Skip the store-bought jar and make this homemade salsa instead. Our salsa recipe takes less than 15 minutes to make, adjusts to your desired level of spices, and keeps in the fridge for a week. Jump to the quick and easy salsa recipe
watch the video
Make our 15 minute salsa
I love how easy this salsa is to make. Simply toss tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until chopped, then season with salt, pepper, and lime. Simply!
The ingredient list for this mixed salsa is very similar to that needed to make pico de gallo. The only difference is that this salsa is mixed while pico de gallo is hand chopped. Both are amazing!
Our tips for the best homemade salsa
It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe, but there are a few extra tips we wanted to share with you so you can make it your own!
Use the pulse function on your blender or food processor. For a texture that rivals restaurant or glass salsa, use the pulse function while mixing. This way you can set the perfect texture. We keep it a little chunky.
Adjust the seasoning level by adding or removing the pepper seeds and membrane. It’s the white membrane and seeds in chili peppers that are hot.
- For a mild salsa, remove all seeds and skins and use only one pepper.
- For a medium-sized salsa, remove most of the seeds and membrane and use 2 bell peppers.
- For a spicy salsa, leave the seeds and membrane intact and use one or more peppers.
Let it sit for 30 minutes or more. The good news about this recipe is that the salsa gets better the longer it sits. Time allows all the flavors and ingredients to blend.
Flame your onions. I’m quite sensitive to raw onions, so I always flame them before adding them. You can see how we do this in the video, but basically we put chopped onions in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Then we drain and rinse them. This simple step takes the edge off the raw onion.
Serve with homemade tortilla chips. Making your own tortilla chips is easy and they taste so good! Here’s our tortilla chip recipe to help you out.
recipe variations
- For some smokiness, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of canned chopped chipotle to adobo. For our black bean soup we use chipotle in adobo sauce.
- Add a handful of cabbage to blender or food processor before pulsing. Cabbage adds a nice crunch.
- Use fire roasted canned tomatoes or roast your tomatoes. We use roasted tomatoes and peppers in this Roasted Tomato Salsa.
- Add more peppers with canned green chiles, roasted poblano or anaheim peppers, or add some ancho chili powder (see our chili powder recipe here).
- Stir into homemade queso dip.
frequently asked Questions
Which tomatoes should I use? Can I use fresh?
The tomatoes you use to make homemade salsa is up to you. If you have access to fresh, ripe tomatoes, use them! We don’t peel the fresh tomatoes, but you can if you’d like. If the tomatoes you have access to aren’t the tastiest, like the ones we find in the dead of winter, use canned ones. I like to use canned fire roasted tomatoes.
How long does the salsa keep?
Homemade salsa will keep in the fridge for a week (maybe longer). Our recipe makes about 3 cups, so we usually have some leftover to add to salads, tacos, and other dishes throughout the week.
More recipes to try
Quick and easy salsa
Skip the store-bought jar and make this salsa from scratch instead. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, can be adjusted to your desired spice level, and lasts a week in the fridge. See our article above for recipe variations.
Fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes work in this recipe. When using canned tomatoes, we love using fire roasted tomatoes, which add a bit of smokiness to the salsa.
Makes about 3 cups
Watch us make the recipe
you will need
2 (15-ounce) cans of fried tomatoes or use 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (1 3/4 pounds)
1/3 cup chopped white or sweet onion (half medium onion)
2 medium garlic cloves (2 teaspoons minced)
1 to 2 medium jalapeño or serrano peppers, without stems, membrane and seeds
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 medium limes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
directions
Place tomatoes in a colander over a large bowl and drain. Save the drained juice to add back to salsa if it’s too thick, or save to add to soups or other dishes.
Place chopped onion in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 10 minutes, drain and then rinse.
Place the garlic in a blender or bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape the sides, then add the drained tomatoes, drained and rinsed onions, bell peppers, cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the juice of half a lime. Pulse until desired texture is achieved. Taste and then season with additional salt or lime juice. (We usually add 3/4 teaspoon of salt).
This salsa gets better with time, so if you have the opportunity, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Advice from Adam and Joanne
- Spice Level: For mild, remove all seeds and skin and use just a pepper. For medium, remove most of the seeds and membranes and use 2 bell peppers. For a spicy salsa, leave the seeds and membrane intact and use one or more peppers.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: serving size about 1/4 cup / calories 20 / total fat 0.2g / Saturated Fatty Acids 0g / cholesterol 0 mg / sodium 102.2mg / carbohydrate 4.4g / fiber 1.2g / total sugar 2.6g / protein 0.9g
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