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Feb 23

The Best Homemade Salsa You’ll Ever Eat

Paleo
Whole30
Vegan
Gluten Free
Paleo
Whole30
Vegan
Gluten Free

I am sure you have a good recipe for salsa. I used to have what I thought was a good recipe too. But I can promise you, it does not compare to this. This recipe for homemade Mexican-style salsa is hands down the best salsa you’ll ever eat. Made the authentic way with a key step that you won’t want to miss!

Bowl of salsa on a marble slab on a white background.

Mexican food has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up on it. However, I have noticed that the older I get, the harder it is for me to tolerate Mexican food out in restaurants! Especially since I stick to mostly gluten-free recipes.

As a nutritionist, I am always trying to make some of my favorite Mexican dishes a little lighter. This helps me to know exactly what I am putting in our food. Salsa is no different! An amazing salsa recipe with real ingredients makes all the difference in eating a delicious and restaurant style Mexican meal.

What makes this the Best Salsa?

The old salsa recipe I made went something like this: fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeños, lemon, garlic, and salt. Sound familiar? Yeah, well this recipe takes it to a whole different level.

A dear Mexican friend of mine, whom I will forever be grateful for, had me over for dinner one night a few years ago for some authentic Mexican food. She knew I was missing the good stuff here in Germany. We’re chatting over wine in her kitchen while she is cooking all the food. I noticed she had this on the stovetop:

tomatoes and peppers cooking on the  stovetop

I told her it looked good and she told me it was for salsa. Say what?!?! Don’t you just throw in some tomatoes, onion, etc. into the blender?

“This is Mexican cooking 101,” she tells me.

So I started paying attention. I tried when I got home a few days later and failed. So then, I had her to my house. I wasn’t going to screw it up this time; I took notes.

For over a year now, I have been making my variation of Yesenia’s recipe. And now my dear readers, I am sharing with you. Oh and Yesenia did give me permission. She is not one of those that likes to keep good food a secret!

Ingredients for the best salsa:

  • Vine ripe tomatoes: We will add a smokiness to these by cooking on the stovetop
  • Jalapeno peppers: You definitely want some kick to this salsa! I omit the seeds and this still makes it spicy. We also cook these on the stovetop!
  • Poblano pepper: I love a smoky poblano pepper, it adds so much depth to a salsa. Another item to add to the stovetop.
  • Green onion: I prefer the milder taste of green onions for salsa, and the fact that they add a little crunch.
  • Limes: Definitely some tang to make good salsa!
  • Fresh cilantro: Don’t skimp! Grab a big bundle and chop it up
  • Canned tomatoes: The addition of fresh tomatoes and canned together, really adds more flavor depth! I use Rotel.
  • Sea Salt: Definitely need to salt up the salsa!
Bowl of salsa in a black bowl with cilantro on top

Making Salsa on the stovetop:

The key to this recipe is to char the tomatoes and peppers on the stovetop. Yes, stovetop. I tried to do it in the oven once and roast the tomatoes & peppers, bad move.

The stovetop method will take you about 20 minutes, but sooooooo worth the wait. You’ll need to rotate the veggies from time to time, so all the sides are pretty even. Here is what the vegetables will look like once they are done:

charred tomatoes after cooking

Tips for making the best salsa:

  • After the veggies have cooled, cut into large chunks and place in your food processor or blender.
  • I definitely prefer a food processor because the blender will often mix things up too fast and not leave room for a chunkier salsa. However, you will need a large food processor to fit it all in!
  • Add the cilantro last, toward the end. Larger chunks of salsa are a good thing!
  • If serving for dinner, make this salsa in the morning! If it chills all day in the fridge, the flavors really meld and develop even more.
  • You can also make the day before! I love this salsa at one day old.
close up salsa picture in a black bowl with cilantro

What to eat with this Salsa:

Here are some of my favorite healthy Mexican recipes that I love to eat with my salsa!!

Sheet Pan Chipotle Steak Fajitas

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot Chicken Tinga

Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos

Beef and Veggie Taco Skillet

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The Best Homemade Salsa You’ll Ever Eat

This recipe for homemade Mexican-style salsa is hands down the best salsa you'll ever eat. Tomatoes and peppers are perfectly charred on the stovetop before they're blended with the other ingredients. So good and simple!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 15
Author Amy Rains
4.96 from 21 votes
Print

Ingredients

  • 6 medium size vine ripened tomatoes stem removed
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1 cup green onion diced
  • 1 lime juice of
  • 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder or sea salt

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Place tomatoes and peppers in the skillet. 

  2. Continue to saute, rotating the vegetables occasionally, so several sides begin to blister. See photos above. This will take around 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

  3. Once cooled, chop off the stems of the peppers, and remove the seeds from the jalapeño (you can also keep some seeds for more heat in your salsa). Cut the vegetables into large pieces.

  4. Place tomatoes, peppers, onions, lime, and rotel into a blender and pulse quickly until just mixed (about 5 seconds). Add garlic, cilantro, and bouillon. Pulse for another 15 seconds until well blended but chunky.

  5. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate until cooled before serving. Serve with your favorite Mexican dish or with chips. 

Recipe Notes

This recipe tastes better after 24 hours. You can refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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  1. Jay DeMay says

    May 5, 2015 at 11:06 pm

    This salsa sounds amazing!! I love that the veggies are charred first. I’m sure it adds so much flavor. I need to try this!

