Where Can I Buy Lizano Sauce
In Costa Rica you can purchase your bottle of Lizano sauce in a wide range of sizes and containers and its even available in plastic half gallon jugs.
This Costa Rican condiment is becoming very popular in North America as well.
Although Lizano Sauce has become increasingly available commercially in North America, it is still a hit or miss finding it in specialty ethnic stores.
So where to buy Salsa Lizano?
Most consumers in the United States can buy lizano sauce at a gourmet store or simply purchase it online at or Amigofoods.
Salsa Lizano: What It Is And 20 Great Ways To Use It
If you have ever visited Central America, you may have encountered a certain delicious sauce.
Also called Lizano sauce, Salsa Lizano is a culinary wonder.
Salsa Lizano is a sweet and spicy sauce that hails from Costa Rica. It can be used for many culinary purposes.
In this article, we will explore the origins of the sauce and 20 great ways to use it.
La Chilera And The Hot Sauce In Costa Rica
Do you know what a chilera is? Costa Rican cuisine offers quite a variety of vegetables. You can purchase those at any farmers market or grocery store as you all know.
What many do not know is that those vegetables are also used in one of the most important ingredients of that Costa Rican cuisine: la chilera. The chilera is an important ingredient in the typical food that you will find in the local restaurants and what local families eat in their daily diet.
Some call it a hot sauce in Costa Rica but it really is not. El chilera is really nothing more than spicy pickled vegetables.
The easiest way to get your chilera is to go shopping you will find a tremendous variety of chileras in the grocery store. Certain towns in Costa Rica, like Zarcero, are pretty famous for their chileras. You can also shop at any farmers market for the necessary ingredients and make your own chilera and enjoy the traditional food of Costa Rica whenever you can.
Read Also: Subway Chipotle Sauce For Sale
Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe
Found in nearly every Costa Rican home, restaurant, and roadside food stand, Salsa Lizano is a smooth, light brown vegetable-based sauce with a touch of sweetness and a hearty punch of spice, including cumin, mustard, and turmeric. Its most commonly served as a condiment with rice and beans and tamales, but its also used as a marinade for beef, pork, and chicken.
Salsa Lizano can also add a savory edge to vegetarian dishes, like Rice and Beans with Fried Eggs. If you buy a bottle to make this dish, youll have plenty left over to try in other recipes. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Costa Rican Pulled-Pork SandwichesCut 1 pound of boneless pork butt into large chunks and put them in a slow-cooker with fresh cilantro, chopped garlic, 1 chopped canned chipotle chile, and 1 cup of Salsa Lizano cook on high until the pork is fork-tender. Shred the meat and pile it into split kaiser rolls.
Quick Arroz con PolloSauté chopped yellow onion, green bell pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper in olive oil. Add shredded rotisserie chicken, Salsa Lizano, tomato sauce, cooked long-grain white rice, and frozen peas. Heat through and sprinkle with cilantro.
Lizano BurgersMix ground beef with minced white onion, garlic, jalapeño, and Salsa Lizano. Shape into patties and grill or broil until cooked to your liking. Serve on potato rolls with mayonnaise and ketchup.
Private Notes
Bringing Fresh And Authentic Recipes To Your Table
Its always great to try out new recipes.
Especially those that use fresh and flavorful ingredients.
This way, youre bringing a bit of culture into your home-cooked cuisine.
It switches up your meal plan so the family doesnt get bored with the same old meals every week.
This salsa Lizano recipe is sure to wow your whole family and any guests you plan to entertain.
Serve it at summer barbeques and store some in your fridge to enhance different meals.
Looking for more cooking inspiration to bring to your kitchen?
Check out our recipe section for more unique ideas!
Read Also: Lee Kum Kee Curry Sauce
What Is Gallo Pinto
Gallo Pinto is a Costa Rican dish of rice and beans that translates to spotted rooster. Its delicious at any time of day, but is very popular for breakfast where it can make good use of leftover rice and beans from the previous day. Its great like eggs, like I show in this recipe, but you can also serve with tortillas and plantains.
