Restaurant Style Salsa is a CINCH and inexpensive to make at home. Learn the ingredient I use to make it taste just like a restaurant's!
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I’m about to share with you one of the greatest restaurant hacks of all time: making homemade, restaurant-style salsa is not only easy, but inexpensive, and is best – BEST! – made with canned tomatoes. While fresh tomatoes make great pico de gallo, you gotta go with canned tomatoes if you want that true restaurant salsa flavor.
You heard it here first, folks!
Watch How to Make It!
I’ve been making this homemade salsa recipe since college, which is when I found out that canned tomatoes are the secret to the addictive-deliciousness of restaurant style salsa (ie, I begged the waiter at Carlos O’Kelly’s to tell me how they make their salsa. SO GOOD!) Of course I occasionally slack and buy salsa at the store, but this recipe gives you the restaurant experience at home, and takes just a few minutes to make.
Recipe Details
- My recipe for Restaurant Style Salsa makes 4 cups of salsa for under $5. That said, its very economical and great for serving at parties and get togethers.
- Homemade salsa will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. While I don’t have experience canning, I know enough to confidently say this recipe would can well.
- I use my 14 cup food processor to whip this salsa up in just a few minutes, though a blender would most likely work well too.
- As written, my recipe is mild on the spice scale, but feel free to leave the seeds in the jalapeno to increase the spice level, and/or experiment with adding different kinds of chili peppers.
How to Make Restaurant Style Salsa
There’s just one step involved in this recipe – throw a bunch of ingredients into the bowl of a food processor then pulse – woo!
We’ve got caned whole peeled tomatoes, red onion (white onion works great too), fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, jalapeno,salt, sugar, and fresh lime juice.
NOTE:if your canned tomatoes contain sugar in the ingredient list then omit the sugar in the recipe.
Pulse the ingredients until you reach your desired consistency then taste and add more salt and/or lime juice if necessary. That said, this salsa is best eaten 24 hours or more after making, so the flavors have time to meld, and so I like to adjust the seasonings just before serving the day after making.
Scoop the salsa into a 4 cup mason jar or bowl with a tight fitting lid then refrigerate for 24 hours to let the flavors really meld before digging in. The salsa will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, though mine never ever sticks around that long. I hope you love this EASY restaurant style salsa at home! Enjoy!
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Restaurant Style Salsa
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Description
Restaurant Style Salsa is a CINCH to make at home, plus it's much cheaper then buying salsa from the store. Learn the ingredient I use to make it taste just like a restaurant's.
Ingredients
makes 4 cups
- 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 red or white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped (leave in seeds for a spicier salsa)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1/2 - 1 whole lime
- 1 teaspoon sugar*
Directions
- Add ingredients — whole tomatoes through salt — to a food processor. Add the juice of half a lime, plus the sugar if your canned tomatoes do not contain sugar (if sugar is listed as an ingredient on your canned tomatoes, omit the sugar.)
- Pulse ingredients until desired consistency is reached then taste and add more lime juice and/or salt if necessary. Refrigerate overnight for best results then serve.
Notes
- This salsa is mild as written with 1 seeded jalapeno.
- This is the 14-cup food processor I use >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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106 Comments
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Rachel 02.01.2024 I wonder how this works out with frozen tomatoes. I usually just throw my garden tomatoes in my freezer whole. When I use them, I defrost and slide the skin off and use in place of canned tomatoes. The salsa might be a little watery, but I think I’ll try!
Reply
- Kristin 02.05.2024
It feels strange to feel passionately about this, lol, but I strongly suggest against using fresh or frozen-fresh tomatoes in this salsa. The flavor is really muted when using fresh vs canned!
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- Mike J 10.19.2023
This recipe is amazing! Two things:
1) Definitely drain the tomatoes, salsa is plenty liquidy without the extra water.
2) Add 1/2 tsp each of chipotle powder and ancho chili powder to give it some extra heat and smoke. Happy dipping!
Reply
- Kristin 10.20.2023
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Mike – love the addition of the chili powders!! I do recommend not draining the tomatoes though to reach the consistency of salsa in these photos! That said I believe salsa consistency is truly a personal preference so drain if you want a thicker salsa!
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- Linda Long 03.19.2023
I have searched for the past 4 or 5 years for a GOOD salsa. I didn’t care if it was store bought, home canned or homemade and this is the winner!! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
5
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- Amy 02.13.2023
I made this for taco night when we had family in town over Christmas and it was so good that my husband requested it again for super bowl snacks. I love that it’s so easy and the results are super tasty.
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- Kristin 02.15.2023
Love hearing that, Amy!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
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- Danielle 11.07.2022
Think I could use canned diced tomatoes rather than whole peeled tomatoes if that’s all I have? Going to make this tomorrow to go with your slow cooker black bean soup :)
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- Kristin 11.15.2022
That should be fine, Danielle! :)
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- shane 09.08.2022
Nicely done. I’ve been chasing after this recipe for a long time. Used to hit up Carlos O’Kelly’s all the time as a teenager when I first got my license because my friends and I were all zany about the salsa, so with your intel, it’s final! Delicious! Who would have thought the canned tomato was the secret?
Sincerely,
Another (former) IowanReply
- Kristin 09.13.2022
Right?! So glad it delivered. :)
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- Christy 07.17.2022
I still make this all the time. There is no need for any other salsa recipe. LOVE it.Question: what is the refrigerator shelf life? Thank you.
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- Kristin 07.18.2022
I’m so glad you love it, Christy (and I totally agree!!) I usually say 4-5 days in the fridge.
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- Chloe 07.07.2022
The first time I made this it was unreal, I’ve made it several more times and it hasn’t ever been as intensely flavored as the first time- it’s almost watery and not tomatoey? What could I be doing wrong?
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- Kristin 07.08.2022
Hi Chloe! What brand of canned tomatoes are you using?
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- Grams 02.10.2022
If you like a chunkier salsa use diced canned tomatoes and diced onion instead of blending it otherwise it’s the same ingredients. Just mix everything together and done.
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- Larry 10.25.2021
Made it- everyone loves it.Family said tasted like the Mexican restaurant. Only question is it has a grey/green look not bright red as pictured. Did I put too much cilantro in it or mix too long???
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- Kristin 10.27.2021
Wohoo!! You got it – if the cilantro is overpureed it can lend that green/gray color to the entire salsa. In the future you could puree the salsa to your desired texture then add the cilantro to the food processor and give it a few more pulses to roughly chop. Glad the taste was spot on for you though!
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hi, i'm kristin!
I’m a Midwestern wife and Mama, and after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013 I began sharing delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Welcome!
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