If there is one condiment that is truly worth making from scratch, it is homemade salsa. This roasted tomato salsa is fresh, flavorful, and surprisingly simple. Just roast the vegetables until they are soft and lightly charred, then blend them with cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin for a salsa that tastes bright, smoky, and delicious.
How to Make Homemade Salsa
Homemade salsa is one of those easy recipes that instantly makes a meal feel better. It is perfect with tortilla chips, spooned over tacos, tucked into quesadillas, served with grilled meat, or used as a simple topping for eggs, rice bowls, and burritos. The best part is that you do not need complicated ingredients or special skills to make it. A handful of fresh vegetables and a quick roast under the broiler create a salsa with much deeper flavor than a basic raw version.
This recipe started after a trip to a berry and vegetable farm on Long Island. There were not many ripe berries that day, but there were plenty of tomatoes. With a big batch of fresh tomatoes ready to use, homemade salsa was the obvious choice. Roasting the tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and garlic brings out natural sweetness while adding a lightly smoky flavor that works beautifully with the lime and cilantro.
One of the best parts of eating at a Mexican restaurant is being served fresh chips and salsa as soon as you sit down. It is easy to fill up before the main meal even arrives because a good salsa is hard to stop eating. This homemade version brings that same fresh, addictive flavor right into your own kitchen.
The method is simple. Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet so the juices do not spill. Broil the vegetables until the skins are wrinkled and lightly charred, turning the tomatoes and jalapenos halfway through. Once everything has cooled slightly, remove the jalapeno stems, peel the onion and garlic, and transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender.
After that, add fresh cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt, and cumin. Pulse until the salsa reaches the texture you like. If you prefer chunky salsa, use short pulses and stop while there are still visible pieces of tomato and pepper. If you like a smoother restaurant-style salsa, blend a little longer. Either way, the result is a fresh homemade salsa with roasted flavor and just the right balance of brightness and heat.
The heat level can vary depending on the jalapenos. If you want a milder salsa, scrape out the seeds before blending. If you enjoy a little kick, leave the seeds in. With the seeds included, this salsa is usually mild to moderately spicy, but every pepper is different, so adjust it to suit your family’s taste.
Once the salsa is blended, you can serve it right away or spoon it into jars and refrigerate it. The flavor is fresh and bold immediately, but it is also delicious chilled. Serve it with tortilla chips for a snack, add it to tacos, or use it as a condiment for your favorite Mexican-inspired meals.
This homemade salsa disappears quickly because it is so easy to enjoy by the spoonful. It is a great recipe to make for family, friends, parties, game days, or casual dinners. Fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime come together in a simple salsa that tastes bright, savory, and satisfying.
Make a batch, grab the chips, and enjoy this easy homemade salsa recipe any time you want a fresh, flavorful dip or topping.
Homemade Salsa Recipe
This easy homemade salsa is made with roasted tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. It is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for serving with chips or using as a condiment.
10
16
26
5 cups
Garnish and Glaze
Ingredients
- 12 Roma tomatoes
- 4 jalapenos
- 1/2 onion, cut in half with skins left on
- 6 cloves garlic, skins left on
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
-
Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 8 minutes, then flip the tomatoes and jalapenos and broil for another 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and lightly charred.
-
Let the vegetables cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the jalapenos, leaving the seeds in if you want a little heat. Remove the skins from the garlic and onion, then roughly chop the onion.
-
Add the roasted vegetables, cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt, and cumin to a food processor or blender. Pulse until the salsa reaches your preferred texture.
-
Transfer the salsa to jars and refrigerate, or serve immediately with chips or as a condiment.
For more salsa ideas, try these:
- Salsa Verde
- Pineapple Salsa
- Pico de Gallo