5 Minute Restaurant Salsa
Bright and fresh, this salsa is the best you’ve ever tasted! It takes just 5 minutes to make, and it’s sure to “wow” anyone you make it for!
Who else loves chips and salsa? I figured as much… it’s such a classic snack! I love salsa when it’s fresh and smooth, with small pieces of tomato, onion, jalapeno, with cilantro and lime juice. Bright and fresh with a kick, as the best salsa’s are!
This recipe is ridiculously simple to make, just throw all the ingredients in your food processor or blender, process it, and ta-da! Amazing salsa 😀
When I was pregnant with my son, I was completely addicted to Chili’s salsa and chips. I wanted to eat there ALL the time, and even when I wasn’t eating there I was trying to convince my husband to stop there on his way home to pick up some take out lol. He was always less than pleased. I still love their salsa, but since it’s not really cost effective to buy it, or go out to eat all the time, I figured that I would just find a way to make it at home 🙂
This salsa isn’t exactly a copycat of Chili’s version… it’s a little thicker and has more cilantro taste to it… but want to know a secret? I think I like it better! I know, blasphemy!
Jarred salsa can be good, but let me tell you, making it fresh… whew… you won’t want jarred anymore. Fresh blows that out of the water. Plus if you’re into canning, I’m sure you could can this salsa yourself and have it fresh year round 🙂 You could also freeze it 🙂
Okay back to the salsa!
Just gather your ingrediets, of course you don’t need to take a picture of them like I did lol. Roughly chop your onion, and jalapeno. Add the whole can of tomatoes, including juice, your chopped veggies, roughly chopped garlic, cumin, salt, sugar, a handful or more of cilantro, and juice some limes into your food processor.
Pulse it a couple of times, then turn it on and process until it’s your desired consistency. I like mine fairly smooth 🙂
To let this salsa have the best flavor, put it in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This lets the flavors really combine and get good and acquainted 🙂 And as a bonus, I like the taste of cold salsa, so that makes it even better.
Now just grab a bag of your favorite tortilla chips and sit down on the couch with some Netflix or your favorite movie… or hey, make this for Cinco de Mayo 😉
You know you want that chip I’m holding there… just imagine all those bright, salty, savory, fresh flavors. Mmmmm!!! So seriously, make this. It’s the best salsa you’ll ever taste!
Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks
Helpful Tools for This Recipe:
- CUISINART FOOD PROCESSOR – I use this food processor for everything, including making this recipe year round!
Restaurant Salsa
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes - including juice
- 1 small white onion - peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 - 2 jalepeno peppers - seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin - or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon granulated sugar - optional, and to taste
- 1 - 2 handfuls cilantro - I prefer 2
- About 3 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to food processor in the order listed. Pulse a few times to break up the large pieces, then process until texture is as smooth as desired.
- Taste the salsa and based on personal preference, adjust as necessary.
- Transfer to airtight container and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or 1 day for best flavor.
- Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Video
Notes
If changing the recipe serving quantity, the recipe plugin will change the ingredient values for you, but it does NOT change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to a slider/button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.
For example: if an ingredient calls for 4 cups, and you doubled the recipe, it will automatically change to 8 cups. In the instructions, if I say “use 4 cups of cheese”, you will have to realize that since you doubled it, you use 8 cups, not 4
This recipe is incredible. I even canned it and gave it as gifts for Christmas. I will never use another salsa recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Made this recipe exactly as written and it is better than restaurant salsa! Making jars of it for Christmas gifts for neighbors and friends! Thanks for the great recipe
Thank you. I’ve been trying to duplicate this salsa for years. Have been to 2-3 restaurants that make it to match . Love it.
A batch doesn’t last long around me, but can anyone tell me how long it will keep in the refrigerator?
Also, a little sugar does help.
I didn’t rate this recipe on my original comment, so, here it is.
I might add, I use a 14 oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes w/chilis and 14 oz can of plain diced tomatoes.
Yummy! 👍
I am so glad I found this recipe. I love it. I always keep it on hand. I’m also going to make it for friends and family at Christmas! Thank you so much!
Really tasty recipe. Was hesitant with the canned tomatoes but turned out great and really flavorful!
Hello, can we use cherry tomatoes for this recipe? Just took down my garden this past weekend and im left with sooooo many cherry tomatoes 🙂
I’ve not tested it, but I’m sure that would be delicious! I’d use 28 oz of them 🙂
This is absolutely the best salsa I have ever had and so easy.
This salsa recipe was very easy to follow and to make. It easily became my new to go salsa. My family and friends greatly enjoyed it and will be part of our gatherings to come. Thank you for sharing would give it 10 stars if I could . It’s really that delicious!!!
Excellent Salsa! Perfect balance of fresh cilantro and lime! Thank you for sharing!
Has anyone canned this recipe? If so, what was needed?
