10 Creative Ways To Use Salsa In Your Cooking

Everyone knows salsa and tortilla chips are the best of friends. Actually, the delicious and versatile condiment (or is it a dip?) is a no-brainer when it comes to just about any type of Hispanic food — tacos, quesadillas, burritos, whatever. However, if you want to enjoy even more salsa — who doesn't? — it's time to start branching out. And let me tell you: The fun certainly doesn't stop with regional cuisines stemming from our neighbors to the South. There is a world of creative ways to use salsa in your cooking. Hooray!

In an effort to discover some of the best, most creative ways to incorporate salsa into your homemade meals, I sifted through countless online recipes. I also tapped into my personal experience on the matter, and all combined, came up with 10 upcoming unsung uses for salsa you're going to love. Fun fact: I lived in Central America for a couple of years, and I definitely developed a taste for our beloved tomato condiment during that time. As a result, I've been trying to sneak it into my meals ever since. If this sounds like a drool-worthy endeavor to you as well, I've got you covered.

Soups and stews are one of the easiest meals you can make, especially if you bring a slow cooker into the equation. All you need is one pot to toss all of the ingredients in and some time to let the flavors come together. However, making tomato-based stews and soups only gets easier when you use a jar of salsa to form the base. Whether you opt for a spicy salsa or not is up to you, but either way, salsa has all the good stuff stews and soups need for an instant boost of flavor.

First and foremost, salsa is a chilled dip or condiment, so cooking it in a large pot of stew may feel a bit counterintuitive. Don't get hung up on the details, though. When heated up, the inherent flavors of salsa (tomato, cilantro, onion, and more) only become more complex and richer. I mean, raw versus cooked and all. As for the types of soup that salsa enhances, think anything with a tomato base, so vegetarian chili, classic tomato, beef chili, hearty vegetable, or even minestrone fits the bill. I've also been known to add a bit of tomatillo salsa to green chili to give it some punch, and I haven't regretted it yet. Considering that opting for salsa instead of fresh produce minimizes the dicing and prep work needed, what do you have to lose? Nothing, that's what.

All by itself, butter makes everything better. Infuse it with yummy flavors to make compound butter, and things only get yummier. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this, but compound butter can be made with almost any flavor enhancer you like, salsa being one of them. Actually, salsa may count as more than one, considering how many different variations on the classic recipe there are. Regardless, they all have what it takes to make delicious compound butter. You'll just have to be mindful of how much liquid you add — no more than one tablespoon of liquid per stick of butter is recommended — so pico de gallo makes a fantastic choice (it is a type of salsa, after all).

Once you soften, enhance, roll, and chill your salsa-flavored compound butter (that's all there is to it), there's no limit to what you can use it on. Think of it like your ticket to add the drool-worthy flavors of salsa to just about any dish you want. Pasta? Yup. Mashed potatoes? You betcha! And don't even get me started on meat. Salsa compound butter is a shoo-in for topping steaks, shrimp, chicken, and so much more. Just ask yourself, "Does it contain butter?" If so, and it's not a sweet treat, go for it.

It doesn't matter whether we are talking classic beef, turkey, or veggie burgers; salsa is just what your homemade patties are craving. You've probably seen or at least heard of people using salsa as a burger topping, so why not just start from the ground up? Not only will infusing salsa directly into your burger patties add tons of layered flavor, but it also helps them stay intact. Not to mention it won't simply slide off the top of your burger when you bite into it. Sounds like a win-win-win to me. Along the same lines, homemade meatloaf benefits from a salsa infusion as well.

Even if you don't opt to make burger patties from scratch, the store-bought ones benefit from a nice slather of salsa as well. Still, making burger patties is fairly simple, especially with a bit of help from our favorite flavorful condiment. When it comes to veggie burgers, you can put just about anything in them, too, so yeah, salsa fits the bill. In fact, it's rare that I don't add Hatch chili salsa to my veggie burger patties. I have gone a bit overboard on the salsa before, though, leading to less formidable patties. So, proceed with caution and make sure you don't do the same, or your burger patties will crumble, if not while trying to flip them in a pan, then certainly once you try to eat them.

If you love spicy foods and pasta as much as I do (which is a lot, like a ridiculous amount), this next use for salsa is going to be a game-changer: Stir salsa into creamy mac and cheese or Alfredo pasta for an immediate boost of flavor and a bit of heat to boot. It's a one-stop shop for improving the flavor of lesser-than-store-bought Alfredo sauces. The same goes for upgrading mac and cheese as well. Green chili mac is already a thing, so salsa is just a slight sidestep from this common variation. If you've never tried it before, consider this your sign to give it a shot.

Actually, you can use Alfredo sauce for a whole lot more than just pasta, too, and you better believe adding salsa to the mix only makes many of the applications tastier. Just think of how yummy a sandwich or quesadilla with salsa-flavored Alfredo would be ... Oh my gosh, I'm seriously drooling. You don't have to stick with cheesy pasta recipes, either. Asian pasta dishes such as lo mien, pad Thai, and more would all soak up the fresh flavors of a tomato, green chili, or tomatillo salsa. Heck, even mango salsa could be used with Asian dishes. So, whether you are trying to upgrade store-bought products or simply want to take your homemade pasta dishes and cheesy sauces to new heights, don't forget that salsa has your back.

Every baker knows that sourdough bread is the perfect canvas for endless flavor infusions. Whether you consider yourself a baker or not, though, knowing you can swap out the liquids in a classic recipe for something more flavorful is an option you want to file away in your memory's catalog of outstanding cooking ideas. It's basically the shortcut to the best sourdough bread you can make. And guess what? One of the tastiest things (at least in my book) that you can swap out the typical liquids for is salsa. It's almost a liquid, after all.

