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This no-cook salsa recipe uses a can of tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and zesty seasonings to make a restaurant-style salsa everyone will love!
Holly’s Homemade Salsa Highlights
- Flavor: Vibrant tomato flavor and a kick of heat make this a salsa recipe a keeper.
- Skill Level: This recipe just has two steps: blend and chill!
- Recommended Tools: A food processor, immersion blender, or personal blender is helpful to achieve the desired consistency.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies, or use as a topping for a taco salad, or with sheet pan quesadillas.
Ingredient Tips for Homemade Salsa
- Canned Tomatoes: Blending whole tomatoes leaves them a little chunky, but you can use diced tomatoes, especially if you don’t have a food processor. Choose the best quality for the best results.
- Fresh Ingredients: Not a fan of cilantro? Leave it out or sub parsley instead. Onion adds crunch and a mild sweetness; it can also be sautéed for a smoky flavor. Use red or white onion for the best flavor.
- Seasonings: Cumin is a must-have for salsa recipes, and garlic powder can be used instead of fresh garlic. Zest it up even more and add a dash or two of adobo seasoning.
- Variations: Make a signature salsa by adding corn kernels, black beans, bell peppers, tomatillos, or green chiles.
Hot or Not?
Like it milder? Omit the jalapeno, or add more tomatoes. Cucumber, avocado, or sour cream also work. Feel the heat with extra chopped jalapenos (or juice if they were from a jar or can), Tabasco, or a pinch of chile powder, cayenne, or red pepper flakes.
How to Make Homemade Salsa
- Add all ingredients to a food processor (full recipe below).
- Pulse to desired consistency.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Keep it Fresh!
Keep homemade salsa in a covered container or mason jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3 days.
Fresh salsa can be frozen in zippered bags for up to 3 months. It will be watery or mushy once thawed, but you can drain it and add tomato paste or diced tomatoes, fresh onions, and seasonings to revive the flavors.
More Great Mexican Dishes
Did you enjoy this Homemade Salsa? Leave a comment and rating below.
Homemade Salsa (Restaurant Style)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juices, 1 can, *see note
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add whole tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime, garlic, cumin, and salt to a food processor (remove ½ cup juice from the tomatoes if desired). Pulse 4-6 times to get desired consistency.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dip
Cuisine Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Excellent. I use it all the time.
This needs work. I appreciate the speed of the recipe which is why I gave it a go… but yeah,
Needs work.
Cilantro is heavy relative to other measurements, and there is way too much cumin. It’s overpowering with these flavors, at least in the amount recommended. The salt measurement relative to the cumin is way off as well.
Hope this helps.
Sorry you didn’t love it as much as we do Alexander. It’s been a huge hit with readers!
First time making it. I will never buy store bought again!
This is our go to salsa, my kids LOVE it and it’s so easy to tweak for those that like more spice. I’ve also tried adding some poblano pepper to it which added another layer of flavor but didn’t add heat. We usually make it as written but add another clove of garlic and juice of a whole lime. delicious!
this is my new go to. Great taste and simple to make. have made others with a lot more ingredients and time and yours is super!
Love your recipes. Like trying new recipes to see each one my friend likes, so far all thumbs up.
Thank you
This salsa was perfect for a dinner party we hosted for friends. Initially, I thought it could’ve used more heat, but I am glad I held off on adding a second jalapeño. Draining 1/2 cup of tomato juice is a key step. Next time I’ll double the recipe to make 16 servings. 8 servings went quicker than I thought for 8 people! Delicious!
Superb flavor . Many times better than even high-end, store-bought salsa. Followed the recipe using the fresh tomatoes option and added chopped mango. Ample kosher and sea salt compliment the heat of the jalapeño pepper and the sweetness of the mango
how do you can your own salsa for the future Mexican meals, can you water bath it? or do you have to pressure can ?
Hi Sheryl, we are not experienced in canning so I am not sure how to go about that. Maybe another reader can help!
Could I use fresh tomatoes? My garden has an over abundance this year and I’m trying to think of ways to use them up before they go to waste. If so, any pointers?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Tracy, but it should work just fine! You will want to use about 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Can you tell me how many pints this recipe makes?
This will make approximately 2 pints. Enjoy Jo!
This recipe is really good. I added more jalapeños to kick it up a notch. As they say in Spanish, “Delicioso”! Thanks for the share.
Could canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes be used in this recipe??
I haven’t tried them Ana, but I think they would be delicious! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Has anyone successfully canned this? If so, what adjustments did you make.
Hi Megan, I have not tried canning this recipe and unfortunately am unable to say if this recipe is suitable for canning. Maybe one of our readers will have a suggestion for you!
I have canned salsa before no problem. It can be water bath canned. I use my pressure canner just to be on the safe side.
Do not add the cilantro, it’s much better fresh added after opening you canned salsa.
Thank you so much for this recipe – it is so simple, but so good!!
You’re welcome Tracy! We sure love it too!