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4.5 from 77 votes

Homemade Salsa

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By: Joanna Cismaru 42 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Homemade Salsa with fresh ingredients and full of flavor, just like the one you’re served at your favorite restaurant! This restaurant style salsa is made with roasted tomatoes and onions which enhances all the flavors. Delicious and simple!

Homemade Salsa in a bowl surrounds by tortilla chips

You know that salsa you get at Mexican restaurants the minute you walk in with lots of chips? Well, that’s my favorite part and I’ve never been able to get flavor that out of a jar! But this recipe is simple enough that you can make yourself at home with a handful of fresh ingredients.

I really believe that salsa is best when only a few key ingredients are involved. While there are so many recipes for this dip, literally millions and some with dozens of ingredients, I still believe in my mantra: simple is always best. This recipe is the perfect accompaniment for quesadillas, fajitas, taquitos, or served beside some homemade guac. You name it!

roasted tomatoes and onions on a baking sheet for salsa

How to Make Salsa

The first step for this recipe is to halve the tomatoes, quarter the onions, and throw them all on a sheet pan with the garlic. Toss the pan in a nice and hot oven, and let everything roast. I believe that roasting your tomatoes and onions gives the salsa so much complexity of flavor. I prefer to roast my own tomatoes rather than buy canned roasted tomatoes. It literally only takes minutes! I like to roast the tomatoes just until they start to slightly char.

Now the hard part is done! Phew. All that’s left to do is dump the rest of your ingredients into a food processor or blender, and pulse until you have the perfect consistency.

Homemade Salsa in a bowl surrounded with tortilla chips

What Ingredients Are in This Salsa Recipe?

For my salsa recipe I like to stick with the key ingredients. In my books those would be tomatoes, garlic, onions, cilantro, chiles or jalapeños and a little bit of lime juice. The beautiful thing about salsa is that you can really get creative with it and make any changes you want to create your perfect version.

I did choose canned diced chilies in this recipe only because I wanted a milder salsa with a hint of smokiness, but if you want a spicier salsa, leave out the diced chiles and roast a couple of jalapeños along with the tomatoes. Or you can even use both. Totally up to you! Want to give it a nice kick? Use a habanero, scotch bonnet, or ghost pepper to really crank up the heat.

I added a bit of lime juice, which is totally optional if you don’t like a tangy salsa. Last but not least, don’t forget to season well with plenty of salt and pepper.

Looking for More Great Dip Recipes? Try These:

  • Easy Hummus
  • Crockpot Bacon Queso Blanco Dip
  • Red Lentil Hummus
  • Spicy Cheesy Corn and Tomato Dip
  • Baba Ganoush

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

side view shot of a hand scooping up some salsa on a tortilla chip
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4.49 from 77 votes

Homemade Salsa

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes
Rate Recipe
Homemade Salsa with fresh ingredients and full of flavor, just like the one you're served at your favorite restaurant! This restaurant style salsa is made with roasted tomatoes and onions which enhances all the flavors. Delicious and simple!
6

Ingredients

  • 8 medium tomatoes (halved, (I used Roma tomatoes))
  • 2 medium onions (quartered)
  • 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 4.5 ounce mild diced green chiles ((1 can))
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. 
  • Place the tomatoes, onions and garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or just until the onions and tomatoes start to get a little char on them. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the tomatoes cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, green chiles, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse a few times until you get the desired consistency.
  • Pour in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (or an airtight container) and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving. 

Video

Notes

To add more spiciness to the salsa, add 1 or 2 jalapeños (or other favorite hot peppers) to the baking sheet and roast along with the tomatoes. 
To get a tangier salsa, add more freshly squeezed lime juice.
This salsa will last for 5-7 days in the fridge, or 3-4 months in the freezer.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 33kcal (2%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Protein: 1g (2%)Sodium: 282mg (12%)Potassium: 194mg (6%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 460IU (9%)Vitamin C: 18.5mg (22%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

side view shot of a hand scooping up some salsa on a tortilla chip

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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42 Comments
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Jo Mack
Jo Mack
Posted: 1 year ago

4 stars
I made this, but added a 1/2 tsp of cumin and it tasted like restaurant style. Yummy!

