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Can I be honest with you? I don’t like jarred salsa anymore!!!
My fermented salsa ruined salsa for me. It uses fresh tomatoes, and it gets that funky, umami, fermented flavor that I LOVE!!! I needed a salsa didn’t rely on fresh tomatoes – when they’re not in season – and, that didn’t take 2 to 5 days to ferment. So, I started making my easy homemade salsa recipe again!!!
THIS homemade salsa recipe is restaurant style. Yes!!! That delicious fresh tasting salsa you get in a Mexican restaurant (even in Iowa), you can make it at home!
And, all year long!!!!
The secret is using canned tomatoes, not fresh. Specifically fire roasted canned tomatoes, if possible – fire roasted tomatoes have more flavor. The canned tomatoes provide the perfect balance of fresh-tasting tomatoes that aren’t too watery.
They’re the perfect texture.
Then, we add in a few other fresh goodies such as: fresh cilantro, jalapenos, red onion, garlic, fresh squeezed lime juice, and of course, some kosher salt to bring out the flavor. So good!
I previously had shared this recipe in 2019. It was called “Easy 8 Ingredient Homemade Salsa”. It is linked throughout my blog to go along with any of my Mexican recipes. It is worthy of an update: better photos, and a better title for SEO!
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo!!!!
I know you will love this homemade salsa. It’s super easy to make with the help of a food processor. It only takes about 15 minutes of hands on time ( plus, at least 2 hours of chill time in the fridge). It is easy to customize both in spice level, and texture of salsa – smooth, or chunky, whichever you prefer. It is perfect for dipping loads of salty tortilla chips into, but it’s also great for topping tacos, fajitas, quesadillas….or, pretty much any Mexican recipe. And, it’s delicious with scrambled eggs. It’s naturally gluten free, vegan, and dairy free.
And, you can make it during any season, without sacrificing any flavor!!!
Fresh, vibrant, homemade salsa with juicy tomatoes, fresh cilantro, crunchy onion, with a hint of spice – who else is ready for a salsa party in their mouth?!?!
Ingredients for homemade salsa
As always the full list of ingredients, along with the measurements are in the recipe card below. Be sure to check it out!
- garlic cloves – can’t have a good salsa without fresh garlic. It’s a match made in heaven!
- jalapenos – I love the subtle fruity spice they add. See notes for other variations and spice level options.
- red onion – you could use a white onion here, but I prefer the sweetness of a red onion. Plus, the color is stunning.
- cilantro – the more cilantro the better, IMO!!! It adds such a vibrant, fresh flavor.
- canned fire roasted tomatoes – Any canned tomatoes will do, if in a pinch, but the fire roasted adds another layer of flavor to the salsa. The canned tomatoes are the secret ingredient for a fresh tasting salsa that is perfect in texture.
- Lime juice – fresh squeezed, of course. Please don’t use the bottled stuff, it just won’t taste as good. I recommend using a lemon lime juicer to make quick work of juicing your limes.
- kosher salt – to bring out all the flavors in the salsa.
- (optional): granulated sugar, or agave nectar – I occasionally use a little bit of sugar if the tomatoes are more on the acidic side to help balance out the flavors.
For serving
- Tortilla chips – of course!!!
How to make homemade salsa
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the detailed directions.
- Chop the veggies – for the best looking salsa, I do like to chop the vegies (except the tomatoes) by hand. But, if in a pinch, you can easily pulse them in the food processor!
- Drain the tomatoes
- Pulse the tomatoes and garlic in the food processor
- Mix in the remaining ingredients
- Chill – The salsa truly needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours for the best flavor.
- Serve – grab that bag of tortilla chips, and get dipping!!!
Why does salsa at a restaurant taste better than a store-bought jarred salsa?
Most likely that restaurant is using canned tomatoes that provide a fresher-tasting salsa. Along with stirring in fresh cilantro, jalapenos, onion, and garlic.
Whereas a store-bought jarred salsa is usually cooked before it is canned to preserve freshness for a long shelf life.
Not that cooked, canned salsa can’t taste good, but I personally don’t truly enjoy any of the store-bought brands I have had lately. They’re just “meh”.
Whereas this restaurant style salsa, is everything I always hope a jarred salsa will be!
Why use canned tomatoes, instead of fresh tomatoes?
Canned tomatoes have the ultimate flavor of cooked tomatoes, without being watery, but still tasting fresh.
Plus, you can make homemade salsa all year long, even when fresh tomatoes are looking sad!
Looking for a salsa that uses fresh tomatoes?
Try my grape tomato sala (AKA grape tomato pico de gallo). If grape tomatoes are your favorite kind of tomatoes, like me, you will love this one!
Or, check out my fermented salsa. Yes, the salsa is fermented, so the tomatoes do have a tangy, fermented flavor, but they still taste plenty fresh. It’s so good!
What to serve with this homemade salsa?
Tortilla chips for dipping, duh!!!
And, use it to top any Mexican dishes. It’s also great served with scrambled eggs, egg casseroles, or omelets.
Here are some of you favorite Mexican recipes to serve with this salsa recipe:
- sheet pan chicken fajitas
- sheet pan shrimp fajitas
- lentil quesadillas
- chile relleno enchiladas
- easiest pitcher margaritas (I mean, how can you not want margaritas when snacking on salsa?!)
Does this homemade salsa recipe work for canning?
No.
Although, I do not have any canning experience, from what I have researched, it is better to follow a recipe that is designed for canned salsa. The PH balance, and methods need to be very specific for proper preservation.
