Traditional “Lizano” Salsa

My first experience with Lizano sauce was in the beautiful country of Costa Rica.  Lizano is everywhere there; you can find it all the markets and it’s on the table of every restaurant. I’d been eating Gallo Pinto, a flavorful Costa Rican rice and bean staple that uses Lizano Salsa as it’s key ingredient, just about every day for two months and absolutely fell in love with the dish!  

Upon returning home, I went on a mad search for Lizano sauce so I could try and recreate the Costa Rican flavor and finally found a store that carried it. Hooray!  

But then, halfway through the bottle, I noticed the sodium content. Yikes.  

So I decided to recreate the “Lizano” flavor for my Gallo Pinto. Just like everything, using fresh ingredients from your kitchen is always so much better than anything you buy in a bottle. Added bonus: cooking this will make your house smell like you’ve just stepped into a Costa Rican restaurant!

Smoky “Lizano“

I also make a twist on “Lizano”; a smoky version with adobo peppers rather than dried chilis. Try that recipe here!

Print Recipe

Traditional “Lizano” Salsa

Recreate the flavorful “Lizano” Salsa in your kitchen! Easy to make, this “Lizano” salsa is fresh, zesty, and easier on the salt!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: sauces and dressings

Cuisine: Costa Rican

Keyword: costa rican, Salsa, Sauce

Servings: 1 batch of gallo pinto

Author: The Wandering Veggie

Ingredients

• 2 Dried chilis ancho or guajillo
• Avocado oil for sautéing
• ½ of a Yellow onion chopped
• 1 cup Cauliflower chopped
• 1 Carrot thinly sliced
• 1 Celery stock thinly sliced
• 5 Cloves garlic minced
• 1½ cups Vegetable broth

Spices

• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Molasses
• 2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice about ½ a lemon

Instructions

• Heat non-oiled skillet on medium heat. Toast the whole chilis until they begin to brown and become fragrant, 1-3 minutes. Don’t overcook them or they will become bitter!
• Once toasted, remove dried chilis from heat. Cut out seeds and stem.
• In large pot: Sauté onions, celery, cauliflower, and carrot in avocado oil until the onion begins to turn translucent and veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add veggie broth, cumin, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, salt, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and molasses.
• Cover and gently simmer 10-15 minutes until everything is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to your food processor, add the lemon juice and puree. Use Salsa immediately for Gallo Pinto or store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Notes

I use this fresh sauce for my Gallo Pinto and then freeze the rest to use later!  It also keeps in the fridge in a well-sealed jar for 1 week. Lizano also makes for a great salsa to drizzle on burritos or tacos!