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This homemade salsa recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make, it’s easy to customize (to make it extra spicy, smoky or tangy if you’d like), and it’s SO irresistibly delicious.
Happy Dos De Mayo!
Which also means…happy birthday to me!
My birthday feels a little extra-special this year because it also happens to mark exactly one more month until my wedding. (Can’t wait!) But every year, my birthday also happens to conveniently fall on the week of Cinco De Mayo, which I must say I couldn’t have planned better myself. Mexican food on my birthday for life! (Literally!)
Last year for my birthday, I had all of my friends over for an epic chips-and-salsa-a-thon, which was downright dreamy. Instead of cooking, Barclay and I drove around town all afternoon and picked up a dozen or so different salsas from our favorite Mexican restaurants. And then we whipped up an enormous batch of my classic margaritas, opened up a zillion bags of chips, and had all of our friends over for the most delicious taste test ever. Totally my kind of birthday.
This year’s plans are TBD, thanks to my sweet fiancé who knows how much I love a good surprise. But I did go ahead and whip up a batch of this salsa recipe to have on hand for my bday and Cinco De Mayo this week, which I’ve already been putting to good use. And hey — since I don’t eat many sweets or crave a traditional birthday cake anymore — this seemed like my kind of birthday treat recipe to share on the blog today. ?
Restaurant-Style Salsa Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Alright, so about this salsa recipe!
It’s actually one that I shared on the blog a few years ago. But — like many of the recipes around here lately while I’ve been busy with wedding planning — it’s one that I recently re-photographed and updated to share with those of you who might have missed it the first time around, because I’m convinced that everyone needs this recipe in their lives.
Seriously, it’s been my go-to homemade salsa recipe for years. And for someone who makes homemade salsa nearly once a week, that’s sayin’ something.
But the best part? It’s incredibly quick and easy to make! Also, since it uses canned fire-roasted tomatoes (gotta use the fire-roasted), it’s a really accessible recipe to make year-round, even beyond your regional tomato season.
To make it, simply toss all of your ingredients together in a food processor or blender…
…puree until the salsa reaches your desired texture…
…then taste and season as needed.
If you’d like a smokier salsa, I strongly recommend adding in a chipotle pepper or two in adobo sauce. If you’d like a spicier salsa, you can add in an extra jalapeño (or just add in the seeds from the original one). If you’d like a tangier salsa, you can’t go wrong with extra lime juice in my opinion. And as always, don’t be afraid to add in extra salt to kick up the flavor if needed!
Then, once your salsa is all seasoned and ready to go, partay like it’s yo birthday and DIVE IN.
Seriously, I’ve made this recipe probably hundreds of times, and still never grow tired of it. So if you need some chips and salsa in your life this week — as I believe everyone always does — I can’t recommend it enough.
Just made this and it was amazing! So, so easy and delicious. I absolutely love salsa, and have tried countless ‘restaurant-style’ recipes, and by far this is the most successful and yummiest! Thank you!
Made this over the weekend and it was perfection, thank you for sharing! Question, where did you get those chips? I am on the hunt for the perfect tortilla chip and these look SO good!
I loved this recipe! Next time I may pulse my ingredients with half the tomatoes and stir in the other half (just because I like a bit of chunk in my salsa). Overall, it tastes amazing and was a wonderful way to try out my first batch of cilantro and jalapeños from my garden. I’ll be making this again with fresh tomatoes once mine have grown and ripened. Thank you so much! This recipe is bookmarked. :)
Hayley —
Thanks, Amanda, we’re glad you liked it! And that’s so cool that you’re growing your own cilantro, jalapeños and tomatoes!
Dear Ali,
You could have been describing me!! I adore salsa. Would prob be my last meal!! I made this for our 4th of July celebration yesterday and got tons of compliments on it!!! It shall become my go to recipe for salsa! Thank you so much! I’m fairly new to Pinterest! Love it! I have started following you!! PS I used the fire roasted tomatoes and I cut the recipe in half because i have a small processor.
