Salsa Recipe

If you’ve never made your own homemade salsa you’re missing out. Seriously, this salsa recipe is next level, anything store-bought just doesn’t compare.

It’s zingy, fresh, vibrant, bursting with authentic Mexican flavors, and takes mere minutes to whip up. It makes the best appetizer or snack alongside your fav tortilla chips or can be served with any of your favorite Mexican dishes like nachos, enchiladas, tacos, or even over eggs for brunch!

Check out my easy step by step recipe below including all the tips you need to make the best salsa ever!

What you need to make this recipe

Fresh tomatoes – Roma or San Marzano tomatoes generally have the best flavor just make sure they are ripe and bright red in color.

Canned tomatoes – I also use canned tomatoes for texture, whole canned tomatoes are best flavour-wise.

Jalapeno – I love to add a spicy kick to my salsa and jalapeno peppers also add freshness. I like to deseed and remove the white membrane from the pepper so it’s not too hot.

Cilantro – One of the classic flavors in tomato salsa but if you’re not a cilantro lover you can omit it altogether or use fresh parsley instead.

Lime juice – This adds a zingy freshness and really takes the salsa to another level so please do not skip this ingredient. Always use freshly squeezed and not anything from a bottle that is too acidic.

Garlic – You’ve got to have garlic in salsa just make sure you use fresh garlic cloves instead of powder which won’t have the same bold and fresh flavor.

Sugar – This is an optional ingredient depending on how sweet and ripe your tomatoes are. I recommend tasting the salsa first then add in sugar if you feel it’s needed, you can also use honey.

How to make Salsa Recipe

1. Roughly chop the garlic and cut the onions and tomatoes into quarters. Juice the limes and set them aside.

2. Next, deseed the jalapeno pepper so it isn’t too hot.

3. Add the garlic, fresh and canned tomatoes to a food processor.

4. Add the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice.

5. Blitz then add sugar, spices, salt, pepper, and more lime juice to taste.

6. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with chips.

Pro tips for making this recipe

• Use the freshest ingredients possible especially when it comes to tomatoes. Those found at farmers’ markets when in season are the best.
• If your tomatoes are not in season or the best quality you may need to adjust the flavor with a little sugar or honey.
• Make sure to drain the canned tomatoes of any excess liquid, all we want is the flavor from the whole tomatoes and no excess juice.
• Don’t over blitz the salsa you want some texture. If you prefer your salsa extra chunky add the fresh tomatoes last and just pulse them slightly until they are broken up into chunks.
• You can chop the onion and soak in lime juice to deflame it and remove some of the bite if you’re sensitive to that.
• You can easily adjust the amount of chili whether you want it even spicier or cooler by adding more or less.
• The best thing about making salsa from scratch is not only that it tastes so much better but that you can customize it with your favorite herbs and spices!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this in advance?

Absolutely, in fact, making it the day before is a great idea because it gives the flavors a chance to develop and meld together giving you the best tasting salsa ever.

Do I need to use a food processor?

Using a food processor makes things super quick and easy. You can also use a blender but be careful not to puree it too much you want some texture and if you don’t want to use either you can chop up all the veggies by hand using a sharp knife!

Do I need to peel the fresh tomatoes first?

No, you don’t, the tomatoes are blitzed to a fine, slightly chunky texture so you’d only notice the tomato skins if you were making an extra smooth sauce. If you want to peel the tomatoes then blanch them in boiling water for a minute or two, remove then peel the skins (I personally don’t feel the extra step is necessary).

How long will it last?

This salsa will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week in a sealed container or can be frozen. Once frozen make sure to thaw the salsa completely before serving.

Homemade Salsa Vs Pico de Gallo?

While both of these are made with pretty much the same ingredients regular homemade salsa has a finer consistency with more liquid. Pico de Gallo, on the other hand, is always chopped by hand so has a chunkier texture.

If you’ve tried this Salsa Recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!