I have and I just did the hot bath for 25 minutes in pint jars. I didnt add anything extra to it except i use different peppers as my family loves the heat.. Works perfectly.
I have been making this salsa for years since I found your site! This salsa is incredible and I get so many compliments when I take it places! If only I could find a huge blender and triple the recipe!!!! I make it exactly what the recipe says and it’s great! Thank you!!!
I made this for a gathering a couple of days ago. I have NEVER EVER RECEIVED so many compliments!!!!! Everyone wanted to know if I made it, I said yes. Recipe is on Pinterest I did however not make it hot enough. I only used 1/2 of a small jalapeño. I should have used the whole thing. Sooooo easy. Thank you for the recipe!!
Great recipe, thank you! Will definitely be my “go to” salsa recipe from now on. I used fresh tomatoes from my garden. I have a kitchen scale so I was able to match the weight of the canned tomatoes. I used a vidalia onion and substituted a 7 oz. can of mild green chiles for the jalapenos as my grand daughter does not like spicy. Next time I’ll make 2 batches and use jalapenos in one. The addition of the sugar cuts down on the acidity of the tomatoes, whether they’re fresh or canned. I used a little less than 1/4 tsp. Makes a big difference. I doubt this will last more than a day around here!
This recipe is spot-on. I made it for my weekly Taco Tuesday, and my family enjoyed it. I was up at 2 a.m. eating this salsa and tortilla chips. It’s that good!
Tastes like NICE restaurant quality! Wow! Thank you
I made this using canned tomatoes with green chilies included. For a little more heat I added some ancho chile powder. My husband can’t tolerate garlic so I left it out…didn’t affect the taste at all. It was so fast and easy to make…and was just as good (if not better than) the salsa at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I won’t be buying salsa anymore!
Damn that was good! I dont know how I avoided drinking it straight out of the blender.
I can’t have spicy food. What can I use instead of the jalapeno? Could I leave it out?
Thanks!
You could either use a green bell pepper, or leave it out entirely 🙂
I have made this recipe and adapted it when I only had fresh tomatoes on hand…its amazing…I don’t buy salsa anymore!
So how many tomatoes did you use I have some fresh from the garden
Can this recipe be canned?
I’ve never canned it, so I can’t say for certain… although I believe a few other readers have successfully canned this salsa 🙂
I’m thinking about canning this recipe also. Did you?
I made it with 1 can chopped tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 small onion, 1 seeded red chile, handful cilantro and basil, 1 tsp cumin, salt and pepper, juice of half a lime. Delicious!!!
Awesome flavor!
I’ve been making this for a few months now. My wife can’t handle spicy, so instead of jalapeno I roast and deseed a full poblano pepper. I’ve had several people tell me it’s one of the top 3 salsas they’ve ever had, including restaurant ones.
i saw your recipe in 2020 and make it very delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Super easy and delicious! We left the seeds in the jalapeños for heat and added hot sauce. We only ended up using half of the can of tomatoes and it was still a bucket of salsa to feed a crowd. Everyone kept talking about how good it was. Great recipe
I love this recipe! I was going through a large plastic container of salsa fresca a week and felt guilty about how much plastic I was using. I found your recipe and have been making a batch of it every single week for about three months now. (Salsa is a staple ingredient of the dish I eat ever day for lunch.) I now pretty much have the recipe memorized but I always double check myself, so while I was on here double checking myself I thought I should say thank you!
This salsa is delish! I’m on my second time making it this week, and will keep ingredients on hand always to make it. Homemade everything is so much better than the pre mad jar stuff with the horrible after taste they leave. Thanks for sharing
Wonderful salsa recipe! This is exactly what I was looking for. I added a little onion powder, garlic salt and oregano from a recipe I used to use because the flavors mesh well. My whole family loved it but half wanted it hotter (I used very little jalapeno for the mild half) so it looks like I will be making a 2nd batch tomorrow for the spicy half. It’s my new go-to now. Thank you for posting it!
Can I use lemon instead of lime?
I don’t have jalapeño, can I use crushed red chilli flakes instead?
I’ve only tested this recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain without further testing. Use your best judgement, and if you try it, let me know how it works out! 🙂
Can you use freshly squeezed tomato sauce.
I do all my own canning and when my husband picks the tomatoes we cut them up and then we put them though a machine hand crank where it spits out the skin and seeds and leaves me with nice thick fresh tomato pulp. Can i use that instead and how much?
Without testing it myself I can’t say for certain, but I think it would work well. I’d use about 28 oz.
I have been looking for a restaurant style salsa forever. Except for the cumin which I will cut back on, this way exceeded my expectations. I will also have to admit I did roast the onion, jalapeños and garlic in a 450 oven for 15 mins. I Loved it. ❤️
Really enjoyed this recipe EXCEPT for the cumin. It seemed too much. Cut it out the 2nd time I made it.