Meredith
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Meredith, we’re so happy to hear the salsa was a hit the other day! Thanks for following! : )
Hello Ali. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I did 1/2 a lug of tomatoes worth (9 pints), and roasted them along with the jslepenos. Fantastic! To add to your “canning” comment – yes, you can preserve, just be sure to add 1/2 tsp lemon or lime (I used lime for this recipe) to each pint and stir in. This helps to reduce chances of this deliciousness to spoil, and to help maintain color.
Again-great recipe and thanks for sharing!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hey Crystal! You’re welcome, and thank you for your canning/preserving info – great to know! We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe. :)
Terrific salsa, thank you! And so much easier than my usual recipe made with fresh tomatoes. Because I’m not a fan of smoky salsas, I flipped things around using plain diced tomatoes and fire-roasted chiles. A few pulses in the food processor gave me just the right texture. I also want to thank you for getting the salt just right. I always add salt after letting it chill for an hour and usually find that tasting it with the chips I’m serving it with means I only need to add about half the salt specified. Your recipe is spot-on for salt. I did add about a teaspoon of lime juice to give it a little more bite. Salsa perfection!
Some of it is in my slow cooker right now with a chicken breast for your 2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken. It’s already begun to scent my kitchen in a most delicious way. I can hardly wait for dinner time!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, we’re happy you liked it! We hope you enjoyed the slow cooker salsa chicken as well! : )
My boyfriend is a bit of a salsa addict, so I’ve been looking for a good recipe so I won’t have to keep buying expensive (usually disappointing) jars of salsa every week. I have to say this salsa turned out fresh and delicious. We like a little more spice in our salsa, so I used serrano peppers rather than jalapeños, but I know it would turn out perfect either way. Thank you!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re glad to hear that Jennifer, thanks for sharing!
Wish I could! Unfortunately I don’t know much about canning, but I’ve been told that this recipe works well for canning. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This looks amazing – I am making this with your slow cooker chicken recipe for pulled chicken tonight. Yum! I have never thought to make my own salsa and it looks so easy.
Your photos are so good too btw, great quality and shots! :)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for your sweet words Ashlea, and we hope you enjoy both the chicken and the salsa! :)
Happy birthday to you! Also, this looks so yummy – must make soon! And, I know what you mean about the Mexican food on your birthday for life – my birthday is May 5th.
Looks like a great salsa; can’t wait to try it out. I’ve made SO MANY of your recipes and truly love them all—so glad I found your site. :) Hope you have a very happy Birthday!
Omg this salsa looks AMAZING!!! The texture of it reminds me of my favorite brand EVER that tastes like restaurant…Mateos. I eat it with a spoon. I’ll definitely have to try this :-D
Your salsa idea sounds great..love salsa n chips !What I really would like to know is how do you not crave sweets or birthday cake anymore I would love to kick my sugar addiction
A women after my own heart–skip the cake and go for the chips & salsa! Happy Birthday and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’m a newer follower and hadn’t found this one yet.
Ok, so I do not lie when I say you are my favorite food blog. Time and time again, I come for your recipes and stories, and you do not disappoint…consistently. That says a lot.
I enjoy reading the text, your photography is gorgeous, and you do a beautiful job with the graphics, too. The new videos are also so helpful and so well done.
I have worked as a commercial photographer and prop and food stylist, as well as dabble dangerously in graphic design hee hee.
I mostly do interior design these days, and have wanted to start a blog.
Reading your blog is fun, and I often say to myself: “That Ali seems really cool, I’d love to meet her one day.”
And today I find out we share the same birthday…shut the front door!!
Life can be so funny sometimes.
I bid you an amazing birthday, fellow May 2nd-er! And perhaps the impending nuptials in your future signal a similar fate for me soon, too.
Thanks for all you do [beautifully] : ) Keep working your magic!
Happy Happy Birthday!!
