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Make restaurant-style salsa from the comfort of your kitchen with this Quick and Easy Blender Salsa recipe. Served with a basket of crunchy tortilla chips, this is the type of fresh salsa you simply cannot stop munching on. Simply put, it’s perfect!
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Check out my Instant Pot Salsa and my Greek Yogurt Cucumber Dill Dip for more delicious dip recipes.
Can you make fresh tomato salsa in a blender? Of course, and these step-by-step instructions will show you exactly how to make it happen with any blender or food processor.
Truthfully, there’s not much to it! You’re responsible for some light prep work. Then the blender takes over, processing the ingredients perfectly, just like the house salsa from your favorite Mexican spot!
There are no surprises in this simple salsa recipe. It’s made with seven straightforward flavors, tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime, and salt resulting in that vibrant, fresh, and zesty taste you just cannot get from a jar of store-bought salsa.
Making this fresh salsa in a blender couldn’t be easier. The hardest part is deciding how to use it first. Chips? Tacos? Fajitas? Burritos? Quesadillas? Enchiladas? Scrambled eggs? The list goes on and on! So gather the short list of ingredients, dust off your blender or food processor, and let’s make the best salsa from scratch.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy. It takes less than 5 minutes to make with very little prep work.
- It’s made with fresh, all-natural ingredients with room for customization.
- You’re in control of the heat. You can make this salsa anywhere from mild to blazing hot.
- This salsa is perfect as an appetizer with chips and a condiment with your favorite Mexican-inspired meals.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tomatoes: The best tomatoes for salsa are thick, fleshy tomatoes like plum, Roma, or beefsteak. They hold less water resulting in a smooth, cohesive salsa.
- Onion: White onion is standard, but feel free to use yellow or red onion here.
- Jalapeño: Gives the salsa just the right amount of fiery flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is non-negotiable in restaurant-quality salsa. No substitutions!
- Cilantro: For that sweet, crisp, and herbaceous taste signature to good salsa.
- Limes: The fresh acidic element ties the individual flavors into a balanced, full-bodied salsa.
- Salt: Sea salt or kosher salt, if you have it! I like salt in my salsa, but you can always cut back. I suggest starting with at least 1 teaspoon, adding more to taste.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep produce
Wash and dry your fresh ingredients. Dice the tomato and roughly chop the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Remember, most of the jalapeño’s spice is in the membrane and seeds. So, to tone down the heat, make sure you remove them.
Step 2: Add salsa ingredients to the blender.
Add the chopped onion, jalapeño, and garlic to your blender, followed by the diced tomatoes. Toss in a heap of cilantro (no need to chop!). Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and season with a big pinch of salt.
Step 3: Blend to desired consistency.
Power on your equipment and blend for 60 seconds, give or take 15 seconds, depending on how thick you like your salsa. Season with more salt to taste, and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Make it mild or hot. Use more or less of the jalapeño seeds and membrane to adjust how spicy your salsa is. You can also cool things off by swapping jalapeño for green bell pepper or poblanos.
- Give the salsa time to chill before serving. After blending, pour the salsa into a glass container, cover it, and set it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (overnight is ideal). This gives the flavors more time to mingle and combine.
- Adjust consistency to preference. For smooth, restaurant-style salsa, blend the mixture continuously. For chunky salsa with visible bits of vegetables, give the ingredients quick pulses instead of mixing straight through.
Variations
The simplicity of this easy blender salsa makes it a perfect canvas for your choice of added fresh ingredients and flavors.
- Dry seasoning - Add an element of smokey heat with cumin, chipotle chili powder, cayenne, or smoked paprika.
- Fresh fruit - If you like salsa with sweet, fruity tones, add fresh fruit to the blender, like chopped pineapple, mango, or peaches.
- Roasted vegetables - For salsa with a more rustic, savory flavor, try roasting the onions, tomato, jalapenos, and garlic before blending.
Serving
Serving homemade salsa with tortilla chips is never a bad idea, especially with an added side of guac. You can also serve this restaurant-worthy salsa with Mexican-inspired meals, of course. It’s fantastic with these delicious dishes.
- Air Fryer Carnitas
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Chicken Fajita Bake
- Jackfruit Tacos
- Oven Baked Chicken Chimichangas
- Taco Salad
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Keep extra blender salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freezing: To extend the shelf-life of homemade salsa, you can always freeze it for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the fridge, then wake up the flavors with a fresh squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt before serving.
Recipe FAQ's
Fresh tomatoes are always the better choice when in season, but off-season canned diced tomatoes are a perfectly suitable substitution. Try using a can of fire-roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with green chiles for another flavor element.
In Spanish, salsa roja means “red sauce,” so it’s an umbrella term for any type of tomato-based red salsa made with raw or cooked (or both) ingredients. That being said, this blender salsa falls underneath the salsa roja category.
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Quick And Easy Blender Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes diced
- 1 small white onion roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper roughly chopped, remove seeds for less spice
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ½ cup cilantro
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Wash Wash and dry your fresh ingredients. Dice the tomato and roughly chop the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Remember, most of the jalapeño’s spice is in the membrane and seeds. So, to tone down the heat, make sure you remove them.
- Add the chopped onion, jalapeño, and garlic to your blender, followed by the diced tomatoes. Toss in a heap of cilantro (no need to chop!). Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and season with a big pinch of salt.
- Blend for about 60 seconds, or until desired consistency.
Notes
- Make it mild or hot. Use more or less of the jalapeño seeds and membrane to adjust how spicy your salsa is. You can also cool things off by swapping jalapeño for green bell pepper or poblanos.
- Give the salsa time to chill before serving. After blending, pour the salsa into a glass container, cover it, and set it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (overnight is ideal). This gives the flavors more time to mingle and combine.
- Adjust consistency to preference. For smooth, restaurant-style salsa, blend the mixture continuously. For chunky salsa with visible bits of vegetables, give the ingredients quick pulses instead of mixing straight through.
- Storing: Keep extra blender salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
- Freezing: To extend the shelf-life of homemade salsa, you can always freeze it for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the fridge, then wake up the flavors with a fresh squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt before serving.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Colleen | Bakes & Blunders
I love salsa. I love easy. This is perfection!
Angela Greven | Mean Green Chef
It's so easy to make fresh salsa at home and this proves it, fresh, bright and ready in minutes! Perfect for a quick appetizer, thanks for sharing 😍
Beth
This looks so smooth and simple, with ingredients I already have on hand, usually. I guess I thought you always had to have fresh tomatoes!
Tisha
Chips and salsa is always a favorite, you can never go wrong with this appetizer. Homemade salsa trumps store bought any day!
Adrianne
This salsa has got all of the ingredients that I love for salsa in it!! The jalapeno is spot on!! Can't wait to try it, cheers!
Anita
This is such a simple and straightforward salsa recipe. And it's so much better than store-bought. Now I won't have to worry running out of salsa for my chips. 🙂
Traci
A tried and true favorite! So easy and so delcious 🙂 Where was blender salsa back in the day, LOL! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Julia
Nothing better than a homemade salsa! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Chris Collins
I love how easy this is to make! It looks so delicious too 🙂
Catherine
Nothing beats homemade salsa! This is perfect now since it's made with canned tomatoes too!
cyndy
This was so easy - love it! We added a bit of chipotle to ours too.
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy
I'm currently low carb'ing at the moment so this salsa will comes in handy for sure. Thank you!!
Candice
This recipe is officially on repeat! So easy to make and incredibly delicious Such a great stack to have on hand in the refrigerator. Thank you for the recipe!