I also felt it had to much cumin but otherwise I loved it.
I’m sorry to have to correct this about how long this salsa will last. At my house I am lucky if it last 2 days. It is an awesome recipe!! Thank you so much for it. Best one I ever made.I keep the ingredients on hand just so I can throw it together quickly.
Sugar in salsa? Oh! It’s a while lady fucking up salsa as usual…….Jesus Christ! Why dont you just add some whipped cream while you are at it?
Oh yes, let’s please be mildly racist towards a “white lady” for making HER version of a salsa HER family likes. Did I come into your home and force feed you this salsa? Make your own version of salsa and be happy about it. Oh in case you were curious, the sugar is to counteract the slight tartness/bitterness that canned tomatoes can sometimes have. I guess you also missed where that ingredient is optional.
To: The Chunky Chef, Well said. Javier honey, this is why we have so many problems with racism in our country, because of ignorant/uneducated comments like this made for no reason what so ever. If you don’t like something, just pass it up my dear. This isn’t a life altering situation for you, so you should learn how to pick your battles. And by the way, I am half Mexican and we cook all the time. This recipe is still one of our family favorites, made as is. And if you eat at any Mexican restaurants, then you might be shocked to find out that most of them use sugar in their salsa, because it’s made in big batches from canned tomatoes. Take it easy there spark plug.
Hey Javier, if you don’t have anything nice to say shut up!! This is excellent salsa. Just because you don’t agree with it doesn’t make it wrong.
60 people rated this salsa and it’s at 4.99 stars. Fresh vine ripe tomato’s would be a lot sweeter but since this is a five minute recipe for quick convenience she’s used canned! So adding a little sugar to this is not that outrageous and people seem to really like it. Basically you should just keep your trap shut!
Odd comment. A guy named “Javier Avena” is criticizing someone’s salsa Recipe about not being authentic, as if he’s a connoisseur but at the same time he’s searching the internet himself for salsa recipes. No family recipes Javier? How do you know sugar isn’t added to salsa? I guess Javier isn’t really the salsa Expert he’s portraying himself to be.
Wow! Inappropriate! Pretty sure the recipe said optional for sugar. Ask a chef what they think about using canned tomatoes and the purpose of the small amount of sugar. I think an apology is necessary.
Wow, such a judgemental comment. I guess it takes very little to upset you, poor boy.
Lol, let’s all clap for “javier” he obviously hasn’t made this recipe and has no clue what he is doing and probably hasn’t had any food besides what his mother has made for him. This is great, keep up the good recipes.
Would 2 cans of fire roasted work or San Mariano work?
As long as it equals the same amount of tomatoes listed in the recipe, yes
Excellent I love it! I had to tone down the hot, kind of wimpy here 🙂
I’m not sure why but my salsa turned out super dark, it might be because I used red onion instead of white. It still tastes good, but needs more spice. I even put one of my jalapeños with the seeds in still. But, next time I’ll make sure to maybe get a spicier pepper or put all the seeds in.
I have been making this salsa for about three years now . It is the best home made I have found .
How long can this keep if refrigerated in an air tight container?
I would say up to 5-6 days.
Can this salsa be canned via water bath? It’s delicious!!!!
I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for certain. So glad you enjoy the taste!
Do you have a canning recipe for this?
I don’t, but in the comments, I believe a few other readers have shared their experience with canning 🙂
Fabulous recipe! My new go to, better than dinner out last night! Thanks for sharing!
First time making salsa and this recipe is great!
I am keeping this salsa recipe! Best homemade salsa I’ve tried!! My family loved this! It really was made in 5 minutes. The only change I made was to use Rotel Original diced tomatoes with green chili’s, no salt added. My daughter can only have sea salt so we needed to add a bit more salt. It was absolutely perfect! We like mild salsa so I only used 1/2 of one jalapeños. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Can I omit the cilantro? I learned years ago I am quite allergic to it, can I substitute another herb instead? Thanks!
Nothing has quite the same taste as cilantro, but you could use flat-leaf parsley for the green color.
Hi Amanda, I just read your salsa recipe, I like it but you should try placing it in a frying pan after blending it and cook it for a bit, it evaporates some of the water and blends everything together for an amazing taste and intensifies the color, Mexican restaurants in my area do this.
This ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻
This is, by far, the best salsa recipe I have come across. This is now a staple in our house that I make fresh every week. Thank you for sharing.
THE best and easiest salsa EVERRRRRR. I made a batch with the recipe as is except I used 1 jalapeño pepper. My son couldn’t wait the 1 hr to set and he was practically licking the bowl to get every last drop. I don’t have a food processor but I have a Vitamix and that worked perfect. Heat, color, texture….all awesome. Definitely a party dish my family will love at future potlucks!!
