Description
This homemade salsa recipe combines fresh ingredients like tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro to create a flavorful, medium-spicy salsa perfect for chips, tacos, or as a versatile condiment. It is quick to prepare and can be customized for spiciness and flavor balance, making it a fresh addition to any meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Fresh Vegetables and Herbs
- 1/2 cup white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Canned Tomatoes and Spices
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
Additional
- Juice of 1/2 lime (start with a small amount and add to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Add the white onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop until the pieces are about ¼ inch in size.
- Add canned tomatoes: Drain the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and discard it. Add the diced tomatoes and chopped chilies to the food processor.
- Add fire roasted tomatoes and seasonings: Pour in the fire roasted diced tomatoes with their juices along with the remaining ingredients: cilantro, cumin, salt, and a small squeeze of lime juice.
- Blend to desired consistency: Pulse the mixture until the salsa reaches your preferred texture—chunky or smooth.
- Taste and adjust: Taste the salsa on a tortilla chip and add more lime juice, salt, or sugar as needed to balance flavors.
- Chill for flavor development: Transfer the salsa to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- This salsa is medium-spicy; reduce heat by using only regular diced tomatoes instead of those with green chilies or omit the jalapeño entirely for mild salsa.
- Adjust spiciness by including more or fewer seeds and ribs from the jalapeño.
- Homemade salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Chilling enhances flavor. For best taste, prepare ahead and let sit for a couple of hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of the recipe (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- Calories: 20
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