For this Pantry Foods version, were using canned beans but if youd like to start with dry beans check out this guide to cooking beans in the Instant Pot. Its a time saver for sure, and cuts the cooking time down from hours, to about the same amount of time itll take your rice to cook. Black beans or red beans are the most popular choice, but my family really likes chickpeas.
Great Ways To Use Salsa Lizano
Salsa Lizano can be an excellent addition to your culinary tool belt.
Many dishes use that sauce, as well as other uses for it.
We will explore 20 different ways to use the sauce, broken down into 4 sub-categories:
- 5 Traditional Costa Rican dishes
- 5 Dips
- 5 Meat Marinades
- 5 Topping and Mix-in Uses
First up, lets discuss how Salsa Lizano can be used to create delectable and traditional meals.
Don’t Miss: How Remove Tomato Sauce Stain
La Chilera El Chilero
Is it called a Chilera or a Chilero ? I really dont know. I guess the chilera is the one with the whole vegetables in it. And the chilero is the one with the ground chile, as shown in the image below.
A chilera is one of the most important ingredients of a casado. The chilera will give the food the final touches.
What Is Salsa Lizano From Costa Rica
- Christa Jimenez
This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Salsa Lizano is the quintessential Costa Rican condiment- you can find it on every table, in every restaurant, and at every grocery store. The flavor is savory and rich with no spice. Thats right- its NOT a hot sauce!
If youve ever been to Costa Rica, then you have seen the Salsa Lizano bottles everywhere. They are on every restaurant table, in every souvenir store, every house, and every grocery store. You cant make Costa Rican gallo pinto without it either.
Its a product uniquely Costa Rican- and Costa Rican cuisine wouldnt be the same without it. Heres everything you need to know about Salsa Lizano from Costa Rica.
Related post: 30+ Foods To Try In Costa Rica
Don’t Miss: Easy Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
Traditional Dishes To Use Salsa Lizano
There are five total Costa Rican and Latin American dishes we will cover in this section. They are:
- Gallo Pinto
- Arroz con Pollo
- Arroz con Leche
While these dishes do not all originate from and are not solely made in Costa Rica, the country has its own twist for each one.
That uniqueness is born largely out of the use of Salsa Lizano, which did originate from Costa Rica.
Exploring and creating these dishes is a great way to use Salsa Lizano for its original purpose.
It is also a great way to bring culture to your dinner table.
20. Gallo Pinto
Gallo pinto is the national dish of Costa Rica. It is a rice and bean-based dish that is typically served for alongside fried or scrambled eggs.
Gallo pinto translates in English to spotted rooster and is considered a breakfast dish.
It pairs well with sautéed vegetables, such as onions and peppers.
The dish is usually comprised of a dark bean and white or other light-colored rice.
Salsa Lizano is used as the primary seasoning for this dish.
Its saltiness, combined with its hearty smoked flavor, creates a necessary heartiness to the dish.
For gallo pinto, it is best to add the Salsa Lizano while cooking the rice and beans. This allows them to absorb the flavor fully.
This dish is best prepared by pan-frying the ingredients.
19. Tamales
Tamales are a common food in Central America and are, in fact, a culinary staple in Latin American culture.
A tamale is comprised of an outer dough, or masa, with some variation of a filling.
Foods To Complement Your Homemade Salsa Lizano Sauce
According to the Chicago Tribune, there has been a 23% increase in chili-based sauce sales since 2013.
This is due to our love of adding a spicy and tangy flavor profile to our favorite foods.
Costa Rican Lizano sauce works well with most foods.
Yet, certain meals complement the unique flavor profile of the sauce.
This includes any dish with rice and beans, like making your own Gallo pinto.
Try Lizano sprinkled over nachos or oven-roasted potatoes.
Add it to tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
Enhance the flavor of an omelet or frittata with a dash of Lizano.
You can even add it into guacamole or black bean dip for extra flavor.
Lizano can enhance soups, like vegetarian chili or black bean soup.