Hello Amanda , having problem with the heat i use 2 serranos ,its medium heat, yet next day no heat , do U ever have this problem? T U
Hello Amanda.i divided Ur recipe in half,& used 8 cilantro stalks.my problem is i used 2 jalapenos, also tried it with 2 serranos , it was med hot i guess, next day i put more peppers in, the heat left, maybe peppers were bad? its not as read as Urs ,tomatoes r orange /red ,it still tasted reeeeely good heated up in a cup though T U again 4 the recipe
hello! T U 4 puten the salsa recipe out there 🙂 if i want to make 5 or 6 cups would i use 20 fresh tomatoes ,also would i up the other ingredients,or would that offset the balance of the salsa ? T U
You’re welcome! I would 1.5x all the ingredients, so it all has the same tastes and consistency.
This is delish! I used one pepper even tho I like spicy and it only took one lime for the 3 TB. A tad bit more salt and oh my. Thanks!!!
Needed a quick salsa recipe for our fajitas and this one was so quick and easy and Super tasty. Never made such a nice salsa. I could eat it like a soup. Thanks for the recipe 👍
Really good ultra simple very tasty recipe thanks for sharing it
I’m currently sitting at my desk at work eating this salsa. It’s so delicious. I’ve tried with canned tomatoes and boiled fresh roma tomatoes. I love it either way.
About how much is two handfuls of cilantro, in measuring cup size?
I would say between 1.5 – 2 cups
How long does this last in the fridge?
About a week or so.
Love this! Just made it. Super easy and tastes just like the Mexican restaurants! I omitted the garlic, because I’m allergic. Super happy to have a yummy salsa I can eat!
We love this salsa recipe. I’ve tried several over the years and just couldn’t get it exactly right. Great Job!
Just delicious. And so easy. 2 chips worth and I’m addicted. This stuff won’t last more than a day in my kitchen! Thank you for posting this recipe..
18 calories per cup?
18 calories per serving… and this serves 12. So 18 calories per 1/3 cup.
i just made this for the first time, well it was the first time ever making salsa, anyway its green like dark green. it tastes wonderful but its just really green. i think i might have put to much cilantro.
There’s no such thing as too much cilantro! Lol!
If you use fresh tomato with this recipe would you blanch and peal them first or just use them whole?
You can do either.
This recipe is fantastic as is, or makes a great base for peach or pineapple salsa. (3 peeled fresh peaches or 1 pineapple).
It’s fast, easy, and very flavorful!
I love this salsa! Is it possble to can this salsa?
Can you can this?
I never have, but I believe some readers have canned this successfully.
Absolutely incredible! Just made it with some small adjustments: added a few little skinny cucumbers, Heinz tomato ketchup and Sriracha sauce and lots of fresh tomatoes. WHat a wonderful flavor this salsa has! We’re going to have IT with Doritos right this minute…..instead of our evening meal.
Absolutely wonderful! Just finished making IT! I made it with all fresh ingredients and added some extra little skinny cucumbers! For extra flavor a bit of Heinz Ketchup and Sriracha sauce! My husband just left to pick up some bags of Doritos. We can’t always get the “stuff” we so took for granted in Canada. Thanks so much for this incredible recipe….we both appreciate it!
This salsa gets better and better the longer it sits in the fridge. Im making a second batch tonight but using Serrano’s to get the heat up.
can you use fresh tomatoes?
Absolutely! Substituting the canned tomatoes for 8-12 Roma or garden tomatoes should work just fine.
Instead of jalepeno I used hatch green chilies
Hi how long can you freeze the salsa for?
I would say several months 🙂
This is my go to recipe for salsa! I love it! It’s everything you said it was, fast, easy, healthy, delicious and just like restaurant salsa only homemade.
Thank you. 😊
Exactly what I’ve been looking for! Can’t wait to give this a try today. Thank you!
Exactly what I was looking for! This is perfect. No changes! Thank you!
This Salsa looks very delicious. Definitely need to try out this one!
😔
Mine did not come out red, it came out brown?
Im sure I did something wrong along the way but not entirely sure 🤔
The tomatoes used can alter the color, plus I take my photos very close to a window, which can make the colors pretty vibrant.
Cilantro can do that – make it muddy in color. Next time add the cilantro at the very end of blending.
This is really good salsa. I have made it 4 times in the past 1.5 months. Will not make anything but this recipe.
So good! Went straight to the “Go To Board”!
How long does the salsa last?
Hello 🙂 We usually eat ours pretty quickly, so I’ve never had to run into an issue with keeping it too long… but I think 5-7 days should be alright 🙂
Hi – is this recipe good for canning? If so, are there any modifications needed?
Thanks,
Michele
Hi Michele 🙂 I’ve never tried to can it, so I can’t say for certain… but maybe some of the other readers have left comments about doing so?
