The Best 5 Minute Restaurant Style Homemade Salsa Recipe

This is the best 5-minute restaurant-style homemade salsa recipe! It is bursting with vibrant tomatoes, zesty lime, and just the right kick of heat. It’s smooth, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to make using simple pantry ingredients. Whether you’re topping tacos, dipping chips, or spooning it over eggs, this quick blender salsa will instantly upgrade any meal. After one bite, you’ll never go back to store-bought salsa again.

Best Homemade Salsa Recipe

Our family has been searching for the best store-bought salsa for years. I’ll find one that’s pretty good, but then it disappears from shelves or just misses the mark, so we stop buying. A few years ago, I finally thought, why not just make it myself? A good restaurant-style salsa should be blended, full of bold flavor, and simple to throw together. This recipe is exactly that.

And let’s be honest, the salsa is only half the equation. The tortilla chip you scoop it with is just as important. Want to know my favorite brand, plus our list of top store-bought salsas for when life gets busy? Click here and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.

Restaurant-Style Homemade Salsa Recipe

Restaurant salsa isn’t thick and chunky like pico de gallo. It’s smoother, more pourable—like the kind you’d find at your favorite Mexican restaurant, but with way better flavor.

So what makes a salsa restaurant-style? Two key things: Canned fire-roasted tomatoes for a deep, smoky base, and blending (not chopping) the ingredients to create that perfect, scoopable texture.

Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tip

Carrian’s Notes

If fresh tomatoes are hard to come by where you live, canned tomatoes work wonderfully. Fire-roasted is our top choice because it brings so much flavor without extra effort.

Let’s go over everything you need so you can feel confident shopping at the store or the farmers market.

What Are the Best Tomatoes for Homemade Salsa?

For a fresh, chunky salsa, you can get away with using just about any ripe tomato. But if you’re going for a smooth, restaurant-style salsa, Roma tomatoes are the way to go. They’re meaty, low in water content, and full of rich tomato flavor that blends beautifully into salsa.

How to Choose Ripe, Flavorful Tomatoes

Choosing the right tomatoes can make all the difference in your homemade salsa. Ripe, flavorful tomatoes are the foundation of a great recipe, so here’s what to look for at the store or farmers market.

1. Tight skin: Look for tomatoes with smooth, unwrinkled skin. Wrinkles mean the tomato is past its prime.
2. Even coloring: Deep red with no green, yellow, or orange patches means it ripened properly on the vine.
3. Heaviness: The heavier the tomato, the juicier it is. This is one of the best indicators of freshness and ripeness. Just don’t squeeze them. The more you shop for tomatoes, the better you’ll get at spotting a good one.

A little extra care in picking your tomatoes pays off in a big way! Fresh, juicy tomatoes bring vibrant flavor and texture that truly elevate your salsa.

Do You Need to Add Sugar to Homemade Salsa?

Just a small pinch of sugar can make a big difference. It helps balance the acidity in tomatoes, especially if you’re using store-bought instead of homegrown. You won’t taste the sugar, but you’ll notice a more rounded, mellow flavor.

Homemade Salsa Ingredients

While you can use all canned items (not the onion) for salsa, I’ve found that a combination of fresh ingredients and canned goods works the best for a copycat Mexican restaurant salsa recipe. I think that’s because the canned tomatoes add a thicker and saucier salsa versus a pico de gallo-like salsa.

Here’s what we use for Mexican Salsa:

• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are the best for this recipe.
• Cilantro: Fresh, bright green bunch with or without stems.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic cloves.
• Onions: Red onions have a subtle flavor and add great color.
• Jalapeno: Add flavor and a little heat. You can use other spicier peppers if preferred, like serrano pepper.
• Canned Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes pack the best flavor.
• Salt: Adds flavor and balance.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is preferred!
• Sugar: Cut through the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Seasonings: Chili Powder and Ground Cumin.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and detailed instructions.

How to Make Salsa from Scratch

Making salsa at home is really easy. All you need is a blender (a food processor would also work great)!

1. Prep: Roughly chop the fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños, and cilantro.
2. Layer: Add all ingredients to a blender, starting with the canned tomatoes and lime juice.
3. Blend: Pulse the mixture until the salsa is slightly chunky but not smooth.
4. Season: Taste and add salt or more lime juice if needed.
5. Chill: Let the salsa sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to deepen the flavor.
6. Serve: Enjoy with chips or over your favorite Mexican dishes.
7. Homemade salsa doesn’t have to be complicated. With just a few fresh ingredients and a quick blend, you can have bold, restaurant-style flavor right at home! See recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tip!

Carrian’s Notes

This homemade salsa tastes even better the next day. Make it ahead of time and save yourself some prep on Taco Tuesday! Your future self will thank you!

Our Favorite Recipes to Add this Salsa to:

The truth is, this fresh salsa recipe pairs perfectly with just about any of our favorite Mexican recipes. Whether you’re spooning it over tender pork carnitas, dipping into it with cheesy quesadillas, or layering it onto chicken enchiladas and smothered beef burritos, it brings the perfect burst of flavor. We especially love it with a hearty chicken burrito bowl! Since you can easily adjust the spice level, this salsa is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s fresh, flavorful, and so simple to make! Your whole family will love it!

Do You Need To Peel Tomatoes For Salsa?

You do not have to peel tomatoes for salsa. In fact, I prefer you not peel them because it adds more texture and flavor to the salsa. Plus, peeling tomatoes is a hassle, so be glad you don’t have to.

How to Store Homemade Salsa Safely and Keep It Fresh

Homemade salsa will stay fresh for 5 to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, ideally a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a plastic container if needed. Just be sure not to leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, as bacteria can start to grow after that point. To tell if salsa has gone bad, look for discoloration, mold around the container’s edge, or an off smell. If it’s become mushy or smells sour, it’s best to toss it.

Is It Cheaper to Buy or Make Salsa?

You’ll for sure save money by making your own salsa, especially if the vegetables are from your own garden. And homemade salsa is generally healthier than most of the sugary varieties you’ll find in stores.

Craving some fresh and flavorful salsa? Skip the store-bought stuff and try this quick and easy homemade salsa recipe that tastes just like restaurant-style salsa in just 5 minutes! Perfect for dipping, topping, or snacking on its own.

More Homemade Condiment Recipes You’ll Love:

• Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing
• Taco SeasoningPizza Sauce
• Authentic Salsa Verde
• Nacho Cheese Sauce
• All CONDIMENT RECIPES!

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