Easy Homemade Salsa

Make Easy Homemade Salsa with canned tomatoes and fresh ingredients in the blender. Pair this simple recipe with your favorite Mexican foods or serve with tortilla chips for an easy appetizer or snack. This mild restaurant style salsa goes with just about anything!

Here in Arizona, we have tons of amazing Mexican restaurants where you can practically make a meal out of chips and salsa alone. I've tried a lot of store bought salsas, but they just don't taste the same. So, I started making this easy homemade salsa in the blender/food processor, and it tastes just like what we get at our favorite Mexican restaurant!

Using canned tomatoes is definitely the key to this easy recipe. I use fresh tomatoes in my Spicy Pico de Gallo, but canned is perfect for salsa. Plus, you can make this chip dip all year long -- no need to wait for garden fresh tomatoes!

Serve the salsa with Homemade Guacamole, Instant Pot Carnitas, or Salsa Chicken tacos for your own fiesta! We also love it with Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas!

Simple Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade restaurant style salsa. Best of all, you probably have most of them in your fridge or pantry:

• Canned tomatoes -- I use a mix of crushed and diced for different texture
• Red onion -- adds flavor and color
• Garlic cloves -- adds flavor and texture, but you can use powder in a pinch
• Fresh cilantro -- Leave it out if you don't like it, but it really adds authentic flavor
• Jalapeño pepper -- I use 1 for a mild flavor, but you can add more to suit your tastes
• Lime
• Salt
• Sugar -- Helps cut the acid from tomatoes

How to Make Homemade Salsa

You can use a blender or food processor to make the salsa. I recommend cutting the onion in large chunks and peeling the garlic. If you want mild salsa, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño pepper first.

If you want spicier salsa, use 2 or 3 jalapeño peppers, and leave the seeds in. You can also use different peppers. This recipe is super easy to adjust!

Just place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor. Then, squeeze the fresh lime juice on top. Place the lid on, and pulse a few times until you get the consistency you want.

Definitely taste to see if it needs more salt or sugar. Everyone's tastes are different, and I usually start out with less salt and add more if needed. Same goes with the sugar.

You can also leave the sugar out or replace it with the sweetener of your choice. The salsa doesn't taste sweet, but the sugar helps to cut the acid from the tomatoes.

How Long Does it Last

This recipe makes a lot of salsa! It keeps well when covered and refrigerated for about 2 weeks. It also makes a terrific gift for the holidays or housewarmings. Just pour some in a mason jar, and gift away!

You can also freeze homemade salsa. I usually add some to a zip top freezer bag, remove as much air as possible and label the salsa before freezing. When frozen, salsa should keep for 4 to 6 months!

Recipe originally published in 2015 and updated in 2021