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Salsa
This simple, homemade salsa is made from scratch with a handful of fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, cilantro, and spices.
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This flavorful salsa has a rich tomato flavor and allows you to customize it based on your preferences. Make your salsa the perfect texture, whether chunky or smooth, or create spicy or mild salsa, and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips or Mexican dishes.
You can serve this from-scratch salsa with our taquitos or Mexican casserole.
Salsa Ingredients
You’ll need these basic ingredients:
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh lime juice from 1 lime
- small handful of fresh cilantro
Tomato Salsa Recipe Substitutions and Additions
TOMATOES: I love using fire-roasted diced tomatoes because of the flavor they add.
You can also use fresh tomatoes, regular diced tomatoes, or a can of whole tomatoes with juice.
If you add tomatoes without flavor, you could also add a can of Rotel to help give it more spice and flavor.
SEASONINGS: A half teaspoon of sugar can also help enhance the flavors beautifully. Cumin is another great option to add, you’ll only need about a teaspoon. You can add two to three garlic cloves as well.
ADD-INS: You can add black beans, green pepper, red onion, or corn to this easy salsa recipe as well. It will give you a thicker salsa and plenty of extra great flavor. Just add in after blending, before serving.
ADDING HEAT: Add fresh jalapeño pepper, green chiles, or serrano peppers to the mix for an extra spicy kick.
You can take the jalapeño seeds out for a more mild spice level or leave them in for lots of heat.
Instead of peppers, you could also add a little bit of chili powder to up the heat level in your salsa.
How To Make Homemade Salsa
Our Recipe Developer Says
This recipe will be gobbled up fast and if you are making it for a crowd, we’d recommend you make a double batch.
STEP ONE: Place all of the ingredients into a five-cup jug blender or food processor.
STEP TWO: Blend until desired consistency is reached. You can blend this as much or as little as you’d like for a chunkier or smoother texture.
PRO TIP:
For the best flavor, pop this salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
How To Serve This Recipe for Salsa
This is a good salsa to serve alongside any Mexican-inspired dishes such as tacos, fajitas, taco bake, bundt pan nachos, or salsa chicken.
Serve alongside our amazing guacamole and white queso dip for any of your favorite dishes.
Of course, the classic way to serve salsa is with tortilla or corn chips for dipping. You could even use it for the salsa layer in our seven-layer dip.
MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES
Recipe for Fresh Tomato Salsa Storage Tips
IN THE FRIDGE: This easy recipe will stay fresh in the fridge for two weeks. Make sure to put it in an airtight bowl or mason jar.
IN THE FREEZER: This salsa is best made fresh and used within two weeks. It won’t freeze well as the consistency will change once thawed.
Why This is the Best Salsa Recipe
Homemade salsa has several advantages that can make it superior to store-bought versions:
Freshness: Homemade salsa is made with fresh ingredients, which often results in a brighter, more vibrant flavor compared to the preserved or processed ingredients found in many store-bought salsas.
Customization: When you make salsa at home, you can tailor it to your exact taste preferences. You can adjust the levels of spiciness, saltiness, acidity, and sweetness to create a salsa that perfectly suits your palate.
Healthier Ingredients: Homemade salsa allows you to control the quality of the ingredients, ensuring that they are fresh and free of preservatives and artificial additives common in some commercial products.
Variety and Creativity: You can experiment with different types of ingredients when making salsa at home. This could include a variety of tomatoes, peppers, fruits, herbs, and spices, leading to unique and creative flavor combinations.
No Added Sugars or Low Sodium: Many store-bought salsas contain added sugars or high levels of sodium. Making salsa at home allows you to control these aspects, which is particularly beneficial for those monitoring their sugar or salt intake.
Overall, homemade salsa offers a combination of fresh taste, personalization, and health benefits that can make it a preferable choice for many people.
This rich, delicious homemade restaurant-style salsa is a simple recipe that tastes fresh and authentic. With only a handful of simple ingredients, you can make smooth or chunky salsa in no time from scratch. Liven up all your favorite dishes with this mild or spicy salsa. Whip up a batch of this salsa the next time you have a craving, it’s better than any kind of salsa you’ll get from the grocery store!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use fresh garden tomatoes or does it have to be canned tomatoes for this recipe?
You can use whichever type of tomatoes you prefer. As long as it adds up to equal the quantity called for in this recipe, you can choose the tomatoes.
Can I freeze salsa?
This salsa is best made fresh and used within two weeks. It won’t freeze well as the consistency will change.
Can I add other vegetables to this salsa?
Absolutely! This is a very basic recipe and allows for as many or few mix-ins, spice, or flavor additions as you wish based on your preference.
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Salsa
This simple, homemade salsa is made from scratch with a handful of fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, cilantro, and spices.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lime juice
- 1 small handful cilantro
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a 5-cup blender.
- Blend until desired consistency is reached. You can make this extra chunky or smooth depending on how long you blend it for.
- When the salsa is done, pour into a bowl. Serve warm or cold.
Video
Notes
- This recipe will be gobbled up fast and if you are making it for a crowd, we’d recommend you make a double batch.
- For the best flavor, pop this salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Toni Thomason says
YES! I absolutlely LOVE salsa and always looking for a great one and this one is perfect!
Treena says
I LOVE making homemade salsa and this recipe definitely did not disappoint!
Gloria says
This is delicious and easy to make – you can’t beat the fresh flavor!