If you don't want baked-in chunks — I'm not sure why you wouldn't, but still — you can puree your salsa until it becomes liquified before adding it to your sourdough to achieve smoother results in the end. Either way, the bold punch of tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and more is sure to be a crowd-pleasing upgrade loved by anyone who gets a taste. I mean, c'mon! How do you argue with salsa-infused sourdough? You don't, so just get on board already. Speaking of which, does anyone have a sourdough starter I can pilfer?

Baked potatoes are an outstanding side dish, even if the only thing you put on top of them is a pat of butter. That's just the start of how to make the beloved baked potato shine, though. Salsa is a perfect addition to the dish — green, red, whatever. Okay, so maybe not fruity, sweet salsas, but everything else is fair game. Salsa is bright, fresh, and packed full of complex flavors — and all of this tastes amazing when paired with a salty baked potato. Bonus points if you manage to pull off a perfectly crispy skin on yours as well. Regardless, adding salsa and other Hispanic flavors to the top of your baked potatoes is a no-brainer.

As it turns out, salsa is one of several ways experts recommend upgrading basic baked potatoes. They are far from a one-trick pony, after all, so bacon, cheese, green onions, and sour cream are just the start of where things get exceptionally tasty for the humble dish. Besides, sour cream is a Hispanic topping anyway, so just lean heavy in that direction with corn, beans, cilantro, and more, and you'll be amazed at what you can do with your next batch of baked potatoes. They'll be so tasty you might even want to make them your entire meal, not just a side dish.

Salsa and creamy salad dressings are another dreamy mash-up worthy of some attention. From ranch to blue cheese to gorgonzola dressing and beyond, simply stirring in a spoonful of salsa is all you need to take them from typical to extraordinary. Once you have your salsa-infused dressing mixed up, there's basically no limit to what you can do with it, either. Sure, putting it on a salad is the obvious pick, but you can also serve it as a dip all by itself or use it any other way you'd enjoy a creamy dressing.

Salsa also works as a fantastic salad dressing all by itself. It offers no shortage of flavor, and it's made with veggies already, so putting it on a bed of leafy greens just makes sense. Even if it feels counterintuitive at first, you won't be able to deny it once you give it a try. Some of my favorite salad recipes to pair with a straight-up salsa dressing are Buffalo chicken salad and taco salad, but that's just the tip of the iceberg (salad pun intended). Admittedly, I use tempeh instead of chicken, but the result is the same: Incredibly flavorful salad without being nearly as heavy as one that's drenched in a creamy dressing. Sign me up!

Making a delicious red or green enchilada sauce is somewhat of a labor of love. Ask me how I know. Regardless, if you don't feel like committing to the endeavor, and you either aren't a fan of canned enchilada sauces or simply don't have any on hand, salsa is ready and waiting to fill in the gaps. Nothing is simpler than opening a jar of store-bought salsa and pouring it over the top of enchiladas, either. Even if you make the salsa from scratch, it is still significantly easier than pulling off a rich, flavorful enchilada sauce. So yeah, salsa for the win, again.

I know enchiladas are a Hispanic food, so this isn't the most creative or unexpected use for salsa, but who cares? It's uber convenient and oh so delicious, so I just had to give it some attention. Plus, it's an ingredient swap I've executed many times. Admittedly, I'm not the best planner, and I encounter a need for ingredient substitutions in my kitchen quite frequently, but I digress. Smothering homemade enchiladas with salsa when you are in a pinch is the way to go. Even if you aren't backed into a corner, it puts a fun twist on a classic dish. Both red and green salsa work wonderfully, too. If enchilada sauces come in both colors, why wouldn't salsas?

For the utmost in side dish convenience, you can top any number of vegetables with salsa. The limitless potential of this idea is also just the thing if you are trying to use some salsa before it goes bad. So, no matter how you look at it, salsa and veggie side dishes are a winning combination. You don't have to stick to the most common veggies used in Hispanic foods (bell peppers, corn, onions, etc.) either. Everything from an eggplant to a cauliflower to a green bean and salsa side dish won't let you down.

Unlike many of the other salsa uses found on this list, this one doesn't require any cooking infusions. All you have to do is smother your freshly cooked veggies with salsa, and voila! You have a side dish overflowing with layered flavors and textures. You can steam, sauté, roast, or air fry the veggies as well, so no excuses. I still like to use a bit of salt when cooking my veggies, but really, salsa is all that's needed to get the job done. After all, it already contains plenty of salt and other seasonings that make veggies a tasty delight. That goes for red or green salsas as well. You might even find some fun applications for fruit salsa this way. Asparagus and mango salsa, anyone?

Fish, chicken, and other meats are a veritable blank canvas for flavor infusions. While this opens up a world of possibilities, it can also make deciding on a flavor profile challenging. Don't worry, though. When you're feeling indecisive or simply want an effortless boost of flavor, salsa is here for the win. I'm not just talking about smothering your meats with salsa, either. Instead, go straight for gold and cook your fish in a pool of salsa. Chicken and turkey work great too. When you do, it infuses your meat with flavor from the ground up, and we all know that's a recipe for success.

No surprises here, salsa comes in many formats. For this application, sticking with a green or red salsa is ideal. I recommend steering clear of fruity ones because they are best enjoyed fresh and raw. When you're done cooking, you can always expand flavors even more by topping your fish, chicken, and other meats with a fruity or sweet salsa, like mango, papaya, or corn, but not before. After heating up your protein in a red or green salsa, they won't need it, but we may as well go big or go home, right? Just remember, fruity salsas are best as a garnish, and you should be all set. Now get to it!