis.

It’s that good.

I’m pretty sure we were home for only a few hours when I headed to the grocery store to load up on what I thought was in it. After some creative investigative journalism when we were in Austin, I figured out that the sauce was mostly a blend of roasted jalapeños and garlic in an oil emulsion.

This jalapeño sauce is so incredibly creamy, you won’t believe it’s not packed with avocados or sour cream. Many readers have said they’ve tried to figure out what’s in Taco Deli’s salsa doña and are blown away that it doesn’t contain any dairy! 

It also tastes great on everything. I know this because I’ve gone through two batches in less than two weeks. Try it on my tofu migas tacos, if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy it.

How to Make this Creamy Jalapeño Salsa Recipe

You’ll need to roast your jalapeños first to make this salsa. I find the easiest way to do this is tossing fresh jalapenos with a little oil and salt, then placing under the broiler until blackened, turning halfway through. The crisper the skin, the easier it is to remove.

From there, you’ll place the jalapeños in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fighting lid. This is essential in order to steam the skin so it’s easier to fall off. 

Don’t be put off by the 16 cloves garlic called for here. Garlic mellows considerably as it’s cooked and not only does the garlic add flavor to the sauce, blending the garlic cloves adds body to this dairy-free sauce. 

One the jalapenos and cloves are roasted, throw the seed peppers along with the garlic and cilantro in the base of a blender. Then with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until a creamy sauce develops. I use a Kitchen Aid blender, but if you have a lower powered blender, then it may take more time to get the creamy texture.

Hard to believe that this creamy, spicy jalapeño salsa is made from such simple ingredients. Jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, oil and salt!

How Spicy Do You Want Your Creamy Jalapeño Salsa?

Salsa Dona is fairly spicy, which is why I like to make it with enough heat. However, I will warn you not to keep all of the seeds in the jalapeños. I did this on my first batch and oh my, I’m pretty sure I’m still breathing fire. For medium heat, I like a mix of 1/2 and 1/2; half of the peppers completely de-seeded, half left in.

If you’re not sure on your preferred spice level, start with 1/4 of the jalapeños and their seeds and the rest with seeds removed. Set some seeds aside, then make the sauce. If you still need a kick of heat, add in more seeds and blend again.

How long will this salsa keep? 

This jalapeño sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week. It’s easy to down the entire batch in a week if you’ve got a family that loves hot sauce like mine. Whenever I make a fresh batch, I find myself making excuses to make tacos, egg scrambles, enchiladas and the like– any reason to smother food in this sauce! 

If you don’t think you can enjoy this jalapeno salsa in a week, then I recommend halving the recipe. 

You can also freeze it for longer keeping. For smaller batches to freeze, I recommend portioning the creamy salsa into a ice cube tray (a silicone one is best for easy removal.) Freeze, then pop out a cube or two to thaw and enjoy.

Can you safely can this creamy jalapeño sauce?

As written, this sauce does not have enough acid for safe canning. However, you can make jars of this sauce and then freeze it. If you do freeze it, make sure to leave enough head space to allow the salsa to expand.

What vegetable oil is best for this salsa?

I’ve made this salsa with olive oil, avocado oil and a more neutral oil like sunflower or canola oil. I personally don’t think it matters that much and prefer either avocado or olive oil. However, some readers have commented that using olive oil masks the flavors of the jalapeños, so I’ve changed the original recipe to include canola oil for a more neutral flavor.

You’ll want to put this sauce on everything

After you make this creamy jalapeno salsa, enjoy it on my tofu migas tacos, vegan lentil tacos, vegan black bean tacos, tofu tinga tacos, taco stuffed sweet potatoes, chipotle softitas tacos. 

It’s also fantastic on it’s own with tortilla chips! My husband and I have been known to make a meal out of this creamy jalapeño salsa and a basket of tortilla chips some nights for dinner.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: ~ 1 1/2 cups
• Category: sauce
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: Mexican, TexMex, American
• Diet: Vegan

Description

Creamy Jalapeno Sauce! Similar to Salsa Dona from TacoDeli in Austin, Texas this jalapeno salsa is SO good! Spicy jalapeno sauce that tastes great on everything. A must-make if you like the heat!

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Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: ~ 1 1/2 cups
• Category: sauce
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: Mexican, TexMex, American
• Diet: Vegan

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: ~ 1 1/2 cups
• Category: sauce
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: Mexican, TexMex, American
• Diet: Vegan

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 pound jalapeno peppers
• 16 peeled garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup canola oil, plus more for drizzling on peppers and garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1–2 teaspoons salt, depending on preference

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Instructions

1. Turn on the broiler. Toss the jalapeño peppers in a little oil, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil until mostly blackened and soft, about 10-12 minutes, flipping the peppers halfway through cooking time to get all sides cooked.
   
2. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Let sit for 10 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, toss the garlic cloves with a little oil and place on the baking sheet you just used. Put back in the oven and broil for 4-5 minutes until browned (not burned! Burned garlic will ruin the entire dish)
   
4. When the jalapeños have cooled down, remove the skins (they should just peel off) and the seeds. See the commentary above or notes below for how many seeds to keep; I like 1/2 seeded and 1/2 kept for a spicy sauce. For a milder version, remove all of the seeds.
   
5. Place the peeled jalapeños and seeds (as using) along with the garlic, cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt in the base of a high-powered blender. Puree until mostly combined, then slowly drizzle in the oil to form a smooth and creamy sauce. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed. If you want a thinner sauce, add in a few tablespoons of water.
   
6. Enjoy on everything. Literally everything. 

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

This recipe was first posted in 2018 and updated in 2021. 

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