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4.5 from 77 votes

Homemade Salsa

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By: Joanna Cismaru 42 Comments

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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!

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  • How to Make Salsa
  • What Ingredients Are in This Salsa Recipe?
  • Looking for More Great Dip Recipes? Try These:
  • Homemade Salsa
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
4.49 from 77 votes

Homemade Salsa

Prep 10 minutes minutes
Cook 15 minutes minutes
Total 25 minutes minutes
6
Rate Recipe Print 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!
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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))
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ½ 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℉. 
  • 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. 

Notes

  1. 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. 
  2. To get a tangier salsa, add more freshly squeezed lime juice.
  3. This salsa will last for 5-7 days in the fridge, or 3-4 months in the freezer.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 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. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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4.49 from 77 votes (67 ratings without comment)
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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

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