Wow! I looked back and saw that I first made this on Sept 8, 2015! It’s been my go-to salsa ever since. Thanks again for sharing it with us, and Feliz tardio cumpleaños.
Happy, happy birthday Ali!! Enjoy your last birthday as a “single” or at least, unmarried, woman! ? ? I can’t wait to hear what Barclay planned for your special day!
This is a good basic salsa recipe upon which to build. Jalapeños are notoriously unpredictable in their level of heat. For a milder and more consistently spiced chilies, use Serranos. All chilies have extra heat in the membranes and seeds. Roasting/charring diminishes the heat a little.
If you like fire, use a red jalapeño. Want more? Add a habanero to that. After that move up to a ghost (bhut jolokia or red naga) and really spice up your life.
There are several chilies that give salsa its characteristic flavor. They being either mild poblanos, Anaheims, or the spicier, jalapeños or Serranos but NOT a bell pepper. The base must be that of a chili pepper.
For an authentic, smoky taste, char some or all of the vegetables, except the cilantro, preferably over a gas flame, under a hot broiler or in a very hot cast iron skillet. Then follow the recipe above. Remember to save and add back in all liquid or charred bits.
One word of caution, do not process the cilantro. Coarse chop it by hand then mix it in. If you are making more than you plan on using that day, add it into or garnish what is in the serving bow only. Stirred in and left, it gets very bitter overnight and ruins the salsa. Around here, overnight is a rarity.
Finished salsa, on its own, should be a little on the salty side to make the flavors really pop. This will taste less so after adding to food.
Yes, I have lots of Mexican friends who constantly teach me their methods. Salsas are personal. Make one your own. :-)~
Love your post ? Happy Birthday! We actually have something in common. My birthday is on Cinco de Mayo. As a kid my mom would throw a fiesta every year. Homemade chile verde was my absolute fave! I make restaurant style salsa too sometimes. Especially when tomatoes aren’t in season. It’s so simple and tasty. Love the idea of using fire roasted tomatoes.
Quick question, and maybe I’m reading too much into it because I’m a grammar nerd, but you say to add “more” lime juice if you’d like it tangier. However, I don’t see in the ingredients where it calls for lime juice to be added in the first place. Was it left out of the ingredients? Thanks!
I have searched forever for the perfect salsa, and FINALLY, it has been found!!!
Thank you! Thank you!
Raves from everyone who has tried it.
It will always be the salsa I serve from now on : )
I made half a batch today to use in the 2-ingredient slow cooker chicken recipe tomorrow. What a mistake! It will be hard to save enough for the recipe… Maybe I should make a fresh batch tomorrow?
Seriously, though, we love to make pico de gallo in the summer when the ingredients are fresh, but end up using store bought salsa the rest of the year. Not anymore! This is my new go-to recipe for year round deliciousness. The recipe is forgiving and flexible. and I love that I don’t need to add sugar. Thank you!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing, Cathy, we’re so happy you loved it, and we hope you enjoy the chicken as well! :)
This looks fantastic! You likely haven’t had any of it left around long enough to know, but have you ever tried making extra to freeze?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, Kelsey, we hope you enjoy! And unfortunately we don’t recommend freezing this. Freezing fresh salsa will pretty much get rid of all of those awesome fresh flavors.
This is our new ‘go-to’ salsa recipe. We have been searching and have come up wanting more with the store brands we’ve tried. Nothing has quite the right balance and blend of flavors. It’s so fast and easy to bring together. I’ve already been asked by several people to share the recipe. Thank you!!
Oh my gosh, fantastic Salsa. Thank you for sharing!
Just made this – delicious! Love a one-step recipe. Def keeping this one handy for the summer :)
Thanks Charlotte, so glad you liked it!
What kind of tomatoes did you use? Diced? Whole peeled? How did you get such a chunky yet lots of liquid dish?
I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes. They come with quite a bit of juice that you can either leave in or drain out.
Just made this and it was amazing! So, so easy and delicious. I absolutely love salsa, and have tried countless ‘restaurant-style’ recipes, and by far this is the most successful and yummiest! Thank you!
Thanks Nicole, I’m glad to hear that!
Definitely adding this to the roster to give a go – there’s nothing better than that real, authentic restaurant style salsa in my opinion.
Josh – The Kentucky Gent
https://thekentuckygent.com
Made this over the weekend and it was perfection, thank you for sharing! Question, where did you get those chips? I am on the hunt for the perfect tortilla chip and these look SO good!
Outstanding salsa, thank you for the recipe!
Thanks, Richard, so glad you like it!
I loved this recipe! Next time I may pulse my ingredients with half the tomatoes and stir in the other half (just because I like a bit of chunk in my salsa). Overall, it tastes amazing and was a wonderful way to try out my first batch of cilantro and jalapeños from my garden. I’ll be making this again with fresh tomatoes once mine have grown and ripened. Thank you so much! This recipe is bookmarked. :)
Thanks, Amanda, we’re glad you liked it! And that’s so cool that you’re growing your own cilantro, jalapeños and tomatoes!
Dear Ali,
You could have been describing me!! I adore salsa. Would prob be my last meal!! I made this for our 4th of July celebration yesterday and got tons of compliments on it!!! It shall become my go to recipe for salsa! Thank you so much! I’m fairly new to Pinterest! Love it! I have started following you!! PS I used the fire roasted tomatoes and I cut the recipe in half because i have a small processor.
Meredith
Thanks Meredith, we’re so happy to hear the salsa was a hit the other day! Thanks for following! : )
Hello Ali. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I did 1/2 a lug of tomatoes worth (9 pints), and roasted them along with the jslepenos. Fantastic! To add to your “canning” comment – yes, you can preserve, just be sure to add 1/2 tsp lemon or lime (I used lime for this recipe) to each pint and stir in. This helps to reduce chances of this deliciousness to spoil, and to help maintain color.
Again-great recipe and thanks for sharing!
Hey Crystal! You’re welcome, and thank you for your canning/preserving info – great to know! We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe. :)
best salsa recipe ever ……..its my go to …….no other salsa will do now !! Delicious , thank you so much for blogging it :)
Thanks Holly, that’s so sweet of you – we’re glad you love the recipe so much!
How many fresh tomatoes would I use as a substitute for the canned?
Hi Stephanie! We’d recommend using about 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes. We hope you enjoy!
We have a similar recipe in Pakistan and make this concoction fresh in summer to eat with white rice; lentils and yogurt. Will try your recipe today
Very cool Ishrat, what is it called? We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Terrific salsa, thank you! And so much easier than my usual recipe made with fresh tomatoes. Because I’m not a fan of smoky salsas, I flipped things around using plain diced tomatoes and fire-roasted chiles. A few pulses in the food processor gave me just the right texture. I also want to thank you for getting the salt just right. I always add salt after letting it chill for an hour and usually find that tasting it with the chips I’m serving it with means I only need to add about half the salt specified. Your recipe is spot-on for salt. I did add about a teaspoon of lime juice to give it a little more bite. Salsa perfection!
Some of it is in my slow cooker right now with a chicken breast for your 2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken. It’s already begun to scent my kitchen in a most delicious way. I can hardly wait for dinner time!
Thank you, we’re happy you liked it! We hope you enjoyed the slow cooker salsa chicken as well! : )
Do you always use canned tomato’s? I’d like to use fresh tomato’s from my garden.
It depends, fresh in the summer when we can! :)
This is the best recipe ever, I don’t make any other salsa recipe now – this is the holy grail of salsa
That’s so sweet of you to say Holly! We’re happy you enjoy it so much! :)
My boyfriend is a bit of a salsa addict, so I’ve been looking for a good recipe so I won’t have to keep buying expensive (usually disappointing) jars of salsa every week. I have to say this salsa turned out fresh and delicious. We like a little more spice in our salsa, so I used serrano peppers rather than jalapeños, but I know it would turn out perfect either way. Thank you!
