This homemade Restaurant Style Salsa recipe has spicy jalapeno combined with sweet tomatoes and the tangy flavor of cilantro.
This easy salsa recipe is the best! It brings together a host of flavorful vegetables in a sweet sauce of freshly chopped or canned tomatoes. Incredibly fresh, delicious and super easy to make, it’s the perfect appetizer to make for a summer picnic or BBQ as a dip with Tostitos chips. Or serve it as a condiment along with Mexican Lasagna. With such a versatile and easy recipe like this, you will definitely want to keep it handy!
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We Love this Homemade Salsa Recipe!
- Why settle for the bottled jar of salsa from the store, when it can be so easily made fresh and preservative-free at home?
- This 5-minute salsa tastes very similar to Old El Paso and Pace medium salsa.
- Our homemade salsa is such a sweet and flavorful condiment to perk up any meal.
- Having a jar of salsa in the refrigerator is a must, especially when it’s this easy to make.
What is Restaurant Style Salsa
The most commonly served salsa at Mexican restaurants is Salsa Rojo (or red salsa) and it is usually a smoother style of salsa. In this recipe, pulsing the ingredients in the food processor and using canned tomatoes (or certain varieties of extra juicy tomatoes), will yield a smooth restaurant-style salsa.
Ingredients and Variations for this Homemade Salsa Recipe
TOMATOES This recipe calls for whole canned tomatoes. However, when fresh tomatoes are in season, making homemade salsa is easy and a great way to use up those red and juicy vegetables from the garden. Paste tomatoes, like Roma, are the best choice for salsa because they have fewer seeds and less juice. For a smoother salsa, choose a giant slicing tomato which has a lot of juice. But in the end, any kind of tomato will do. Just be sure to choose ripe firm tomatoes with few blemishes. And if using canned, remember to purchase whole canned tomatoes.
EXTRA VEGETABLES Cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice are the simple staples of this recipe, however, mango, pineapple, and peach corn can all be added for extra flavor and texture. To cut the cilantro, trim off the leaves and discard the stems.
SPICES The spices in this recipe are not complicated—garlic, cumin, & salt. That’s all!
VARIATIONS The word ‘Salsa’ means ‘sauce’ and there are so many variations. Two of the most common are Salsa Verde and Salsa Baja. Salsa Verde is a green sauce made with tomatillo and chili peppers. Salsa Baja is a brown sauce made with chicken stock, lots of jalapenos or peppers like chipotle, and browned tomatoes. And did you know Salsa can be made on the grill?
How to Make Restaurant Style Salsa
Here are the simple steps:
- Add all the ingredients (per the recipe below) to a food processor & pulse
- Refrigerate for 1 hour
- Open that bag of chips and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- To make it a chunkier Pico de Gallo salsa, add less of the canned juice. If a runnier consistency is desired, then add all the juice from the can. If using fresh tomatoes, use a larger slicing tomato.
- The tomatoes can be diced instead of pulsed in the food processor for chunky salsa.
- Serve with our delicious guacamole made from avocado and smoked tomatoes.
- This salsa recipe can be used for canning, however, follow the guidelines for canning and check out the National Center for Food Preservation website.
Leftovers?
Salsa will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. If tomatoes are abundant, then the sauce can be made in large batches and frozen. Leftover salsa can also be used to dip sourdough crackers in, or to make huevos rancheros!
Mexican Style Favorites
- Instant Pot Pickled Jalapenos – hot condiment!
- Baked Churros – addictively crisp
- Spicy Chocolate Sauce – sweet & spicy dip
- Pork Carnitas – delish entree.
- Mini Jalapeno Popper Corn Muffins – ideal side dish.
Restaurant Style Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned tomatoes with juice, 1 can, separated *see note
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add whole tomatoes, ½ cup of juice from tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, and salt to bowl of food processor.
- Pulse quickly 6-10 times to get desired consistency. Add additional tomato juice if desired.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, or use with any dish requiring salsa.
Notes
Diced tomatoes will work in this recipe too.
Salsa will last for about 10 days in the fridge. Salsa can be frozen.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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