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This restaurant style Homemade Salsa recipe can be made with canned or fresh ingredients and is ready for snacking in only 5 minutes! Serve with some salty tortilla chips or spoon on top of your tacos, burritos, or nachos. This is the perfect addition to all of your favorite Tex Mex meals!
Why make this salsa?
- Quick and easy: this recipe comes together in 5 minutes and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Fresh or Canned Ingredients: use what you have on hand, grab all of those fresh summer tomatoes, or if needed you can use your canned tomatoes. This allows you to make great quality salsa all year long. Personally I love the texture that comes from using canned tomatoes, but some people prefer all fresh, you can also do a combination of the two.
- Control the heat: you are in control of the spiciness of this recipe. If you would prefer you can leave the membranes in the jalapeno, you could add more jalapeno, or you could even toss in a Serrano for a little extra heat.
- Sweetness: using a little touch of honey in this recipe cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes and gives you a nice smooth taste.
Ingredients:
Notes on some ingredients:
- Tomatoes: use one can of diced tomatoes and one can of diced tomatoes with green chiles if needed. Or grab one pound of fresh tomatoes.
- Chile: this recipe is made using jalapeno, removing the seeds and membranes makes for a nice mild salsa that pairs nicely with meals and is great for serving with tortilla chips. If you personally want more heat add in extra jalapeno or even a Serrano pepper.
- Honey: adding this cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes and gives a smooth flavoring.
Serene’s Tip: For extra flavor, give the tomatoes a quick roast in the oven before blending.
How to make (Step by Step)
- Step 1: Add ingredients to food processor and pulse the ingredients together.
- Step 2: Taste and adjust salt and lime juice as necessary.
Expert Tips:
- The type of tomatoes you use matter! For this particular salsa I love using canned tomatoes. It’s quick and easy. If you’re using fresh I would go for a Roma tomato or a San Marzano. If using fresh tomatoes I would recommend roasting them in the oven first, or even boiling them on the stovetop for about 10 minutes.
- When adding the ingredients to the processor add the garlic, jalapeño and onion first. This ensures that it gets chopped up nice and fine. No big chunks of garlic left to disrupt your enjoyment.
- Start with a small amount of lime juice. Lime can be overpowering. So start small and add more to taste if needed. If you add too much there’s no going back.
- Adjust to taste. One of the best things about making your own salsa is that you can customize it and make it more to taste. More salt, more jalapeño for more spice, more honey, or more lime juice.
- Pulse the Processor: we want our ingredients to be chopped up but still be chunky, don’t overblend.
F.A.Q’s:
Pico de Gallo is not made in a food processor or blender, it is made by dicing up the ingredients and has a chunkier texture. Here is a recipe for Pico de Gallo.
Yes. If all you have is a blender you can use it, just be careful to not overblend.
This recipe can be used for canning, a small amount of vinegar will need to be added to help with preserving and a water bath method should be used.
More Salsa Recipes:
- This mild and creamy Avocado Salsa is great as a topping and also doubles as a salad dressing.
- Fresh and bright this Strawberry Mango Salsa is perfect for a fun summer treat.
- A classic Salsa Verde recipe that is easy to make!
Easy Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic to the food processor and pulse until chopped up.
- Pulse: Add in the tomatoes and continue to pulse until the tomatoes break down and release juices.
- Season: Add in honey, salt, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, and juice of 1/2 lime (start slow with the lime as it can overpower, you can taste and add more if desired)
- Blend: Pulse in the processor to desired consistency. Chunky or smooth. Taste and adjust salt, honey, or lime juice as needed.
Video
Equipment
Notes
- Tomatoes: recipe can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes, or use a mixture of the two. The 1 pound of fresh tomatoes will replace using both the cans of diced tomatoes.
- Chile: this recipe is made using jalapeno, removing the seeds and membranes makes for a nice mild salsa. If you personally want more heat add in extra jalapeno or even a Serrano pepper.
- Honey: adding this cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes and gives a smooth flavoring.
- Salt: taste and adjust as needed in this recipe.
- Storage: Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Salsa too thin? Simply strain out some of the liquid.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe first posted in 2014. Updated on February 20, 2018. And again June 11, 2021 with new images and information.
Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany.co
Wow better than any restaurant!! I had this with the hint of lime tostitos and it was AMAZING!! Thanks for the great recipe this will be in my go to list. On a side note…I used organic ingredients and it is low calorie and healthy as an added bonus!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jennifer! Thanks so much for your review.
I’m sure this is a odd or dumb question, but can u freeze excess salso for later? I’m making ALOT!
Fantastic recipe! Everyone at work loves it. I buy the 10 oz can of tomatoes with lime juice already in it with the 14.5 oz can tomatoes with chiles. Then I don’t have to buy a lime,. Works out well.
I just made this salsa. I roasted the green & red hot peppers on the stove. I used fresh tomatoes. In the fridge for at least 24 hrs. I use a food processor. Doesn’t make the salsa too thin. It is going to be,” fantastic! “..
Can I use lemon juice instead of lime juice?
This salsa is wonderful. I made a batch this morning and my husband is already asking me when i am going to make it again!
Best salsa recipe to date. Thanks for the recommendations, turned out perfect!! *used maple syrup instead of honey to make it vegan.
That’s a great sub! You could also try agave.
I absolutely love this salsa, and had a friend ask for the recipe. I make it fairly often, and like using fire roasted diced tomatoes for additional flavor.
Yes! I will use fire roasted tomatoes sometimes too! So glad you like the recipe.
Can this be canned as it is? I would love to be able to can it without messing with pickling salts and all that jazz. Also… I use two ghost peppers per batch. Hotter than the hellfire, but I love it.
You can can these as is… Hot everything ….the salsa, the jars, the lids, the utensils, all boiling. I add a bit of cider vinegar instead of the honey, thus upping the acidity, but that’s what makes it can so nice. My Instagram is sleestak1971 and I have pictures up. Look last year. I’m doing it this year, just not taking pictures. I found this recipe when someone asked for mine. I grow my tomatoes and a lot of em, so I have to can. But…..if you still have jars of this at new years? Oooo best party accoutrement. But I don’t know cuz my kids eat it all by Thanksgiving.
Excellent!! I’ll never buy it again!! And, so easy!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Judy. Thanks for the review.