Restaurant Style Salsa
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.
You are going to love how easy it is to make delicious restaurant-style salsa at home with this easy blender salsa recipe.
Featuring canned tomatoes, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, and a hint of lime, this vibrant red salsa is perfect for dipping or topping your favorite Mexican dishes. Ready in 10 minutes and full of flavor!
Looking for more fresh homemade salsas? Make sure to try my recipes for papaya mango salsa, Instant Pot salsa verde, black bean and corn salsa, and fresh salsa / pico de gallo too!
How do you choose a favorite Mexican restaurant? Most people tend to gravitate to the establishment with the best chips and salsa, right?
Yes, the Shredded Beef Chimichangas are just as important, but if the chips are stale, or the salsa tastes like tomato paste, it leaves a really bad impression in your memory. This homemade restaurant style salsa recipe is the exact version of salsa that I love.
I want a salsa that sticks to the chip, does not look or taste like tomato paste, with a more delicate mouth feel.
I am happy to say that I have created the most delicious homemade salsa that would put any Mexican restaurant on the map. And now you can make this easy salsa recipe at home too!
Salsa ingredients
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Jalapeño peppers – For more heat substitute habenaro or serrano peppers
- Fresh lime juice
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
How to make restaurant style salsa
Drain one of the canned tomatoes, do not drain the other two (see below). Roughly chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeños.
Add the tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, salt, and lime juice to a blender.
Pulse the blender until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. For a chunkier salsa, pulse a few times. For a smoother salsa, blend a bit longer.
Scrape down sides if necessary, and pulse a few more times until desired consistency. The cilantro was sticking to the top of the canister.
Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more salt, lime juice, or cilantro based on your preference.
Transfer the salsa to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
Serve the salsa with tortilla chips, or as a topping for your favorite Mexican dishes and classic Margaritas. It is so insanely good, I cannot stop eating it!!
Check out this Cinco de Mayo Food post for my favorite Mexican food recipes to serve along with your amazing salsa!
Expert Tips
- If you prefer using fresh tomatoes, substitute the canned tomatoes with about 7-8 ripe Roma tomatoes.
- For added depth of flavor, roast the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeños in the oven (and allow to cool) before blending.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- I have made this salsa hundreds of times now and I have finally decided that I prefer to drain 1 can, and leave the other 2 cans not drained. The choice is yours but that is my favorite!
- I use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and vein/membrane inside the jalapeno. A melon baller also works well.
Do not stress out if you have some stems in your cilantro, they will get pulverized in the blender. I just chop the top off the bunch of cilantro like so.
Remove any thick stems that may find their way in, but there shouldn’t be very many at the top.
I drained my tomatoes but I saved the liquid just in case. If your salsa seems a bit too dry, or thick simply add a tablespoon or two of the liquid back in to thin your salsa out.
Spicy or Not Spicy?
- Do you like it spicy?? I do not, but mine definitely had a kick to it. I added half of the jalapeño and I would rate my salsa a Mild-Medium on the heat scale.
- If you like very mild, just use one-quarter of the jalapeño.
- If you like Medium heat, then leave the seeds and membrane/vein intact.
- Prefer Medium-Hot spicy salsa, then add the entire jalapeño with the seeds and membrane….or, substitute a serrano pepper for the jalapeno.
- If you like burn your face off, turn your ears red, HOT salsa, substitute a habanero pepper for the jalapeño!!
Warning
Do not touch your mouth, eyes, nose, or any other sensitive area on your body while handling jalapeños!! Washing your hands is not enough to remove the oils. If you can’t trust yourself, wear gloves while handling hot peppers.
Did you know that drinking water to cool down your mouth after eating hot peppers will not work? The water actually just spreads the oils around, it does not dilute them. The proper way to cool the burn, is to consume dairy. Yep, a big ‘ol glass of milk is the right thing to do if your mouth is on fire!
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
Tag @cookingwithcurls on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ review below!
Enjoy!!
Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 30 ounces diced tomatoes with chiles 3 cans – 1 drained, 2 not
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 1 large clove garlic smashed
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 0.25 fresh jalapeno seeded and membrane removed*
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain one of the canned tomatoes, do not drain the other two (see note below). Roughly chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeños.
- Add the tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, salt, and lime juice to a blender.
- Pulse the blender until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. For a chunkier salsa, pulse a few times. For a smoother salsa, blend a bit longer. Scrape down sides if necessary, and pulse a few more times until desired consistency.
- Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more salt, lime juice, or cilantro based on your preference.
- Transfer the salsa to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
Notes
- If you prefer using fresh tomatoes, substitute the canned tomatoes with about 7-8 ripe Roma tomatoes.
- For added depth of flavor, roast the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeños in the oven (and allow to cool) before blending.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- I have made this salsa hundreds of times now and I have finally decided that I prefer to drain 1 can, and leave the other 2 cans not drained. The choice is yours but that is my favorite!
- I use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and vein/membrane inside the jalapeno. A melon baller also works well.
- This recipe makes 3 cups of salsa. Serving size is calculated at 2 tablespoons per serving.
This looks YUMMY!!! I do not like big chunks of tomato so I am going to have to try this blender version of salsa!! Looks like I am going to have a new favorite Salsa! I did not know about the oil in the jalapeno and I scraped the seeds out with my thumb oh boy under my nails were on fire forever after that. I learned not to do that again… Jalapeno Hot Hand is no fun!