This homemade salsa recipe has ALL of the restaurant salsa goodness in only 5 minutes! You can use canned tomatoes during any season (or fresh tomatoes when in season), fresh cilantro, Serrano, and lime. This style of homemade salsa needs NO cooking and can be eaten immediately.
Homemade Salsa Recipe
My favorite thing about any Mexican restaurant is the salsa and ALL the fresh-made tortilla chips to scoop it up! That is exactly why I created this super easy recipe.
I wanted a restaurant-style salsa that involved NO cooking and used only a blender. Before I started making homemade salsa, I thought it would be complicated and time-consuming.
Au contraire! It’s SO easy, simply delicious, and crazy affordable!
I do love a fresh pico de gallo with garden tomatoes, but when it’s not tomato season, canned tomatoes are a brilliant solution for a salsa recipe!
Just be sure to grab the no-salt-added tomatoes, then YOU control the salt in the recipe.
How to make salsa (no matter what season it is)
Step 1: Open a can of diced tomatoes and pour into a food processor or blender (with juice).
* Note: If you want to make this salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes, simply substitute 2-3 fresh Roma tomatoes, cored and diced, for the canned tomatoes in this recipe.
Step 2: Loosely chop the red onion, garlic, cilantro, and Serrano pepper and add to blender. The chopping isn’t required, but it helps the blender create a uniform salsa in a shorter time span.
This means you’ll get less friction from the blades and you won’t “cook” your salsa.
Step 3: Pulse the food processor or blender until ingredients are well-combined. Season with Kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Refrigerate 3-5 days in an airtight container; serve chilled.
* See full recipe below
What I love about this homemade salsa recipe:
It doesn’t have to be tomato season to enjoy homemade salsa. You can use canned tomatoes to enjoy this salsa all year!
Homemade salsa is healthier and cheaper than restaurant salsa.
This salsa recipe takes 5 minutes to make. A couple of easy steps gets everything into a blender, pulse, and you’re done!
Homemade salsa be eaten immediately. I dare you to NOT eat it straight from the blender. Good luck with that!
This quick and easy salsa fulfills the deepest salsa cravings on the spot!
YOU control the salt and sugar when you make homemade. Packaged salsa is usually too salty and too sweet for my taste.
This salsa recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and paleo! For the win!
Homemade Salsa Recipe FAQ and Tips
How long does homemade salsa last?
Anywhere from 3-5 days. It really depends on how airtight your storage container is and how often it’s opened and closed. That means less air exposure is better to keep the salsa fresh.
How to make salsa spicier
You can make it spicier by adding more fresh Serrano pepper to the recipe at the beginning.
Keep in mind that no two peppers have identical heat, so you’ll have to experiment…carefully.
If you have already blended your salsa and want it spicier, you can add more Serrano pepper in small amounts.
Just chop into smaller pieces before adding it to the food processor to make sure it blends more uniformly.
How to make salsa less spicy
You can make it less spicy by using jalapeno pepper in place of Serrano for the entire recipe. Fresh jalapenos are typically not as hot, yet delivers a nice pepper flavor.
If you want Serrano, but not so much heat, reduce the amount of Serrano at the start of the recipe and experiment from there.
But again, no two peppers have identical heat, so you’ll have to find what works for your taste buds.
Can you freeze homemade salsa?
I would have no problem freezing salsa made with canned tomatoes.
If it’s made with fresh tomatoes, I’d say no, unless you plan to cook them before using them in salsa.
Homemade Salsa Ingredients
- no salt added diced tomatoes (canned)
- fresh cilantro
- red onion
- fresh lime
- Serrano pepper
- fresh garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- ground cumin
Tools I use for this recipe:
- chef knife and cutting board
- rubber gloves (for seeding peppers)
- garlic press
- 7 cup food processor (fitted with the chopping/mixing dough blade)
- airtight container
Easy Mexican recipes
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Chicken Tacos
- Totchos Tater Tot Nachos
- Fresh Peach Salsa Recipe
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa
- Cilantro Lime Rice
Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe (for any season)
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 oz can No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes reserve juice
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- 1/2 small Red Onion 1/3 cup chopped
- 1 Lime juiced (with pulp)
- 1 Serrano Pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 clove Garlic peeled and chopped
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
RECIPE VIDEO
Instructions
- Place TOMATOES (drained), CILANTRO, ONION, LIME, SERRANO PEPPER, GARLIC, and CUMIN in a food processor fitted with the chopping/mixing dough blade, or place in a conventional blender.
* If you want to make salsa with fresh tomatoes, simply substitute 2 to 3 fresh Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped, for the canned tomatoes in this recipe
- Blend on medium to high speed until well-combined; add SALT and PEPPER to taste.
- Add the reserved tomato juice in small amounts to adjust consistency, if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days; serve chilled.
RECIPE NOTES
TOOLS NEEDED
Nutrition
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Just made this and it tastes delicious! I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned and the taste was great!
Awesome, Becci! Yep, fresh tomato salsa is always a winner 🙂 Thanks for the review and I’m glad you enjoyed 🤩
Salsa and chips at the restaurant … isn’t that why we go out for Mexican? I mean, the entree is good, but there’s nothing like the salsa!
Now I can make it at home!!
All my recipes are super chunky, this looks like it’s right off the table at El Campesino!