It can be a secret ingredient when making a bloody mary.
Todays Best Recipe has the guide to the perfect Bloody Mary.
Lizano is a must to include at your summer barbeque.
Use it for dipping meats into or as a delicious marinade.
It complements grilled steak, shrimp, and sausage.
Pulled pork, chicken, and burgers can also take on a new flavor when combined with Lizano sauce.
Another idea is to make homemade empanadas, with Lizano served on the side.
This authentic Argentinian dish features a crispy outer shell.
The inside gets filled with beef, cheese, and onions.
Recommended Reading: Keto Alfredo Sauce Store Bought
Salsa Lizano As An Ingredient
Note- I have found non-Costa Ricans get super obsessed with Salsa Lizano and end up putting it on everything- burritos, grilled steaks, on their Mexican tacos. the sky is the limit!
Join me over at my favorite place- Instagram.
Make sure you try Salsa Lizano as soon as possible!
Like Pura Vida Moms on Facebook and never miss a post!
How To Make Gallo Pinto
To make this pantry version of Gallo Pinto you toast some rice lightly in some olive oil . Then add in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and water. Stir that all together and then bring it to a simmer. Once its simmering, cover it with a lid and drop the heat way down. Cook it covered until the rice is tender. That takes about 16-20 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in some beans. The traditional bean of choice is really black beans, but I also saw red beans. My familys favorite legume is the chickpea so I typically go with that. Along with the beans, also add in that Salsa Lizano, or the substitute you made.
At this point, your Gallo Pinto is done and is ready to serve. BUT, if you want to make it even more amazing, I urge you to fry up some eggs and serve those on top. You could also top with sour cream and sliced avocado.
Enjoy!
Read Also: Sweet And Spicy Wing Sauce
The Best Salsa Lizano Recipe
You can buy a version of Lizano at some grocery stores and online retailers.
This is a bottled version of the Lizano sauce brand thats produced by Unilever.
Yet, nothing tastes as fresh, or smells as good, as making your own sauce.
The best Lizano sauce recipes offer fresh and authentic ingredients.
The homemade version also wont contain any added preservatives.
Its simple to make your own Lizano sauce, with the right ingredients.
Youll enjoy a fresh aroma from cooking with spices and chilies.
The result is a satisfying sauce with a similar flavor and consistency to what you can find in Costa Rica.
Here is the best recipe for making your own authentic salsa Lizano.
What Does It Taste Like
So the salsa is a really unique flavor. Its not spicy at all. Its a little bit sweet and definitely savory. Its got a similar flavor to Worcestershire sauce but is not nearly as smoky. Its made of many vegetables (cilantro, carrot, tomato, onion, cauliflower, red pepper, cucumber, garlic, paprika, tumeric, and black pepper. Everything is blended up into a smooth consistency that is slightly green in color.
Lizano is often also called salsa inglesa or English sauce, as it does have a very similar flavor, color and consistency to Worcestershire sauce.
The sauce is an ingredient in most all popular Costa Rican recipes- its the secret sauce that makes Costa Rican food taste unique. Many people also have a bottle on hand in their homes or on the tables at restaurants for slathering on top of food or dipping.
Related post: 20+ Best Places For Your Next Costa Rica Vacation
You May Like: How To Make Cheese Sauce For Dipping
Salsa Lizano Flavor Profile
Salsa Lizanos flavor profile is sometimes likened to that of Worcestershire sauce, which inspired its creation. It can also be compared to another British favorite: HP sauce. They all belong to the same general flavor family of fruity and tart notes with a few spices thrown in.
Like the aforementioned sauce, Salsa Lizano contains many ingredients that blend together to create its complex flavor profile. Those ingredients include chili peppers, mustard, and molasses along with sugar and carrots. Despite the presence of chili peppers, Salsa Lizano is not a hot sauce. The heat is subtle to the point of being barely detectable.
Lizano Sauce Or Salsa Lizano There Is No Substitute
Lizano Sauce or Salsa Lizano? No matter how you pronounce it, this is good sauce!
