This quick and Easy Homemade Salsa can be made in 5 minutes. Thanks to canned tomatoes you don’t have to wait for in-season tomatoes and can have easy homemade salsa anytime (where you get to manage the seasonings & spices)!
‘Heat and Eat’ has been my theme over the last few months and how I’m surviving grad school with an actual hearty home-cooked dinner. I’ll meal prep a few items on the weekends and then literally ‘heat and eat’ dinner when I get home after a long commute. Understandable that some people don’t like ‘leftovers’ so to speak, but some things actually can taste better when reheated. My easy burrata pasta is just one of many repeat meals. And that leads to why I wrote down this next recipe, easy homemade salsa. Pico de gallo is great when made fresh, but being able to make this easy homemade salsa all at once is even better.
Building a bowl is a great ‘recipe for success’ when it comes to dinner. Your base is a grain, layered with a lean protein, a ton of non-starchy vegetables, and sauce drizzled on top and you’ve got endless possibilities for dinners. Pictured below are a few examples of the ‘bowl’ concept. The best part is they all can taste so different and unique based on the combinations. This easy homemade salsa has been on repeat for a ‘Chipotle’ style bowl. It honestly is so simple and doesn’t make me have to think about dinner too hard.
Plus, you can adjust the heat to be as spicy or mild as you’d like. Another great thing about this easy salsa recipe is that it calls for canned tomatoes, which means you can make it year round! No need to wait for the summer to use garden-fresh tomatoes, (although you can use those as well, and we’ll talk about that later). This salsa has the taste and texture of a restaurant style salsa, and it’s made in only 5 minutes in the blender, which means that there’s no chopping or prep work required!
Ingredients: Homemade Salsa
- Canned Whole Tomatoes is what makes this so easy! Use a quality brand of tomatoes, you will need a 28 oz. can of peeled whole tomatoes. I like a San Marzano tomato if you’re able to find at your local grocery store. Additionally, look for ‘no added salt’ if sodium is something you’re looking to manage (& also why I like homemade!)
- Jalapeño: If you like your salsa spicier, you could use a serrano chili pepper. However, seeing as I’m a wimp, I even de-seeded my jalapeño. You do you on the spice level!
- Onion, Garlic and Cilantro. Just rough chop these as the food processor or blender will do most of the work for you.
- Salt: This is why making your own homemade salsa IS the best, you have the ability to manage how much if any is added in. Some salt has been added to this recipe, however, it is WAY less than store bought. Adapt to your nutritional needs.
- Lime: Adding the juice of one lime helps marry the flavors and gives it a little bit of pop!
How To Make Homemade Salsa
- Drain the can of whole tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl that will catch the juices. If the tomatoes are full (i.e., whole and intact), press on the tomatoes to release more of the juice.
- Chop the white onion, jalapeño (remove the seeds if you’re removing), and garlic.
- Place the onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and salt in the food processor and pulse a few times so the pieces are a tad smaller.
- Add the drained tomatoes and lime juice and pulse until you get your desired salsa consistency. The more you pulse, the less chunky your salsa will be. And if the mixtures seems too thick, you can always add some of the reserved tomato juice, a tablespoon at a time.
- Adjust seasoning to your taste.
- Pour into a bowl and eat right away!
Canned: I like being able to use canned tomatoes for this easy homemade salsa recipe! Choose a variety with “no-salt added!” Fire roasted tomatoes are also a great flavor! The convenience of canned tomatoes and their year-round availability make them my preferred choice!
Fresh: If you have a garden full of super ripe fresh tomatoes then they would taste great in this easy salsa recipe! You’ll need about 3 cups of fresh tomatoes to make this homemade salsa recipe (or half if you make a half-batch. To use fresh, remove the seeds to avoid a watery salsa!
Store any leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Many times I do make just half the amount and will use the 14-15-ounce can size. However, then I add copious amounts to my bowls for flavor and also to make sure I use it up!
Transfer the salsa to a serving dish or airtight container (if you’re going to store it for later) and place it in the refrigerator. I recommend chilling this homemade salsa for at least 30 minutes. Again, it doesn’t freeze well, so aim to use within 3-5 days.
Recipes To Use Salsa
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Easy Homemade Salsa
This quick and Easy Homemade Salsa can be made in 5 minutes. Thanks to canned tomatoes you don’t have to wait for in-season tomatoes and can have easy homemade salsa anytime (where you get to manage the seasonings & spices)!
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- One can, 28-ounce, no-added salt tomatoes
- 1/2 small white onion
- 1 jalapeño, de-seeded and trimmed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice of 1 lime (2–3 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Drain the can of whole tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl that will catch the juices. If the tomatoes are full (i.e., whole and intact), press on the tomatoes to release more of the juice.
- Chop the white onion, jalapeño (remove the seeds if you’re removing), and garlic.
- Place the onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and salt in the food processor and pulse a few times so the pieces are a tad smaller.
- Add the drained tomatoes and lime juice and pulse until you get your desired salsa consistency. The more you pulse, the less chunky your salsa will be. And if the mixtures seems too thick, you can always add some of the reserved tomato juice, a tablespoon at a time.
- Adjust seasoning to your taste.
- Pour into a bowl and eat right away!
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Condiments
1 thought on “Easy Homemade Salsa”
Can’t wait to make this homemade version!! Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo here I come!