5 Minute Blender Salsa (Restaurant Style Salsa)

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This Blender Salsa recipe has all the goodness of restaurant salsa in only 5 minutes and uses simple grocery ingredients. Use fresh or canned tomatoes and any blending appliance for this easy salsa recipe.

We all know there's nothing like fresh pico de gallo summer salsa when garden tomatoes are abundant. But blender salsa saves us ALL twelve months of the year because you can use fresh OR canned tomatoes.

This no-frills, 5-minute salsa recipe requires NO cooking and satisfies like restaurant salsa. It's great to serve with tortilla chips and it's a must-have condiment on chicken burrito bowls, nachos, totchos, taco pasta, taco meat, and veggie enchiladas.

Even at the last minute, you can make a snack bar with this quick blender salsa and my ten minute refried black beans. It's always a hit for neighborhood pop-up parties and a must-have salsa for every Cinco de Mayo feast!

What I love about this recipe

• Made with fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes.
• It's a budget-friendly version of restaurant salsa.
• Use any blender such as Vitamix, Nutribullet, Ninja, or stick blender; or use a food processor like I did in the photos you see for this recipe.
• Blender salsa diet-approved for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and paleo diets.

What you'll need

Ingredient amounts are listed in recipe card below.

• tomatoes - Use canned tomatoes OR fresh tomatoes for blender salsa.
• onion - I prefer red onions for restaurant style salsa, but you can use what you have on hand.
• cilantro and lime - These are key ingredients in fresh Mexican salsa, so make sure to buy them fresh.
• jalapeño pepper - Or Serrano pepper if you like more heat.
• fresh garlic - Restaurant style salsa can be delicious with or without fresh garlic, but I always say go for the garlic!
• cumin - It's super convenient and more common to buy ground cumin, but you can buy cumin seed and grind it yourself with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Either way, don't skip this important ingredient.
• salt and pepper - Adjust to your liking after the salsa has been blended.

How to make blender salsa

Place canned tomatoes (or fresh), onions, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, garlic, and cumin into a blender, food processor, or tall container (if using stick blender).

Pulse the blender (or food processor) until ingredients are well-combined. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.

Refrigerate blender salsa 3-7 days in an airtight container. Serve chilled.

Recipe tips

• When using canned tomatoes, I recommend the reduced sodium variety because it gives you the option to adjust salt to your liking.
• I also recommend unseasoned or unflavored canned tomatoes so you can flavor them specifically to your liking.
• When making blender salsa with fresh tomatoes, it's helpful to remove the juice. Do this by cutting the tomato and squeezing out any excess liquid along with the seeds.
• To adjust the spiciness of blender salsa, I recommend starting with a small amount of jalapeño or serrano pepper and adjusting it to taste once the salsa is made.

How long does blender salsa last?

Blender salsa can last up to 7 days. It depends on ingredient freshness and how airtight your containers are. My favorite food storage containers offer optimal freshness which means less air exposure and fresher salsa for a longer time. This salsa is so good though, it's gets devoured in about two days.

Can you freeze blender salsa?

Yes, if it's made from canned tomatoes (not fresh)! In fact, I almost always have blender salsa in my freezer. It's so convenient for weeknight dinners and impromptu gatherings. To freeze, transfer salsa to your favorite freezer-safe storage packaging and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer salsa to the refrigerator for an eight hour nap, then serve.

More salsa recipes

• Classic Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa
• Fresh Peach Salsa Recipe
• Mango Avocado Salsa

📖 Recipe