This homemade salsa recipe is zesty, bright, and flavorful, and comes together in just 5 minutes in the blender for the best restaurant-style Mexican salsa recipe you will love!
Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines of all time, and I love making it at home. From tacos and guac to carnitas and fajitas, I’ve amassed quite the recipe collection over the years. But what are all of these dishes without queso, pico, guac, or salsa? Especially when they’re homemade and only take 5 minutes to make, like this easy homemade salsa recipe. Whether enjoyed as a vehicle for salty tortilla chips or a dip for quesadillas, this homemade salsa with canned tomatoes is bursting with fresh, zesty flavors and is a simple way to amp up the flavor on any Mexican dish.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This easy homemade salsa literally takes just 5 minutes to make!
- It tastes just like your favorite restaurant-style salsa, only better
- It’s bright and zesty and so delicious with tortilla chips or enjoying on your favorite tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and more
What’s in Homemade Salsa
- Canned diced tomatoes—I use canned tomatoes because they’re easy to pull from the pantry. Use whole tomatoes if that’s what you have or 15 ounces of roughly chopped fresh tomatoes.
- Canned fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles—Fire-roasted tomatoes lend a subtle smoky flavor to the salsa.
- Yellow onion—I use yellow onion but white onion works fine too.
- Celery—My favorite Mexican restaurant puts big chunks of celery in their salsa and I’ve come to love the texture it adds. In my salsa, I blend it with the rest of the ingredients, but chunky is so good too.
- Jalapeño pepper—This isn’t a spicy salsa, but still, you’ve gotta have some heat in salsa! If you’re sensitive to heat, start with ½ of a jalapeño and add more to taste. Or, remove the seeds and ribs before adding to the blender.
- Fresh cilantro—Cilantro adds a fresh, clean flavor to this salsa dip.
- Fresh lime juice—I always use fresh lime juice to add that citrusy squeeze that compliments and lightens the tomato taste.
- Tomato paste—Tomato paste does double duty here, adding sweetness and depth to the salsa while thickening it just a bit, too.
- Kosher salt—Salt always enhances anything it flavors.
- Garlic powder—Garlic powder lends the garlic flavor without the sharp bits of fresh. However, you can use 1 clove of minced or pressed fresh garlic, if you prefer.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Homemade Salsa
This homemade salsa couldn’t be easier to make. There’s no roasting of any veggies or any fussy techniques. The blender does all the work here.
- Blend, baby, blend. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process for 30 seconds or until mostly smooth but still with some chunks (or process longer if you want a super smooth consistency). Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl or a jar if refrigerating and serving later.
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- What is the difference between salsa and pico de gallo? Many of the ingredients for salsa and pico de gallo are the same, though salsa is typically blended, while pico de gallo is just mixed together, and contains all fresh ingredients.
- How long does homemade salsa in a jar last? This homemade salsa will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but it’s best eaten while super fresh.
- My recipe uses canned tomatoes for ease, but you could certainly use fresh tomatoes instead, especially during the summer time when they’re at their peak.
Ingredient Substitutions
I love this homemade salsa exactly as is, but if you want to play around with it, you could try adding any of the following ingredients:
- Fresh garlic would be delicious in this salsa (I would add just a clove)
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Bell pepper
- Use fresh roma tomatoes if you’d rather have a fresh tomato salsa
- This is a relatively mild salsa, but if you’d like more heat, you could easily add more of the jalapeño seeds, or chili powder or hot sauce to increase the spice level
Storage Tips
This homemade salsa will keep stored in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can also freeze homemade salsa for up to 3 months, but note that its texture won’t be quite the same. I definitely recommend enjoying it fresh.
What to Serve With Homemade Salsa
- Tortilla chips
- Chicken Nachos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Fried Avocado Tacos
- Breakfast Tacos
- Roasted Vegetable Quesadilla
- Chipotle Chicken Taquitos
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles
- ½ yellow onion , roughly chopped
- 1 celery rib , roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño , with seeds, roughly chopped
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro leaves with stems
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process for 30 seconds or until mostly smooth but still with some chunks. Serve with tortilla chips or Mexican food. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
More Salsas & Sauces to Try
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