This easy restaurant style salsa is made with canned tomatoes and fresh peppers, onions, and garlic. Everything goes right in the blender or food processor and takes just minutes! It’s a favorite with our family and friends and keeps for days!

restaurant style salsa with canned tomatoes

Nothing tastes better than salsa made with fresh tomatoes, but when good tomatoes are not available canned ones make a great substitute.

This restaurant style salsa is so easy you can whip it together in about ten minutes and it keeps in the fridge for several days.

We use homemade salsa as a condiment for grilled or roasted meats, vegetables, and pretty much anything.

It’s healthy and delicious! Try serving our restaurant salsa with chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, or this delicious air fryer burrito.

Salsa Ingredients

  • Jalapeno peppers – fresh with no spots
  • Serrano Peppers – bring the heat!
  • Garlic – fresh is best
  • Onion – white onion works best here
  • Lime – freshly squeezed! Try this nifty citrus squeezer – I use it almost EVERY DAY!
  • Cumin – ground cumin
  • Cilantro – lots of freshly chopped is great for flavor!
  • Canned Tomatoes – nothing fancy here, just canned whole tomatoes

How to Make Salsa

Step 1.

For your restaurant style salsa, start with 2 jalapeño peppers and 2 Serrano peppers, a small onion or half of an onion, juice from one lime, 3 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and about a cup of cilantro.

**Cook’s Tip: If you don’t like your homemade salsa hot then leave out the Serrano peppers. You’ll still have plenty of flavor from the jalapenos.

**Cook’s Tip: You can throw in a pinch or two of sugar to cut the tomato acid in this easy salsa recipe. We Southerners like to add sugar to everything, we just can’t help ourselves. 

Step 2.

Place everything in a blender and pulse a couple of times to start breaking down the peppers and onion. Restaurant style salsa is usually blended more and less chunky.

Step 3.

Add the can of tomatoes, undrained, and pulse until the consistency that you like.

**Cook’s Tip: If you don’t like chunky salsa then continue to pulse until it’s a smoother consistency like a restaurant style salsa.

Step 4.

Stir in a little salt and pepper to taste and voilà, homemade salsa!

Can You Freeze Salsa?

You can freeze just about anything, but that doesn’t mean you should. In the case of salsa, I’d say no. The flavors will be diluted and you’ll have too much liquid.

This homemade salsa is so easy to make,  you can just make a batch every couple of weeks and have plenty in the fridge when you need it!

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4.50 from 4 votes

Homemade Salsa

A spicy Mexican salsa that’s easy to make and splendid to eat.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 jalapenos, stems removed, split and seeded
  • 2 serrano peppers, stems removed, split and seeded (use these only if you like it hot)
  • 1 small onion, cut into chunks
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • juice from one whole lime
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar, (optional)

Instructions 

  • Place all ingredients except tomatoes in blender and pulse a few times.
  • Pour tomatoes into blender and pulse until consistency that you like.

Notes

Tips for Making Homemade Salsa:

  • If you don’t like your homemade salsa hot then leave out the Serrano peppers. You’ll still have plenty of flavor from the jalapenos.
  • You can throw in a pinch or two of sugar to cut the tomato acid in this easy salsa recipe. 
  • If you don’t like chunky salsa then continue to pulse until it’s a smoother consistency like a restaurant style salsa.

Nutrition

Serving: 10servings, Calories: 19kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Sodium: 115mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 19
Keyword: homemade salsa, homemade salsa recipe, how to make salsa, restaurant style salsa
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Lucy standing behind a counter with a cheese board and glass of wine.

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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1 Comment

  1. I love salsa and am going to whip up a batch tonight for the football game. Think I have everything I need! Thanks!