Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa

This Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa recipe is lightning fast to make, only requires a few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples to make the most delicious salsa ever. Toss it all into a food processor or blender and you’re done.

Cook’s Notes

I am a HUGE fan of fresh salsa. My heart flutters when I think of walking to the garden and picking a fresh vine ripened tomato from the tomato plants, firm green jalapenos, fragrant onions and cilantro, and a perfect bulb of garlic, chopping them up and savoring the fresh flavors with crispy tortilla chips. BUT, you can’t always make a batch of absolutely fresh ingredient salsa, which brings us to this easy blender salsa recipe that uses canned tomatoes, pickled jalapeño peppers, fresh garlic, and cilantro and is whizzed up in a food processor or blender and will rival your favorite mexican restaurant! 

This is the best homemade salsa recipe and is simple to modify and also double to make a big batch. Check out substitutions below for suggestions on how to tweak it to your personal preference. Whether that’s making a mild salsa by decreasing the jalapeño peppers, or processing it longer for a smooth restaurant-style salsa, either way this is a great recipe with fresh ingredients and only takes a couple simple steps to make an easy restaurant style salsa.

Did you love this fresh homemade salsa recipe? Try one of my other favorites like Grilled Pineapple & Black Bean Salsa that’s so delish, or Zesty Peach Salsa with fresh peaches, or my Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa with fresh cherries that is so tasty you might just make it to eat with chips.

Ingredient List

• Canned Tomatoes – choose your favorite type of canned tomatoes, see subs below for suggestions
• Garlic – fresh garlic cloves with the skins removed
• Pickled Jalapeños – pickled jalapeño peppers and their juice
• Yellow Onion – big chunks of onion go into the food processor. You can also use white onion, red onion, or a blend of all.
• Cilantro – fresh cilantro that is torn from the stems, no chopping necessary
• Salt & Pepper – salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Substitutions

• Canned Tomatoes – feel free to substitute other types of canned tomatoes like Fire-Roasted, diced with green chilies, etc.
• Cilantro – you can omit cilantro if you’re not a fan. 
• Spice Level – add extra jalapeno for a hot salsa or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper will do the trick too.
• Fresh Lime Juice – I love adding a squeeze of fresh lime juice.ot a fan.

Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions below.

Special Equipment

• 7 Cup Food Processor
• High Speed Blender

2 Step Instructions

Tips for Storing

• Storing –  store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Canning​ – follow canning instructions to preserve for a later date

What to Serve with Homemade Salsa

I use this easy salsa recipe on just about everything, including my morning eggs.

• Triple Chile Queso Dip
• Warm Tortilla Chips
• Cheesy Skillet Chicken Chilaquiles
• Homemade Flour Tortillas
• Chickpea Tacos

More Mexican-style Faves