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
Lavida says
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!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Lavida 🙂 I’m glad you were able to come up with some changes to make it perfect for your tastes 🙂
Macy Wilson says
I have made this several times! I use 1/2 a jalapeño and way less cilantro! It is just right for us! Thank you!!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Macy 🙂 I’m so glad you love the salsa and adjusted it to your tastes!
JERI says
lOVE YOUR SITE, SO CLEAN, NEAT,NO CLUTTER, VERY WELL LAID OUT.
The Chunky Chef says
Thanks Jeri! 🙂
SecretRapture says
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
The Chunky Chef says
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!
Diana says
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.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Diana! 🙂 I’m SO glad to hear that you love the salsa 😀
Sherell says
I tried with fresh tomatoes but its a little watery. The flavor is there but its not thick, any suggestions?
The Chunky Chef says
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 🙂
Cliff says
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.
shannon says
If using fresh tomatoes, how many?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi SHannon 🙂 I would say about 10-12 medium to large sized tomatoes
shannon says
what kind of fresh tomatoes would you suggest? Roma?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never made it with fresh tomatoes, but I think roma or plum tomatoes would be best 🙂
Kari says
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.
The Chunky Chef says
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.
Eric Claeyborn says
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.
Kim says
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?
The Chunky Chef says
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?
abbey says
Has anyone tried canning this recipe?!
Bekah R says
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!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Bekah 🙂 I’m SO happy that you love the salsa!! Garden fresh is awesome!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Looks amazing! Love how quick it is to make!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
Looks delicious! Nothing better than fresh salsa!
Diane says
Salsa is always delicious. So nice you can make it in a hurry! This looks amazing!
Rachel @ {i love} my disorganized life says
Perfect!
Cassie D. says
If using fresh tomatoes, do they need to be cooked or peeled first?
The Chunky Chef says
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.
Tara says
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!
The Chunky Chef says
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!
Katie says
So good! I use this recipe every time we do taco night now! Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Katie 🙂 That’s so awesome, and I’m so glad you love the salsa!
Sherri says
Loved the salsa at a local dive until I used your recipe to make my own. Never will buy it premade again. Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sherri 🙂 I’m so glad you love the salsa!
Priya says
can I make it night before … Or 2 days before
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Priya 🙂 You sure can! In fact, the flavors will have longer to meld together, so it may even taste better that way 🙂
Robert Gillespie says
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!
The Chunky Chef says
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!