Yes I used it for canning last year but I used fresh Roma tomatoes and still turned out good.
I was really nervous about this recipe I searched and searched and searched this is the one I decided to do. There were a lot of reviews but most of them said all looks good all got to try this I wish they would only post if they did make it there was a couple that said it was fantastic taste was good so I chose this one. This recipe is amazing if you want restaurant style salsa you need to try this one in my portion I put one Serrano No Seeds no ribs in everybody else’s portion to whole Serrano’s. You have to try this recipe it is truly truly truly amazing and so delicious
TY! TY! TY! I was so happy to run across this recipie. We have a lady in our building who always brings salsa that looks just like this but REFUSES to give her recipie!
I made this and was so joyous that it was exact taste to hers that I took a batch to work…with recipie cards! LOL. I will also be taking a double batch to our family reunion this weekend!
((Hugs)) for this!
Love your clapback to the stingy recipe hoarder!!! 🤣
I love this salsa. It gets better the next day. Thank you!
This is exactly how I make my salsa … I add 1 small can of Rotel though.. so goooood
Great recipe! I have to modify it because I’m allergic to cilantro, and I change up the peppers depending on how spicy I want it to be. I’ve made this recipe for my work’s salsa competition twice now and everyone loves it.
This looks delish, I LOVE a good salsa!
How long will this last in a refrigeratoor?
I would say about 7-10 days, if kept sealed.
Hi Amanda – thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. It is now my go to salsa and all my friends love it! I make it the night before to let the flavours develop and it keeps for days.
This is how I make mine, minus the Cumin. I’m going to try it the next time I make a batch. Family and friends are always asking me to make them some. It’s so easy and sooooo good!! Sometimes I can it too. All you have to do is put it on the stove and heat it up slowly, then into your cleaned and prepped mason jars. It keeps for about 3-4 months unopened.
This salsa is amazing! Just the right amount of spice! This has definitely become my go to for parties! Thank you so much!
How long will it keep in refrigerator?
I would say about 7 days.
I have made this recipe several times. It is so easy and taste so fresh! The longer it sits the better it tastes!
Can you can this salsa?
Hi Tammy 🙂 I never have before, so I can’t say for certain.
Might be a stupid question, but how many fresh tomatoes would I use instead of canned?
Hi Tannya 🙂 Not a stupid question at all! I would say 10-12 medium sized plum or Roma tomatoes would be a good substitution.
Has anyone tried dried cilantro since I can not easily find fresh
Awesome recipe. I put in a little too much lime juice but that’s what happens when younsqueeze directly without measuring! Took 45 minutes in total to make including driving to the grocers to buy ingredients!
Delish! Love it!
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How long does this salsa stay good for if it’s not canned? If it’s fresh and covered in the refrigerator?
Hi Michelle 🙂 Ours usually gets eaten fairly quickly, but I would say it would last a week or so in the refrigerator.
Wow!! This recipe is pure perfection!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe, so glad I ran across this. Everything is so balanced flavor wise. To me, this is better than a restaurant salsa!! My go-to recipe for sure!!
AMAZING SALSA! My whole family fell in love with it! It was finished in about 2 days it was so good! Make it for taco night every night now.
Nom Nom!!!!! This is by far the best salsa recipe. I substituted 1 TBSP Sriracha sauce for the jalapenos. Delish!!
This is not as good as restaurant salsa. It’s BETTER than restaurant salsa. This is so good I could eat it with a spoon. Like gaspacho!
Excellent salsa.
How do you substitute fresh tomatoes into this recipe?
Hi Liz 🙂 I’ve never tested it, but I think substituting the canned tomatoes for 8-12 Roma or garden tomatoes should work just fine.
what do I do if I don’t have a food processor?
Hi Destiny, you can use a blender as well
I made this today without the salt due to a low sodium diet restriction. I think it tastes good without it, really fresh. I’m letting it set for another day in refrigerator before indulging. Thanks for the recipe!
Is this recipe one that can be canned?
Hi Tabitha 🙂 I’ve never canned it, and don’t know enough about canning uncooked foods to give you a definite answer. I do know that the salsa freezes well though.
How long does this stay good? Also, can you freeze it?
Hi Chris 🙂 We usually eat ours fairly quickly, but I would think it’d be good for a week in the refrigerator (and sealed). I’ve heard from other readers that it does freeze well 🙂
I LOVE SALSA BUT NOT CILANTRO. WILL ELIMINATING IT FROM THIS RECIPE MATTER MUCH? I EAT SALSA ON SCOOPS WITH A DAB OF SOUR CREAM. YOU CAN ALSO PUT SHREDDED CHEESE INTO THE SCOOPS, MICROWAVE A FEW SECONDS TIL CHEESE MELTS, TOP WITH SALSA AND SOUR CREAM. YUMMY! YUMMY!
Hi Mary Ann 🙂 We love cilantro, so I’ve never made this salsa without it. Most salsas actually have some cilantro in it, but if you hate the taste, you could substitute a bit of fresh parsley, or eliminate the cilantro altogether. I can’t guarantee the taste though, since my recipe uses cilantro as a big ingredient. The scoops method you mentioned sounds yummy!
This recipe looks great! Can I replace the fresh jalapenos for pickled jalapenos? Those are what I usually have on hand. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Gloria 🙂 Yes, you can definitely use those if you have them on hand. The flavor will be a little different, but still good 🙂
Allowing tomato-based recipes like this to get cold and quiescently congeal is important. My very first batch is sitting in the refrigerator right now. It is a bit runny, but I’m not draining off those flavor-infused juices. No need to.
When this salsa, (or any tomato product) sits, undisturbed, it gels or congeals. It will absorba lot of runny liquid and thicken the salsa… In fact, it is what makes ketchup thick when it is cold and sits in the refrigerator.
The technical term for this phenomenon is “thixotropic.”
Genius, just made this for tonight’s Mexican dinner. Tastes awesome now, can’t wait for the ingredients to marry. Sending love from down under
Hi Anna 🙂 Oh I’m so glad you loved the salsa!
Do you think this would be ok to can? Like if you made way to much and don’t want to waste it? TIA
Hi Jessica 🙂 I’ve never done it, and I don’t know enough about canning un-cooked foods to give a solid answer. It could possibly be frozen, or you could halve the recipe 🙂
How do you cut the cilantro do you cut st teems to
Hi Nan 🙂 I just grab a handful and twist to pull them off. If there are any large/long stems, I remove them, but other than that, I just put the whole handful into the food processor/blender.
Found this on Pinterest! It was super yummy and easy, just like you said. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
So pregnant me hears a Mexican song on the radio and immediately envision myself eating dinner at Mexico Restaurant. I decide it’s the chips and salsa I really want and since I’m headed to the grocery store anyway, I decide to try my hand at restaurant style salsa. Found your recipe while in the store, and made it asap when I got home. uncouldnt believe how easy it was! My mind was a bit blown that canned tomatoes are the base ingredient. My only critique would be to leave off the cumin or at least try it in a small bowl to make sure you like it before adding to the whole mixture.
Hi! How long does this last after making it? I’m not antisipating it lasting longer than the party, but wondered how far in advance I could make it. Thank you
Hi Kristine 🙂 Our usually doesn’t last long before we eat it lol, but I’ve made it a week in advance and it was still good.
This salsa was so delicious. is it an original recipe? i want to use it for my spanish project. Is it of spanish descent?what country is it from
Hi Darla 🙂 It’s a recipe inspired from another blog, and I’m sorry to say, I don’t know of it’s descent or origin.
How would you adapting this for using fresh tomatoes?
Hi Michelle 🙂 I would start by adding 3-4 tomatoes, add all the remaining ingredients, blend and taste it. If you think it needs more tomatoes, add some and taste from there 🙂
I made this today, ate a few test bites (delicious!), took a quick Instagram shot, and then had to run to a volleyball tournament. During our down time, a few of my teammates saw the picture and begged me to run home and grab the salsa. I did, and came back with an extra bag of chips. Four girls and one and a half bags of chips and we demolished THE ENTIRE BOWL. I sent the link to at least five people who requested it and was begged to bring more to the next game. So thank you! Not only for a fantastic recipe (to which I will only add a tiny bit more heat), but for practically making me a culinary god among my friends!
Hi Teresa 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you all loved the salsa! Your story definitely made me smile 🙂
This salsa is just perfect! It is the easiest and tastiest I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe!
Funny you mentioned Chili’s salsa as Dave and I were just saying we hadn’t been there in ages and I too LOVE that salsa with chips. This sounds like my kind of salsa, thanks Amanda!
I’ve canned tomato’s for years. Stewed, juices and salsa. But I love the looks of the consistency of yours!
I’ll try this this week and share with my Sis and we’ll let you know what we think.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Hey! Can I use this salsa for pizza as well? By making the sauce a bit finer?
Hi Arshi 🙂 I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work well for a Mexican-style pizza 🙂
LOVE IT! Some of my kids don’t like chunks, this has all of the great flavor without the chunk. THANKS FOR SHARING!!
Hi Liz 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you all loved it!
Delicious salsa, but next time, i will use way less cilanto and drain the water. we like ours bit thicker so it sticks on the chip. Otherwise, yummm! Thank you, I will definitely make again!
Hi Lavida 🙂 I’m glad you were able to come up with some changes to make it perfect for your tastes 🙂
I have made this several times! I use 1/2 a jalapeño and way less cilantro! It is just right for us! Thank you!!
Hi Macy 🙂 I’m so glad you love the salsa and adjusted it to your tastes!
lOVE YOUR SITE, SO CLEAN, NEAT,NO CLUTTER, VERY WELL LAID OUT.
Thanks Jeri! 🙂
The measurements you have there would feed how many people?? LOL i am clueless about how much i would have to make. We are having a potluck at work and i need to feed 9 witches.. so how much would i need? hehe
Hi there 🙂 Precise serving sizes are so hard to quantify, since it all depends on how much each person eats lol. But the recipe makes approximately 4 cups, so I think that would be enough for 9 people… although, to be on the safe side, you could always double the recipe. Leftovers are good for a week or two in the refrigerator 🙂 Hope you love it!
I just made this per your recipe and it is SPECTACULAR! I’m never buying the ‘fresh salsa’ from the store ever again. I can’t wait to make this for company.
Hi Diana! 🙂 I’m SO glad to hear that you love the salsa 😀
I tried with fresh tomatoes but its a little watery. The flavor is there but its not thick, any suggestions?
Hi Sherell 🙂 I’m glad you like the flavor! I always make it as written, so I can’t say for sure, but you could always place a mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the salsa through the sieve. Then you can add some of the liquid until you get to the consistency you prefer 🙂
Sherrell,
Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the juice and seeds. I’ve been making my own salsa for a while now and found that was the best way to get the consistency I wanted. Plus, tomatoes are pretty acidic and this helps lower the acidity.
If using fresh tomatoes, how many?
Hi SHannon 🙂 I would say about 10-12 medium to large sized tomatoes
what kind of fresh tomatoes would you suggest? Roma?
I’ve never made it with fresh tomatoes, but I think roma or plum tomatoes would be best 🙂
If using canned tomatoes, you say to use 28oz can. But for fresh, use 10-12 tomatoes? I can’t imagine there are 10-12 in a 28oz can. Am I missing something? This recipe looks amazing so just want to get it right. I’m going to be using fresh tomatoes vs canned.
Hi Kari. The tomatoes in the can are small to medium sized tomatoes, and there are plenty in there. I tested the recipe using canned, not fresh, so I can’t say for absolute certain, but my best guess would be to start with 8 small to medium tomatoes and make the salsa as directed. Taste it and use your best judgement as to if it needs more tomatoes or not.
There is a lot of water in fresh tomatoes, so there are a lot of tomatoes in those cans because they’re missing a lot of water. I’m preparing to make a batch of salsa, and I’ll be using 24 fresh tomatoes (medium to large sizes) from the garden. It will give me only a bowl of salsa (a little larger than a cereal bowl). I’ll be using the liquid from the tomatoes to make tomato juice.
Love this recipe! Huge hit for my family! Would like to make lots more as my garden is producing more tomatoes than we can eat. How long will this salsa stay good in the fridge?
Hi Kim! 🙂 I’m so glad to hear that you love the salsa!! Ours usually doesn’t last too long (because we eat it lol), but I would think about a week or so?
Has anyone tried canning this recipe?!
I made this salsa for my husband tonight and it was amazing! Definitely going to be my “go to” salsa. We used our first salsa pepper from our first attempt at a garden. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Bekah 🙂 I’m SO happy that you love the salsa!! Garden fresh is awesome!
Looks amazing! Love how quick it is to make!
Looks delicious! Nothing better than fresh salsa!
Salsa is always delicious. So nice you can make it in a hurry! This looks amazing!
Perfect!
If using fresh tomatoes, do they need to be cooked or peeled first?
Hi Cassie 🙂 Nope! You can just chop them and add them to the food processor 🙂 If you really don’t like the skin, feel free to score the bottoms of the tomatoes with a small “x” and blanch them, that way you can peel them. For me, the food processor chops them up finely enough, I don’t even notice that there are skins on the tomatoes.
OMG this is so good!! I made a batch at 7am for a bbq this afternoon and ate half of it for my breakfast, so had to replenish it with another can of tomatoes (only had a can of chopped tomatoes left, which worked fine, plus another pinch of all the other ingredients… Amazing! Only thing I had to change was using garlic powder as I had no fresh, still fine. Used 1 green chili and half a red, no seeds, perfect! And 1/4 tsp sugar, as I’m not a huge fan of sweetness. Thank you so much, this is my go to Salsa now :)) Going to make your hummus now too!
Hi Tara 🙂 I’m SO glad you love the salsa!! You sound like me… I can’t stay out of this salsa either lol. Hope you love the hummus as well!
So good! I use this recipe every time we do taco night now! Thanks!
Hi Katie 🙂 That’s so awesome, and I’m so glad you love the salsa!
Loved the salsa at a local dive until I used your recipe to make my own. Never will buy it premade again. Thanks
Hi Sherri 🙂 I’m so glad you love the salsa!
can I make it night before … Or 2 days before
Hi Priya 🙂 You sure can! In fact, the flavors will have longer to meld together, so it may even taste better that way 🙂
Wow! I just made this and it is delicious! This is my new favorite salsa, and I’m a salsa connoisseur. I’ve tried a LOT of salsa recipes. This is so easy to make, and the flavor is incredible. I think the plum tomatoes make a big difference. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Robert! 🙂 I’m SO happy you love this salsa as much as we do! During the warmer months, I swear I make a batch of this a week, at least 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to comment!
This looks so good to me right now. I’m kinda having a salsa craving. Yum! 🙂
Sounds like a quick and delicious way to enjoy salsa. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Laurie!! 🙂
Do you think this would work with canned diced tomatoes?
Hi Tracey 🙂 I’ve never done it, but I’m sure that would work just fine 🙂
This salsa recipe is awesome. Making my 2nd batch right now. Thanx for the recipe!
Hi Kim! I’m SO glad you love the salsa recipe 😀
This is very much like my go-to salsa recipe except I haven’t added the jalapeno fearing the heat. Maybe I should just give it a try (minus those pesky hot seeds)! Love love love it!
Thank you Jolynn!! I’m a total spiciness wimp, so I just take the seeds out and it’s much more manageable 🙂
I accidentally made mine heat spicy. Is there anyway I can tone down the heat? I love this recipe. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Jill 🙂 You could try adding some more tomato or sugar and see if that helps. Heat is hard to take away, unfortunately :/
the red color of food attracts me always, because I am a fan of spicy food and yes I love chips as you asked who else does?
Try using garden fresh tomatoes rather than canned….then you’ll have the best salsa ever made. I grow everything for salsa except the limes. Nothing beats using fresh picked ingredients for salsa!
You’re so right Cindee, in the summer, if I can get my hands on fresh tomatoes, I absolutely use those!! Here in the Midwest though, this time of year, canned is about all we have :/
This was super easy and really tasty especially on a potato. I’ve made other salsa recipes but the tomato flavour was to fresh for me.
Makes a lot of salsa but doesn’t last long. Will definitely be making it again.
I’m SO glad to hear that you loved it!! 😀 Nice tip on serving it over the potato 🙂
Love a nice smooth salsa!
Me too Linda… smooth and full of flavor 🙂
I love your quick and easy 5 minute salsa , just in time for our Father’s Day menu. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Pinned/shared.
Thank you so much Joanne!! It’s so fresh, we love it 🙂 Hope you all love it too!
This salsa is amazing! Really tasty and freash!
Carpet cleaners Fulham
Thank you! 😀
I need some of this in my life! Looks delish!
Thank you!! It’s so delicious for something so simple to make 🙂
Thank you so much for attending week 17 of #PureBlogLove and linking your fantastic blog post, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for our next party, Thursday 8 PM EST- Sundays at midnight. Your post has been added to the #PureBlogLove Pinterest board for all to see 🙂 Have a great day!
Nicole
Thank you!! 🙂
you use fresh Tomatoes
This is SO MUCH better than restaurant salsa!!! Looks super fresh & tasty- and easy too- the BEST combination!! Happy FF! 🙂
Thank you so much!! Happy FF to you too 😀 😀
I have fallen in love with the look of your salsa. Will try soon. Happy FF!
Thank you!! 😀 Happy FF to you too!
This is something I’ve got to try! I’ve never made homemade salsa before, but you make it look so easy. Also, adding cumin sounds like a nice little kick. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! You’ll love making your own salsa 😀
Hmm, I think I found myself a salsa recipe. 😀 This looks like the perfect recipe for me. Thank you for sharing and thanks for coming for today’s FF. I hope to see you next week for FF’s first anniversary. 🙂
Thank you! Awesome, I hope you love it 🙂 I’ll definitely be there next week 🙂
Everyone loves salsa and I like your version a lot – I can make it now with canned tomatoes. I just made some tomato soup using canned tomatoes and it was delicious . Thanks for a great snack we all will enjoy (especially me) at FF #51 🙂
Thank you!! 🙂 Canned tomatoes are pretty great, I use them a lot, especially in the winter 🙂
Could this be canned?
Hi there 🙂 I’m not sure if it could be canned as written, as it’s not cooked… but it can be frozen if you’d like some more longevity out of it 🙂
This looks so fresh and delicious! Perfect for tailgating or just entertaining a couple friends.
Thank you!! Yes, it would be great for tailgating 😀
P-P-PINNED! This salsa is SPEAKING to me, I can not WAIT to try it… I’ve been wanting to try a new salsa recipe. I won’t bend much with my guacamole recipe, but salsa- yes! THANK YOU for sharing!!
Woohoo!! I’m with you there, I’m set in my ways about my guacamole, but salsa… I can’t get enough recipes and can’t seem to eat it enough lol. You’re welcome, I hope you LOVE LOVE LOVE it! 🙂