Ahhhh, thanks Noel! I’ll take that as the best compliment 🙂
Homemade salsa is so much better than store bought! This looks great!
Thanks, Krissy! I concur wholeheartedly 🙂
I wish I had this salsa in front of me right at this second. I have a few delicious appetizers but I still need to whip a quick sauce for them. I wish it was this salsa….
Haha thanks, Danielle! In only 5 minutes…you can! And now you have me craving it LOL. Enjoy!
Made it! What a wonderful one bowl recipe! Just mix and serve. DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, Irina! So glad to hear! This really is my favorite homemade salsa 🙂
I haven’t made homemade salsa in so long! This is a great recipe! In addition to being able to control how salty or sweet it is, I also like that I can puree it a bit to make it less chunky – so good!
Thanks, Lauren! Yes, such a good point about controlling the texture 🙂
Such a great video and recipe! Fun and FAST!!
Yay thanks, Jane!! Love hearing that! You’re right, this homemade salsa really IS fun and fast 🙂
Love homemade salsa! Right now I have tons of garden tomatoes to use and would like to make a huge batch and freeze it. Do you know if this freezes ok?
Awesome Sharon! I’ve never frozen this salsa before. Let me know if you give it a try. Thanks!
Thanks, Traci–I love all your recipes! Do you have one for homemade tortilla chips? Buying them in putting me in the poorhouse. Thanks again!
Hey thanks DG…love hearing it! I haven’t published a recipe for tortilla chips yet. I do like to bake mine instead of frying though. How do you prefer yours?
For fresh tomatoes, just add equivalent volume?
thanks!
Hi Walt, to be honest, I haven’t tried blending this salsa using fresh tomatoes…only canned. If I were to use fresh tomatoes for it, I would use the same amount of tomatoes, but I would probably skip the blending part and just chop everything into a yummy pico de gallo. Hope that answers your question 🙂
Love this quick salsa recipe! The addition of the Serrano pepper is a great idea, and will add a nice dimension to this!
Thanks Tina! Gotta have that heat and Serrano pepper brings just the right amount! 🙂
Why have I not been making homemade salsa? You make it look so easy and my kids eat it all the time. I’m sure this is way better than store bought!
Omgosh Karen, yes! You must get on board…it is SO easy and wayyy more affordable and comparable in flavor to the store bought. Thanks for the kind words 🙂
You can’t beat salsa for a fast appetizer, snack, or topping! Love that you used canned tomatoes to make it even easier!!
Thanks Christina! Yes, the canned tomatoes make it sooo easy…and delicious any season! 🙂
Homemade salsa is the best!! This looks amazing and love that it’s so quick to make as well! There’s nothing better than chips and salsa!
Thanks Annie! Chips and salsa are my weakness LOL 🙂
Love a simple but really good salsa recipe! Perfect for our nachos!
Yay! Thanks Diana 🙂
Wow this recipe looks very tasty! I like that it can be cooked quickly and easily. I’m delighted with the ingredients. I definitely want to try this! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Thanks Veena, I’m soooo happy to share this one! It’s probably the easiest recipe in my collection! I do hope you’ll try it and I hope you love it like I do!
So funny, I just made a blender salsa yesterday but this looks WAY better! Trying it next time!
Aww, well I’ll take the compliment, and I hope it turns out to your liking. I’ve made this soooo many times…and it’s always a winner 🙂
Such a delicious looking salsa – I love that it takes such little time to make!
Thanks so much Bintu! I’m addicted to quick, delicious recipes 🙂
I am ready to grab some chips and make this recipe. It looks delicious!
Yay thanks Sandi! I feel the same way about this salsa every time I see it 🙂
This is how we make our salsa too. It’s so good and it goes on almost everything.
Love hearing that Dannii! I can’t believe how easy and versatile it is…been a favorite for years! 🙂
I’m not sure why I’ve never made a blender salsa – I’m sure it’s infinitely better than store-bought. Gotta try this!
Yay thanks Jill…you may come to love blender salsa (and probably never go back). I’ve made this one many times…and it never disappoints 🙂
This salsa is so easy to make. I have been missing out on so much thinking it was to difficult to make at home.
Thank you Jacque! For the longest time, I thought the same thing! But nope, it’s a snap! 🙂
Now that’s easy. All the right ingredients and then in a blender Love it!
Thanks Ginny! Yep, just the touch of a button…the best kind of party food! 🙂
Chips and salsa is one of my weaknesses! This looks absolutely amazing! Trying it soon. 🙂
Hahah looovee hearing that Allison! Weakness for sure! Hope you love it like I do 🙂
Love how quick and easy this recipe is! I’m such a sucker for restaurant salsa, I eat whole baskets of chips and salsa by myself!
Thanks so much Britt! Yeah, it might just be the easiest recipe I have! And I am with you, it’s my whole lunch sometimes 🙂
This salsa is perfect!! I love that it’s so easy and quick!! Salsa is one of my favorite dips! I can’t wait to make your recipe!
Yay thanks, Elaine! That would make my day 🙂 Hope you love it like I do!
I could literally live on salsa alone, and restaurant style is the best! Love the video <3
Meeee too, Sue! Sometimes I do…gimme that, some chips, and a tasty beer and we’re all good! Thank you 🙂