The best homemade salsa is made with juicy tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, fresh cilantro and plenty of spice and flavor! A little spicy, slightly sweet, and perfect with salty chips. Great for game day/tailgating, parties, Mexican recipes and more!
This is one of my Salsa recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Chips and salsa is such a classic snack combination, and one that we in the chunky chef household are fairly obsessed with!
Jarred salsa can be good, and it certainly is convenient, but we love making homemade salsa. That way we can control the texture, heat level, quality of the ingredients, etc.
This recipe has been on the website since 2015, and while it’s been updated a couple of times over the years, the recipe itself has remained the same.
The same is true for this updated version, the recipe is the same, it just has some updated photos, clearer instructions, and more in depth tips and tricks.
It’s a really simple recipe, but over the years readers just like you have had questions regarding substitutions, freezing options, etc… and I wanted to update the post to reflect those answers so you’ll have everything you need to make the best salsa ever!
How to make homemade salsa?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Add vegetables to food processor. There’s no need to chop them finely, just a rough chop so they’ll fit in the processor.
- Add seasonings.
- Add lime juice. Fresh lime juice tastes best, but bottled will work in a pinch.
- Process. Pulse a few times, then process until the salsa is the consistency and texture you’d like.
Helpful Tip!
I wrote this recipe the way we love this salsa, but feel free to use the ingredient amounts as a guideline and go by your own preferences and tastes. It’s your salsa after all!
Variations of this recipe
- Spicy – to increase the heat, try adding an additional jalapeno, add a serrano pepper, or add some cayenne pepper.
- Mild – to make this salsa more mild, you can omit the jalapeno, or at the very least, make sure you remove the ribs and seeds from the pepper.
- Texture – I prefer a semi-smooth salsa, but you can make this salsa any consistency you like best.
- Fresh – if you don’t have canned tomatoes, you can use about 8-12 roma or plum tomatoes, and blend as directed. If you’d like the salsa a bit more wet, feel free to blend in some tomato juice, vegetable broth or water.
- Smoky – for a smoky flavor, try adding a chipotle in adobo, or some of the sauce that’s in the can with the peppers. This will add a bit of heat as well.
- No food processor – if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender, or just use your knife to cut everything down into very small pieces.
FAQ’s
It may seem like an out of place ingredient, but I’d be willing to bet that sugar is probably in a lot of your favorite salsas. Not only does it help to counteract any bitterness from the tomatoes, it balances all the flavors to really round out your salsa and make it the best you’ve ever had.
If you prefer a really thick salsa, drain the liquid in the can of whole tomatoes (personally I would drain it into a container, rather than down the drain). Then process the salsa as directed and add back some of the liquid from the can, a little at a time, until you have the consistency you’re looking for.
I don’t personally have the canning expertise to safely advise you on that, but this recipe is very freezer-friendly, if you’re looking for longer storage. I do believe some readers have canned this salsa, if you wanted to page through the comments they may have shared tips.
Making homemade salsa ahead of time
While this salsa tastes incredible right away, I think it gets even better when made ahead of time! All the flavors have time to really meld together. I like to make this salsa a day or so ahead of time.
Plus I like cold salsa, so it gives the salsa plenty of time to chill. If you don’t enjoy cold salsa, after it hangs out in the refrigerator for a while, feel free to let it sit at room temperature for a little bit before serving.
Freezing
Homemade salsa can also be frozen, for up to 6-9 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Storage
Leftover salsa should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within about a week.
More Salsa Recipes:
My Favorite Food Processor!
You can use any food processor or blender for this recipe, but I’ve had this model for years and really love it. It’s easy to take apart and clean, and the large capacity means I don’t have to break the recipe down into smaller batches!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes including juice
- 1 small white onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin or to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 to 1 tsp granulated sugar optional, and to taste
- 1 or 2 handfuls cilantro this is probably 1 or 2 cups worth
- 3 Tbsp lime juice fresh is best
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times to break up larger pieces, then process until texture is mostly smooth (or as smooth or chunky as you'd like).
- Taste the salsa and based on personal preference, adjust salt/sugar levels as necessary.
- Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for a couple of hours for best flavor.
- Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Recipe makes approximately 4 cups.
- I’ve estimated this will serve about 12, with roughly 1/3 cup as the serving size.
- I remove the seeds from my jalapeño peppers to reduce the heat level. This way you’ll get all the fresh jalapeño flavor and some heat, but not a crazy amount of heat.
- If you’d like, you could stir in some corn kernels, black beans, or chopped tomatoes for extra texture and flavor.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks
Geraldine says
We loved this salsa, I did cut back on the cumin a little because I’m not a huge fan. It’s a great recipe to keep!
Linda says
This salsa is so good and so easy! I so glad I tried it. My husband and I are huge fans of mexican food and we basically judge a restaurant by how good their salsa is. This recipe is as good as any we have found in local restaurants. Thank you for sharing this one!
Leslie Humiston says
So good and gets better and better everyday. My family loves it so much
Sam says
Fantastic appetizer! Tastes super great
Beti says
I love how fresh and delicious this is! I can’t wait to give it a try!
katerina says
I need to try this asap! It sounds SO delicious!
Krystle says
We love this recipe with chips and on burritos. Tastes just like the restaurants!
Erin says
Sounds incredibly delicious! I have to make this!
Sandra says
This is the best salsa I’ve ever tried! So good!
Erik says
Okay, this is so much better than store bought!
Beth says
This is going on the menu next Taco Tuesday! There’s nothing more delicious than homemade salsa, and this looks extra delicious!
MimiLisa61 says
All I can say is “WOW,” this is the best stuff!! I made it by the recipe using 1 & 1/2 seeded jalapeños and about 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (not a fan of the stems). I knew the cilantro would be too much in the original recipe and when making again I will cut the cumin back to 1 tsp and add a bit more salt. This recipe is easily adjusted for taste and the best homemade salsa recipe I’ve ever found. Thanks so much for posting this, it will be in my fridge at all times from now on!
Naomi B says
I will NEVER buy jarred salsa again! Going to put some in the freezer and test how it comes out. Now I’m off to make your KILLER sloppy joes!
Darlene says
Hi Amanda! This salsa looks great! Can you use fresh tomatoes? You wouldn’t get the juice like you would in a can of tomatoes. Just wondering.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this specific recipe with fresh tomatoes, but I would estimate that using 8-12 roma or garden tomatoes would work well. I would blend as directed, then check the consistency. If you’d like it a bit wetter, feel free to blend in some water, vegetable broth or tomato juice/sauce 🙂
Fay HAMILTON says
How long does this Salsa last in fridge. Fay
The Chunky Chef says
I would estimate around a week 🙂
ori says
how long does this stay good in the fridge? can it be frozen?
The Chunky Chef says
I would estimate about a week in the refrigerator, and yes, it can be frozen.
Ryan says
One of my favorite salsas to make. Friends and family love it!
Veronica says
Can this salsa be canned for later use? if so how do you recommend doing so?
The Chunky Chef says
I do not have enough expertise in canning to give advice on this, and haven’t tested canning this recipe. I believe some other readers have, but I can’t be certain.
Cate says
Yes, you could can this. It would require vinegar for proper acidity.
Check out Practical Self Reliance for instructions.
Jacky says
This was great! So easy and very good. I was impressed. Yay me!
KM says
I made it! although it didnt come out as bright red as your picture..i have it in the fridge and will try it later