Home » Food and Drinks » Homemade Salsa
| | |

Homemade Salsa

Quick and Easy Recipe

This super easy homemade salsa is perfect to have on any snack table where you serve chips, crackers or veggies. You can also add it to a food that needs a little extra flavor.

bowl of super easy homemade salsa beside chips

Making Homemade Salsa

There are so many reasons for making your own salsa. First of all, it’s going to taste better because you can use whatever ingredients you like and leave out those you don’t care for. Secondly, It’s going to be fresher than jarred salsa. And who doesn’t like fresh salsa on some delicious homemade corn tortilla chips?

Or you can make this Easy Queso Recipe. You’ll be a hero of a host when guests see all of the yummy options! No one has to know that making it was no trouble at all … unless you choose to tell them!

Also, if you have leftovers from your favorite Mexican restaurant, here are some ways to heat up the nachos to make them taste as fresh as they were when you first tasted them. Dip them into your homemade salsa or queso, and your taste buds will be so happy!

Third, when you make your own salsa, you can add as much heat as you want. I like it spicy most of the time, but there are occasions when I want to tone it down. If you’re making it for children, it’s a good idea to leave out the hot peppers. However, when I was younger, I loved them. And I got teased a lot by friends for adding hot sauce to everything. But that’s okay. You like what you like, right?

Super Easy Homemade Salsa Ingredients

When you make this homemade salsa, remember that it’s your recipe. So adjust all of the ingredients to suit your personal taste. What I typically recommend is to make it according to the recipe the first time and adjust the ingredients in the future. But this recipe is very forgiving. You can add whatever you want, even after you finish making it.

What you’ll need:

  • One 14 or 15-ounce can of whole or diced tomatoes
  • About 1/4 cup of chopped onions (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped jalapeños (more if you want it extra spicy) 
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (either fresh or from a jar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of any brand of chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)
tomatoes, chili powder, minced garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, onions, and jalapenos

For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.

You can use fresh tomatoes. I do that when I have enough. Just be sure to drain them after blending them with your food processor. Sometimes I add a little bit of sugar, but this time I didn’t. It cuts back on the heat just a little and enhances the sweetness of the tomatoes.

You can also separate the recipe in half and put it into two different bowls. Add whatever you want to one and leave the other as-is. It’s always nice to have choices.

How to Make Super Easy Homemade Salsa

First, get all of your ingredients ready. That makes the process easier and prevents you from forgetting something. Secondly, drain half or more of the liquid from the diced tomatoes. I like to reserve the liquid in case I want to add a little bit more after it’s processed.

drained diced tomatoes beside the liquid in a bowl

Set the bowl aside, in case you need to add more liquid to your salsa. Next, combine the tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, pepper, and optional sugar in a food processor.

salsa ingredients in a food processor bowl

If you’re using a manual food processor, chop everything until you reach your desired consistency. And if you’re using an electric processor, pulse the mixture until it’s the consistency you want.

homemade salsa ingredients pulverized and blended

Check to see if the salsa is the thickness you prefer. If you want to thin it out, either a little or a lot, now is the time to add some of the liquid from the tomatoes.

adding liquid to the salsa

If you have time, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. However, it’s still good if you’re pressed for time and need to put it out right after it’s finished.

What to Serve It With

This delicious salsa is good with so many things, the obvious being chips. It’s also delicious when you need something to spice up your rice or potatoes.

chip dipped in a bowl of super easy homemade salsa

One of our favorite simple meals is this salsa chicken. It adds so much flavor to the meat without having a ton of calories.

I also like to put a little on the side when I serve these Tex Mex ranch potatoes. That’s because some people like more than what I put in the casserole.

In addition to tortilla chips, you can dip vegetables in this salsa. If you want to liven it up even more, mix it with some ranch dressing for an explosion of deliciousness.

Another thing I like salsa on is fish. It adds quite a bit of flavor to any baked, broiled, fried, or steamed seafood.

If you like to make a meal out of chips, try these yummy rotisserie chicken nachos. This is perfect when you want something easy but fun to eat.

salsa in a bowl in front of ingredients in a food processor

More Festive Dip Recipes

When it’s time to celebrate, it’s always fun to put out a choice of veggies, crackers, and dips, like this yummy zesty dipping sauce.

My friend Julie makes this amazing cream cheese dip with sausage that’s perfect for your party table. She has all kinds of wonderful recipes on her Back to My Southern Roots blog.

We also like this buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping. It has a delicious creaminess that everyone will love.

And you don’t have to limit yourself to salads for this thousand island dressing. It’s wonderful on anything you want to put it on.

Yield: 6 servings

Super Easy Homemade Salsa

salsa in a bowl beside some chip

Make any event a celebration by adding this super easy homemade salsa to the snack table.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 can of diced tomatoes (14 or 15 ounce can)
  • 1/4 cup of chopped onions
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of jalapeño (more or less if you want)
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Drain half of the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes. Reserve the liquid in a separate bowl to add back later
  2. Combine the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, jalapeño, and optional sugar in a food processor.
  3. If you’re using a manual food processor, chop everything until you reach your desired consistency. If you’re using an electric processor, pulse the mixture until it’s the consistency you want.
  4. If you have time, place it in an airtight container and allow the flavors to meld for an hour.

Notes

  • If you’re preparing this for a large crowd, you can double or triple the entire recipe.
  • You may use fresh tomatoes if you prefer. I recommend running them through the food processor and draining some of the liquid before you add them.
  • If you don’t want any heat, you can use chopped bell peppers instead of jalapeños.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 14Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 93mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 0g

The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Please feel free to share!

Similar Posts

3 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn

    1. Hi Beverly! I hope you and your husband enjoy this salsa as much as we do! And thank you for featuring this recipe!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *