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
Tabitha says
Is this recipe one that can be canned?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tabitha 🙂 I’ve never canned it, and don’t know enough about canning uncooked foods to give you a definite answer. I do know that the salsa freezes well though.
Chris says
How long does this stay good? Also, can you freeze it?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Chris 🙂 We usually eat ours fairly quickly, but I would think it’d be good for a week in the refrigerator (and sealed). I’ve heard from other readers that it does freeze well 🙂
MARY ANN says
I LOVE SALSA BUT NOT CILANTRO. WILL ELIMINATING IT FROM THIS RECIPE MATTER MUCH? I EAT SALSA ON SCOOPS WITH A DAB OF SOUR CREAM. YOU CAN ALSO PUT SHREDDED CHEESE INTO THE SCOOPS, MICROWAVE A FEW SECONDS TIL CHEESE MELTS, TOP WITH SALSA AND SOUR CREAM. YUMMY! YUMMY!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Mary Ann 🙂 We love cilantro, so I’ve never made this salsa without it. Most salsas actually have some cilantro in it, but if you hate the taste, you could substitute a bit of fresh parsley, or eliminate the cilantro altogether. I can’t guarantee the taste though, since my recipe uses cilantro as a big ingredient. The scoops method you mentioned sounds yummy!
Gloria says
This recipe looks great! Can I replace the fresh jalapenos for pickled jalapenos? Those are what I usually have on hand. Thank you for the recipe!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Gloria 🙂 Yes, you can definitely use those if you have them on hand. The flavor will be a little different, but still good 🙂
Warren says
Allowing tomato-based recipes like this to get cold and quiescently congeal is important. My very first batch is sitting in the refrigerator right now. It is a bit runny, but I’m not draining off those flavor-infused juices. No need to.
When this salsa, (or any tomato product) sits, undisturbed, it gels or congeals. It will absorba lot of runny liquid and thicken the salsa… In fact, it is what makes ketchup thick when it is cold and sits in the refrigerator.
The technical term for this phenomenon is “thixotropic.”
Anna says
Genius, just made this for tonight’s Mexican dinner. Tastes awesome now, can’t wait for the ingredients to marry. Sending love from down under
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Anna 🙂 Oh I’m so glad you loved the salsa!
Jessica says
Do you think this would be ok to can? Like if you made way to much and don’t want to waste it? TIA
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Jessica 🙂 I’ve never done it, and I don’t know enough about canning un-cooked foods to give a solid answer. It could possibly be frozen, or you could halve the recipe 🙂
Nan says
How do you cut the cilantro do you cut st teems to
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Nan 🙂 I just grab a handful and twist to pull them off. If there are any large/long stems, I remove them, but other than that, I just put the whole handful into the food processor/blender.
Laura says
Found this on Pinterest! It was super yummy and easy, just like you said. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
Pregnant salsa craving mama! says
So pregnant me hears a Mexican song on the radio and immediately envision myself eating dinner at Mexico Restaurant. I decide it’s the chips and salsa I really want and since I’m headed to the grocery store anyway, I decide to try my hand at restaurant style salsa. Found your recipe while in the store, and made it asap when I got home. uncouldnt believe how easy it was! My mind was a bit blown that canned tomatoes are the base ingredient. My only critique would be to leave off the cumin or at least try it in a small bowl to make sure you like it before adding to the whole mixture.
Kristine says
Hi! How long does this last after making it? I’m not antisipating it lasting longer than the party, but wondered how far in advance I could make it. Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Kristine 🙂 Our usually doesn’t last long before we eat it lol, but I’ve made it a week in advance and it was still good.
Darla P says
This salsa was so delicious. is it an original recipe? i want to use it for my spanish project. Is it of spanish descent?what country is it from
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Darla 🙂 It’s a recipe inspired from another blog, and I’m sorry to say, I don’t know of it’s descent or origin.
michelle says
How would you adapting this for using fresh tomatoes?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Michelle 🙂 I would start by adding 3-4 tomatoes, add all the remaining ingredients, blend and taste it. If you think it needs more tomatoes, add some and taste from there 🙂
Teresa Boswell says
I made this today, ate a few test bites (delicious!), took a quick Instagram shot, and then had to run to a volleyball tournament. During our down time, a few of my teammates saw the picture and begged me to run home and grab the salsa. I did, and came back with an extra bag of chips. Four girls and one and a half bags of chips and we demolished THE ENTIRE BOWL. I sent the link to at least five people who requested it and was begged to bring more to the next game. So thank you! Not only for a fantastic recipe (to which I will only add a tiny bit more heat), but for practically making me a culinary god among my friends!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Teresa 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you all loved the salsa! Your story definitely made me smile 🙂
Laura says
This salsa is just perfect! It is the easiest and tastiest I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
Funny you mentioned Chili’s salsa as Dave and I were just saying we hadn’t been there in ages and I too LOVE that salsa with chips. This sounds like my kind of salsa, thanks Amanda!
Lauren says
I’ve canned tomato’s for years. Stewed, juices and salsa. But I love the looks of the consistency of yours!
I’ll try this this week and share with my Sis and we’ll let you know what we think.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Arshi says
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Arshi says
Hey! Can I use this salsa for pizza as well? By making the sauce a bit finer?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Arshi 🙂 I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work well for a Mexican-style pizza 🙂
Liz Walker says
LOVE IT! Some of my kids don’t like chunks, this has all of the great flavor without the chunk. THANKS FOR SHARING!!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Liz 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you all loved it!