0
Reply
Hanna
Hanna
Posted: 2 years ago

Just made this and could spoon it all into my mouth immediately while it’s still a bit warm, but will restrain myself and serve later with chicken fajitas.

0
Reply
Gabriel
Gabriel
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is really good! I don’t like anything too hot but this was perfect.. just enough heat. The honey doesn’t make it overly sweet. I think I put more cilantro then was called for but I love cilantro. Really can’t go wrong with this recipe!

0
Reply
Jen
Jen
Posted: 2 years ago

Should the oven temperature rather be 450 ?
At 350, my tray is just drying out and breaking down, not getting any char whatsoever.
I just looked at other recipes for roasting tomatoes and they have 450 listed.

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Jen
Posted: 2 years ago

You can definitely increase the heat! We were just looking for a very slight char on the onion but even more will still be great. You can use your grill as well, if you have one.

0
Reply
Tammy Blair
Tammy Blair
Posted: 3 years ago

Can you can this recipe?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Tammy Blair
Posted: 3 years ago

For sure! Make sure to search up proper canning techniques to make sure it’s done properly and safely.

0
Reply
Lauren Lynch
Lauren Lynch
Posted: 3 years ago

Do you peel the tomatoes first before putting them in the food processor?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lauren Lynch
Posted: 3 years ago

I did not, you can see in the video, they’ve got their skin on. Let me know how it turns out if you make it!

0
Reply
lee levin
lee levin
Posted: 3 years ago

I’m not seeing a video link.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  lee levin
Posted: 3 years ago

If you have ad blocker turned on you won’t be seeing the video, you have to disable that in order to see it.

0
Reply
Judy
Judy
Posted: 3 years ago

What is the serving size? Looks delicious 😋

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  Judy
Posted: 3 years ago

About 1/2 cup. It’s so delicious!

0
Reply
Vera G
Vera G
Posted: 4 years ago

Thank you! Looks DELISH! Love home made tomatoes and now is the time to make it hem and enjoy before season is over.

0
Reply
Sadie
Sadie
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Thanks for the roasting tip! I looked up a lot of salsa recipes and yours won me over! Turned out great!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Sadie
Posted: 4 years ago

Glad you liked it!

0
Reply
Gail
Gail
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
I made this recipe just as described, I drizzled olive oil on the veggies before roasting, and seeded the Tomatoes before roasting. I added two jalapeños fresh picked and one fresh picked green chili. I pulled the skins off the tomatoes when they cooled slightly… The flavor is amazing, perhaps a bit too much heat, I will chill overnight and perhaps only add one jalapeño next time.

0
Reply
Kassie Truelove
Kassie Truelove
Posted: 4 years ago

Is this recipe ok to use for canning?

0
Reply
Nicole Beaulieu
Nicole Beaulieu
Reply to  Kassie Truelove
Posted: 4 years ago

We haven’t tried that before for this recipe. I would use a recipe that’s specifically for canning and storage, because I don’t want you to risk botulism.

0
Reply
Clayton
Clayton
Posted: 4 years ago

4 stars
I made this and it turned out nicely. However, mine didn’t look like the picture 😂 I also substituted fresh jalapenos for the canned green chilies 🔥🔥🔥 and added a little extra cilantro. This was very easy to make and the clean up was a breeze.

0
Reply
Misha
Misha
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
I wasn’t crazy about the salsa the day I made it, but after chilling in the fridge overnight, it turned out amazing! As an experiment, I tasted the store bought salsa in my fridge to compare and it tasted like bland tomato sauce compared to this homemade one! Can I ever go back? Haha

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Misha
Posted: 4 years ago

Homemade is always best!

0
Reply
Bill
Bill
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Tried this recipe today with a few tweaks
Added a roasted habanero
Added some fresh chopped cilantro
Rubbed a bit of evoo on veg before roasting
No leftovers, nuff said

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Bill
Posted: 4 years ago

Yum! Sounds amazing 🙂

0
Reply

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