We’re glad to hear that Jennifer, thanks for sharing!
Could you please give me the procedure needed to can this salsa? WE LOVE IT!
Wish I could! Unfortunately I don’t know much about canning, but I’ve been told that this recipe works well for canning. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This looks amazing – I am making this with your slow cooker chicken recipe for pulled chicken tonight. Yum! I have never thought to make my own salsa and it looks so easy.
Your photos are so good too btw, great quality and shots! :)
Thanks for your sweet words Ashlea, and we hope you enjoy both the chicken and the salsa! :)
Totally and absolutely delicious. No changes of any sort needed here! YUMMY!!!!!!
Thanks Kathy — we’re glad you enjoyed this! :)
Love this salsa! Always a crowd pleaser ??
Thanks, we’re glad to hear that!
Delicious! I’ve been thinking of making my own salsa for a while and your recipes are always great.
Charmaine Ng
Happy birthday, salsa lover!
Yes please! Sounds delicious and happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! A salsa Party sounds like a fun idea!
This salsa sounds incredible. Can’t wait to try it! :)
Thanks, Emily, we hope you enjoy it! :)
Happy birthday to you! Also, this looks so yummy – must make soon! And, I know what you mean about the Mexican food on your birthday for life – my birthday is May 5th.
Happy birthday! Can’t wait to get my Cinco on with this recipe!
Looks like a great salsa; can’t wait to try it out. I’ve made SO MANY of your recipes and truly love them all—so glad I found your site. :) Hope you have a very happy Birthday!
Thank you, Sara, we’re so happy to hear that! :)
Omg this salsa looks AMAZING!!! The texture of it reminds me of my favorite brand EVER that tastes like restaurant…Mateos. I eat it with a spoon. I’ll definitely have to try this :-D
Thanks, Lindsay, we hope you enjoy it!
Haaaaaaaaaapy Birthday!!! You share a birthday with my favorite person ever, my mom. Cheers!
The new pictures look so fresh and vibrant red color. Also, I love the ending of the video, very original and fun. Thank you,
Thank you, Carlos, we appreciate that!
Your salsa idea sounds great..love salsa n chips !What I really would like to know is how do you not crave sweets or birthday cake anymore I would love to kick my sugar addiction
Thank you, Deb, we hope you can give this a try!
Happy Birthday!! I hope you have an amazing day!
Thanks for the salsa recipe.
A women after my own heart–skip the cake and go for the chips & salsa! Happy Birthday and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’m a newer follower and hadn’t found this one yet.
Ok, so I do not lie when I say you are my favorite food blog. Time and time again, I come for your recipes and stories, and you do not disappoint…consistently. That says a lot.
I enjoy reading the text, your photography is gorgeous, and you do a beautiful job with the graphics, too. The new videos are also so helpful and so well done.
I have worked as a commercial photographer and prop and food stylist, as well as dabble dangerously in graphic design hee hee.
I mostly do interior design these days, and have wanted to start a blog.
Reading your blog is fun, and I often say to myself: “That Ali seems really cool, I’d love to meet her one day.”
And today I find out we share the same birthday…shut the front door!!
Life can be so funny sometimes.
I bid you an amazing birthday, fellow May 2nd-er! And perhaps the impending nuptials in your future signal a similar fate for me soon, too.
Thanks for all you do [beautifully] : ) Keep working your magic!
Happy Happy Birthday!!
Hey there! Just made this and it’s beyond delicious! I do add a squeeze of lemon juice to mine. Thanks for posting this easy recipe.
Thank you, Doris, we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
PS. I forgot to wish you a very Happy Birthday —-may you have many memories.
Wow! I looked back and saw that I first made this on Sept 8, 2015! It’s been my go-to salsa ever since. Thanks again for sharing it with us, and Feliz tardio cumpleaños.
