Homemade Salsa (Restaurant Style)

This no-cook salsa recipe uses a can of tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and zesty seasonings to make a restaurant-style salsa everyone will love!

Flavor: Vibrant tomato flavor and a kick of heat make this a salsa recipe a keeper.
Skill Level: This recipe just has two steps: blend and chill!
Recommended Tools: A food processor, immersion blender, or personal blender is helpful to achieve the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies, or use as a topping for a taco salad, or with sheet pan quesadillas.

adding ingredients to food processor to make Homemade Salsa

Ingredient Tips for Homemade Salsa

Canned Tomatoes: Blending whole tomatoes leaves them a little chunky, but you can use diced tomatoes, especially if you don’t have a food processor. Choose the best quality for the best results.
Fresh Ingredients: Not a fan of cilantro? Leave it out or sub parsley instead. Onion adds crunch and a mild sweetness; it can also be sautéed for a smoky flavor. Use red or white onion for the best flavor.
Seasonings: Cumin is a must-have for salsa recipes, and garlic powder can be used instead of fresh garlic. Zest it up even more and add a dash or two of adobo seasoning.
Variations: Make a signature salsa by adding corn kernels, black beans, bell peppers, tomatillos, or green chiles.

Hot or Not?

Like it milder? Omit the jalapeno, or add more tomatoes. Cucumber, avocado, or sour cream also work. Feel the heat with extra chopped jalapenos (or juice if they were from a jar or can), Tabasco, or a pinch of chile powder, cayenne, or red pepper flakes.

How to Make Homemade Salsa

Add all ingredients to a food processor (full recipe below).
Pulse to desired consistency.
Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

This salsa tastes best when it’s cold and the flavors have had time to meld, so make it ahead!
Removing the seeds and white membranes from the jalapeno will eliminate some of the heat, but you can leave them in if you like it extra spicy.
For a thinner salsa, process until the desired smoothness is achieved.
For a thicker salsa, remove ½ cup of juice from the tomatoes.

Keep it Fresh!

Keep homemade salsa in a covered container or mason jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3 days.

Fresh salsa can be frozen in zippered bags for up to 3 months. It will be watery or mushy once thawed, but you can drain it and add tomato paste or diced tomatoes, fresh onions, and seasonings to revive the flavors.

More Great Mexican Dishes

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Homemade salsa is a quick and flavorful dip made with canned tomatoes, fresh herbs, and zesty lime.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Add whole tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime, garlic, cumin, and salt to a food processor (remove ½ cup juice from the tomatoes if desired). Pulse 4-6 times to get desired consistency.
Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

For a thicker salsa, remove 1/2 cup of the juice from the canned tomatoes before combining ingredients. Diced tomatoes do work in this recipe too.
Leftover homemade salsa should be refrigerated and will last for about 2-3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze leftovers.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine Mexican

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