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 5, 2015 at 11:11 pm

      You should Jay! I promise you won’t be disappointed 😉

      Reply
  2. Heather - Butter & Burlap says

    May 6, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    I’ve never seen a salsa recipe like that – and it’s a good thing! I love the creativity of this recipe, and I think my favorite part is the charring of the vegetables. I bet that really amps up the flavor! Great recipe, Amy!

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      May 7, 2015 at 9:00 pm

      It would go great with your Flautas Heather!!

      Reply
      • Heather - Butter & Burlap says

        May 7, 2015 at 11:48 pm

        Ahh! So true, it’s perfect!

        Reply
    • Randy says

      November 9, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      Yes I wonder how much fresh cabbage she added that was omitted in this recipe?

      Reply
  3. Amy says

    September 24, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    How spicy is it on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is mild and 10 is burning a hole in your mouth hot.

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      September 25, 2015 at 3:05 am

      To me it’s about a 7, it is spicy, but still has taste. You can adjust the spicy factor by adding another jalapeño or taking one away.

      Reply
  4. Whitnee says

    February 13, 2016 at 12:09 am

    Do you leave the seeds in on all the peppers?

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      February 13, 2016 at 2:53 am

      No, I take out the seeds in all but 1 pepper. Sometimes I even take all of them out! I love spicy, but I also want my tastebuds to enjoy it ????

      Reply
  5. Modern Recipes says

    October 5, 2017 at 9:46 am

    We tried this last night in Berlin. We couldn’t find a Poblano, but used a Spitzpaprika (similar to an Anaheim pepper where I’m from) instead. We also only had one Jalapeno, so we added a tiny bit of Birdseye to even it out. It gave it a sneak attack, starts sweet, then bites you later. Love it.

    The problem we had though, was what to do with the Tomatoes after roasting them, Typically other salsa recipes would remove the skin and seeds, but that seems kind of meaningless in this instance. Could you share your method here please?

    Also we seemed to have way too much fluid, even though we didn’t add any water. Is there a way to avoid this?

    Thanks!
    MRI

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 2, 2018 at 8:53 pm

      I leave the skin on, and dive into chunks. Also, it is heavy on the liquid. When using real veggies there is no way around it.

      Reply
  6. derrick, in Alaska. says

    December 21, 2017 at 10:50 am

    do i need to change it to produce and can thirty six pints and i am grilling the veggies on bbq grill instead of stove top…..

    Reply
  7. Sue says

    March 14, 2018 at 4:27 pm

    Can you can this?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 14, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      I wish I knew! I am not smart with canning at all and have never tried.

      Reply
  8. DANA Roberson says

    May 25, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    4 stars
    I cut the jalapeno down to 1/2 pepper and it was still too spicy. My kids won’t touch it. Next batch won’t have it. May switch from pablano to chipotle pepper as well.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 26, 2018 at 6:56 am

      Hi Dana! Sorry it was too spicy. Did you take out the seeds? That really cuts down on spice. Also, some jalapeños are spicier than others and sometimes you get unlucky with a super hot one.

      Reply
  9. Rosi says

    June 22, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    Great recipe! Is the poblano pepper fresh or dry?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 22, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Fresh!

      Reply
  10. Kati Hardy says

    August 27, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    How much does this make in cups? Pints?

    Reply
  11. Tony Bolinger says

    September 16, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    I made this salsa today and it was excellent. I only used I jalapeño pepper as my family can’t do the heat but I think I will use 2 next time.

    Reply
  12. Mayra O'Hearn says

    June 29, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    5 stars
    Finally!!! A salsa we love! Easy instructions and cheap ingredients! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 1, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      Glad you love it!!

      Reply
  13. Joy Hines says

    July 1, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Hey how much lime juice? It just says 1 lime juice of?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      July 2, 2019 at 12:41 pm

      Hi Joy, it’s the juice of 1 lime. This will yield a 2-3 tbsp.

      Reply
  14. Gina says

    August 8, 2019 at 9:30 pm

    Excellent salsa!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 1, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Agree. So good!

      Reply
  15. Jenna says

    May 1, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t believe I didn’t know this trick! Thank you!! We absolutely loved this salsa. Definitely the best.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 1, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Glad you love it, Jenna!

      Reply
  16. Lauren says

    May 4, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Hi! Do I need to drain the rotel? Making this for cinco de Mayo tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 4, 2020 at 2:20 pm

      Nope! Go ahead and put in with the juices!

      Reply
  17. Erin Long says

    May 18, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    This IS the best salsa ever! I’ve made it twice. Easy to follow recipe and makes a ton.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 18, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      5 stars
      So glad you love it, Erin!!

      Reply
  18. Lamar says

    January 23, 2021 at 1:42 am

    Can you char the peppers and veggies on a BBQ grill instead of the stove top?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 23, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      I’ve never done it that way, but I don’t see why not.

      Reply
  19. TONY Elder says

    January 23, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    You stated that you’re Mexican Friend used Cabbage ? But I don’t see it in the recipe

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 23, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      Hi Tony, I don’t use cabbage in my variation. You can add it you would like. About 1 cup of shredded cabbage after the salsa is done.

      Reply
  20. Julie says

    February 6, 2021 at 10:03 pm

    Tonight, I followed this recipe exactly as written. It was absolutely incredible!! Without a doubt, this is the best salsa recipe that’s been made in my kitchen. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:21 pm

      That makes me so happy!!

      Reply

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Welcome!

I’m Amy, foodie, nutritionist, recipe developer, wife, and busy mom of 2. I am on a mission to create everyday nutritious recipes that taste absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I love comfort food with a healthy twist. Follow me as I share the simple meals I make for my family. I’ll make meal planning easy by telling you exactly what we eat every week! Read More

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