Salsa Lizano or Lizano Sauce is a Costa Rican condiment made from fresh vegetables and natural condiments.
Lizano Sauce was a result of an exquisite blend of vegetables and natural condiments which Mr. Lizano selected to create the sauces unique taste and aroma.
And it contains no artificial flavorings or colorings.
Recommended Reading: Chicken And Shrimp Alfredo With Ragu Sauce
Thursday January 13 2011
Salsa LizanoLizano Salsaactual Costa RicanCondiment Time Salsa LizanoSalsa LizanoWater, Sugar, Salt, Vegetables, , Spices, Acetic Acid, Pepper, Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, TumericThanks for getting me hooked on this condiment from the Gods. I’m hooked. And when you go to Costa Rica this month, take my empty suitcase and fill it up with bottles of Salsa Lizano please. )condiment
Salsa Lizano Topping And Mix
Salsa Lizano is great for cooking, creating dips, and marinating meats.
At its core, however, it is a condiment.
We will now cover the following five ways to use the sauce as a topping or mix-in ingredient:
- Bloody Marys
- Stir Fry
- Soups and Salads
This will round out our list of ways to use your bottle of Salsa Lizano with some fun and easy tips.
5. Bloody Marys
Vodka, lime, and tomato juice the classic Bloody Mary.
For fans of this cocktail, it is known that many ingredients can be added to this drink to spruce it up.
Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce are both common ingredients to see a bartender add to this cocktail.
However, for your next Bloody Mary concoction, consider replacing these two ingredients with a couple of drops of Salsa Lizano.
Salsa Lizano will add a spice and flair to really make your bloodies stand out.
Garnish with pepperoncini, celery, and stuffed olives for a festive look.
4. Tacos
Move over hot sauce, Salsa Lizanos in town. Salsa Lizano is a wonderful sauce to be used as a taco topping.
It complements the meat and shell well while adding a bit of spice.
Consider mixing it in with sour cream to create a delicious new topping that combines the spicy with the creamy.
3. Eggs
As fans of gallo pinto may know, Salsa Lizano plays a major role in the typical Costa Rican breakfast.
It tastes absolutely great atop eggs. Fried or scrambled, the preparation is up to you.
2. Stir Fry
Some other great add-ins include:
- Roasted red peppers
- Pineapple
Also Check: Rao’s Marinara Sauce Walmart
Where To Get Salsa Lizano
With all these ideas on how to use the sauce, you may find yourself in need of a new bottle of Salsa Lizano.
Salsa Lizano is not usually available in-store in supermarkets outside of Central America.
Luckily, the internet can save the day and provide you with more Salsa Lizano. The product is widely available for purchase on Amazon.
Salsa Lizano Costa Ricas Favorite Sauce
Wherever you can find a bottle of Salsa Lizano, you can also find a Tico. Costa Rican saying.
Its tart, its smoky and its slightly sweet. And just ask any Costa Rican its good on pretty much everything. Im talking of course about Salsa Lizano, perhaps Costa Ricas greatest culinary sensation.
Put it this way: the clay-colored thrush is the countrys national bird and the Guanacaste its national tree. If Costa Rica had a national condiment, it would most certainly be Salsa Lizano.
In Costa Rica, an astounding sense of national pride is associated with this flavor. It can be found on any table in any restaurant in the entire country, because Ticos like to add it to countless types of food: like gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, steak, cheeseburgers, chicken, rice and sometimes even beer .
With the influx of foreigners coming to visit Costa Rica each year, its not just the locals that are addicted. If I had a nickel for every tourist that came to visit and got completely hooked, I could buy well, probably quite a few mega-sized jugs of Lizano sauce.
Inspiration for the irresistible taste of Salsa Lizano can actually be traced all the way back to England and India. Legend has it that in the early 1800s, a rich, well-traveled English family had a hankering for Indian curry. They recruited two chemists from Worcester, England to concoct a substance close enough to satisfy their curry craving.
Recommended Reading: Arby’s Sauce For Sale