We’re so happy you love it! :D
This looks amazing!! I love salsa that can be made in a food processor!
Thanks, Angelina, we hope you enjoy this!
Happy, happy birthday Ali!! Enjoy your last birthday as a “single” or at least, unmarried, woman! ? ? I can’t wait to hear what Barclay planned for your special day!
This is a good basic salsa recipe upon which to build. Jalapeños are notoriously unpredictable in their level of heat. For a milder and more consistently spiced chilies, use Serranos. All chilies have extra heat in the membranes and seeds. Roasting/charring diminishes the heat a little.
If you like fire, use a red jalapeño. Want more? Add a habanero to that. After that move up to a ghost (bhut jolokia or red naga) and really spice up your life.
There are several chilies that give salsa its characteristic flavor. They being either mild poblanos, Anaheims, or the spicier, jalapeños or Serranos but NOT a bell pepper. The base must be that of a chili pepper.
For an authentic, smoky taste, char some or all of the vegetables, except the cilantro, preferably over a gas flame, under a hot broiler or in a very hot cast iron skillet. Then follow the recipe above. Remember to save and add back in all liquid or charred bits.
One word of caution, do not process the cilantro. Coarse chop it by hand then mix it in. If you are making more than you plan on using that day, add it into or garnish what is in the serving bow only. Stirred in and left, it gets very bitter overnight and ruins the salsa. Around here, overnight is a rarity.
Finished salsa, on its own, should be a little on the salty side to make the flavors really pop. This will taste less so after adding to food.
Yes, I have lots of Mexican friends who constantly teach me their methods. Salsas are personal. Make one your own. :-)~
Oh, happy birthday kid. Congrats on your upcoming wedding.
Love your post ? Happy Birthday! We actually have something in common. My birthday is on Cinco de Mayo. As a kid my mom would throw a fiesta every year. Homemade chile verde was my absolute fave! I make restaurant style salsa too sometimes. Especially when tomatoes aren’t in season. It’s so simple and tasty. Love the idea of using fire roasted tomatoes.
Happy Birthday Ali .. and all the best for your wedding!! Anxiously waiting for your wedding post :)
Thanks for sharing – sounds SO yummy! And, fun fact, we share the same birthday. Happy Dos De Mayo to us!
We hope you enjoy this, Lindsey! :)
Quick question, and maybe I’m reading too much into it because I’m a grammar nerd, but you say to add “more” lime juice if you’d like it tangier. However, I don’t see in the ingredients where it calls for lime juice to be added in the first place. Was it left out of the ingredients? Thanks!
I was wondering the same thing…
I have searched forever for the perfect salsa, and FINALLY, it has been found!!!
Thank you! Thank you!
Raves from everyone who has tried it.
It will always be the salsa I serve from now on : )
Thanks, Sue, we’re so glad you enjoy it! :)
I made half a batch today to use in the 2-ingredient slow cooker chicken recipe tomorrow. What a mistake! It will be hard to save enough for the recipe… Maybe I should make a fresh batch tomorrow?
Seriously, though, we love to make pico de gallo in the summer when the ingredients are fresh, but end up using store bought salsa the rest of the year. Not anymore! This is my new go-to recipe for year round deliciousness. The recipe is forgiving and flexible. and I love that I don’t need to add sugar. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Cathy, we’re so happy you loved it, and we hope you enjoy the chicken as well! :)
This looks fantastic! You likely haven’t had any of it left around long enough to know, but have you ever tried making extra to freeze?
Thank you, Kelsey, we hope you enjoy! And unfortunately we don’t recommend freezing this. Freezing fresh salsa will pretty much get rid of all of those awesome fresh flavors.
This is our new ‘go-to’ salsa recipe. We have been searching and have come up wanting more with the store brands we’ve tried. Nothing has quite the right balance and blend of flavors. It’s so fast and easy to bring together. I’ve already been asked by several people to share the recipe. Thank you!!