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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.
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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
Blender Salsa (Restaurant Style Salsa)
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5-ounce can) Diced Tomatoes, don't drain
- ¼ small Red Onion, about ⅓ cup coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro
- 1 Lime, zested and juiced
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper (or Serrano Pepper), seeded and coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place TOMATOES, ONIONS, CILANTRO, LIME, JALAPENO, GARLIC, CUMIN, SALT, and PEPPER in a food processor or blender.*If using a stick blender, place everything in a tall-sided container to avoid splattering.
- Blend or pulse ingredients just until combined and the texture is to your liking. Do not overblend.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- latex gloves optional for seeding peppers
- 7-cup food processor or immersion blender
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Krissy Allori says
Homemade salsa is so much better than store bought! This looks great!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Krissy! I concur wholeheartedly 🙂
Danielle says
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....
Traci Antonovich says
Haha thanks, Danielle! In only 5 minutes...you can! And now you have me craving it LOL. Enjoy!
Irina says
Made it! What a wonderful one bowl recipe! Just mix and serve. DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Irina! So glad to hear! This really is my favorite homemade salsa 🙂
Lauren Vavala says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Lauren! Yes, such a good point about controlling the texture 🙂
Jane says
Such a great video and recipe! Fun and FAST!!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thanks, Jane!! Love hearing that! You're right, this homemade salsa really IS fun and fast 🙂
Sharon says
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?
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Sharon! I've never frozen this salsa before. Let me know if you give it a try. Thanks!
DG says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
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?
Walt Socha says
For fresh tomatoes, just add equivalent volume?
thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
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 🙂
Tina says
Love this quick salsa recipe! The addition of the Serrano pepper is a great idea, and will add a nice dimension to this!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Tina! Gotta have that heat and Serrano pepper brings just the right amount! 🙂
Karen says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
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 🙂
Christina Shoemaker says
You can't beat salsa for a fast appetizer, snack, or topping! Love that you used canned tomatoes to make it even easier!!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Christina! Yes, the canned tomatoes make it sooo easy...and delicious any season! 🙂
Annie says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Annie! Chips and salsa are my weakness LOL 🙂
Diana says
Love a simple but really good salsa recipe! Perfect for our nachos!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay! Thanks Diana 🙂
Veena Azmanov says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
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!
Lisa Huff says
So funny, I just made a blender salsa yesterday but this looks WAY better! Trying it next time!
Traci Antonovich says
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 🙂
Bintu says
Such a delicious looking salsa - I love that it takes such little time to make!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Bintu! I'm addicted to quick, delicious recipes 🙂
Sandi says
I am ready to grab some chips and make this recipe. It looks delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thanks Sandi! I feel the same way about this salsa every time I see it 🙂
Dannii says
This is how we make our salsa too. It’s so good and it goes on almost everything.
Traci Antonovich says
Love hearing that Dannii! I can't believe how easy and versatile it is...been a favorite for years! 🙂
Jill says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
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 🙂
Jacque Hastert says
This salsa is so easy to make. I have been missing out on so much thinking it was to difficult to make at home.
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you Jacque! For the longest time, I thought the same thing! But nope, it's a snap! 🙂
Ginny McMeans says
Now that's easy. All the right ingredients and then in a blender Love it!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Ginny! Yep, just the touch of a button...the best kind of party food! 🙂
Allison says
Chips and salsa is one of my weaknesses! This looks absolutely amazing! Trying it soon. 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Hahah looovee hearing that Allison! Weakness for sure! Hope you love it like I do 🙂
Britt says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
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 🙂
Elaine says
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!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thanks, Elaine! That would make my day 🙂 Hope you love it like I do!
sue says
I could literally live on salsa alone, and restaurant style is the best! Love the video <3
Traci Antonovich says
Meeee too, Sue! Sometimes I do...gimme that, some chips, and a tasty beer and we're all good! Thank you 🙂