For a canned salsa recipe I recommend trying Wholefully’s recipe for Canning Salsa 101.
How long will homemade salsa last in my fridge?
5 days.
Although, I do think the salsa is at it’s prime within 3 days. But, it’s still great up to 5 days later.
Can I freeze this homemade salsa recipe?
Yes.
Just keep in mind, that once defrosted, the salsa will have a slight reduction in the quality of texture.
Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite.
But, I am a texture fanatic. If you’re not, you might not mind the change in texture.
Equipment I used to make this recipe
- chef’s knife – the ideal knife for all that chopping.
- large cutting board – plenty of room for chopping.
- garlic press – makes quick work of mincing the garlic cloves.
- lemon lime juicer – for squeezing those limes.
- can opener – a good one is essential to making it easy to open those canned tomatoes!
- food processor – I recommend a Cuisinart food processor for this kind of recipe. Mine is well loved in my kitchen.
- fine mesh siv – for straining out the tomato juice
Reasons this homemade salsa recipe will be your favorite!
- It’s easy to make – 15 minutes of hands on time.
- It’s got a great fresh taste.
- No cooking is involved.
- It can be made all year around – thanks canned tomatoes!
- Only has 7-8 ingredients!
- It’s naturally gluten free, and vegan!
- It’s sharable,
- dippable,
- and perfect for any Mexican dish – Hello, Cinco de Mayo!!!
- It’s great bringing to pot-lucks, or to any party!
More salsas and dips for you to try
- easy fermented salsa (great for gut health)
- fresh grape tomato salsa (AKA pico del gallo)
- Easy jalapeno sauce
- vegan cashew queso
More Mexican inspired recipes
(AKA recipes that would go great with this homemade salsa!)
- Mexican street corn salad
- sheet pan shrimp fajitas
- sheet pan chicken fajitas
- chile relleno enchiladas
- lentil quesadillas
- easy chicken enchilada casserole
- easiest pitcher margaritas
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know how it went. Leave a comment below, along with a star ratingāāāāā. This helps my recipes to rank higher in google, which means they are seen by more people. This helps my business to thrive so that I can keep making FREE recipes for you. Thanks, friends!
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Easy Homemade Salsa (Restaurant Style)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Chill Time: at least 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups ( about 16 servings) 1x
- Category: snacks, dips and sauces, appetizer, easy, healthy, sides
- Method: chopping, blending
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegan, dairy free, vegetarian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy homemade salsa is our go-to salsa for dipping with tortilla chips, or topping Mexican dishes. It’s easy to make, no cooking required. It uses canned tomatoes, so you can make it even when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season. You can’t beat it’s restaurant style taste!
Ingredients
- 7 to 8 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons of minced garlic)
- 1 to 3 jalapenos, chopped (see notes for other options)
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup red onion, minced
- 3/4 to 1 cup cilantro, chopped (including any tender stems)
- 2 15 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
- Juice of 1 to 1 1/2 limes
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or agave nectar (only if acidic)
For serving
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Chop the veggies – Chop up the garlic, jalapenos, red onion, and cilantro as instructed above.
- Drain the tomatoes – Open the cans of tomatoes and drain them over a fine-mesh siv that is placed over a bowl. You do want to reserve some of that tomato liquid to add back in, but we need to drain off most of the liquid so that the salsa isn’t too watery.
- Pulse the tomatoes and garlic – To a food processor fit with an “s” blade, add the garlic and the drained tomatoes. Pulse a few times so that the tomatoes are broken down and the consistency you like. We like our salsa a little more chunky, so I only pulse a few times. Make sure to give the tomatoes a stir so that they are evenly processed. Note: alternately you can pulse the jalapenos, red onion, and cilantro in the food processor along with the tomatoes – instead of chopping them by hand, but for a more uniform, better-looking salsa, I like to chop them by hand first. Either method tastes great though.
- For a smoother salsa – For a smoother salsa texture, blend the tomatoes a little longer until it is smooth with some very small chunks of tomato. You can even pulse in the jalapenos, onion, and cilantro for an even smoother texture.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients – Transfer the contents of the food processor to a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped jalapenos, onion, and cilantro to the bowl. Also, add the juice of 1 lime and the 3 teaspoons of kosher salt. Stir to combine. Taste the salsa and adjust the flavors as needed: add remaining lime juice if you want more tang, and add the sugar if you need to balance any acidity. Note: I don’t always use the sugar, just when the tomatoes happen to be more on the acidic side. At this time, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of the reserved tomato liquid back into the salsa, and stir to combine. How much tomato liquid you add back in will depend on how much lime juice you add, and how what kind of consistency you want your salsa to be.
- Chill – Transfer the salsa to an air-tight container, and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 to 6 hours. The longer it chills, the better it tastes. You can make this salsa up to 1 to 2 days in advance. The leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it is at it’s prime in the first 3 days.
- Serve – Once the salsa has been chilled, transfer it to a bowl and grab a bag of tortilla chips. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping. Or, it is great for topping tacos, quesadillas, fajitas….pretty much any Mexican food. It’s also great with scrambled eggs.
Notes
Jalapenos – We like using 3 jalapenos, it has a nice mild heat. If you want even less heat, then just use one jalapeno. And, if you still want less heat, then remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno and just use the flesh.
Chipotle in adobo sauce – For a slightly smoky salsa, we enjoyed swapping the jalapenos for 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I also added 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
For the spicy lovers – For even more heat, you can swap the jalapenos for serrano peppers, or habanero peppers (super hot). Or, you could even use a combo.
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