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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!
Mexican food has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up on it, and it reminds me so much of my childhood! Eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant was always my happy place. And my favorite part? The chips and salsa of course! I always judged a delicious Mexican restaurant by first rating their salsa. My favorite meals are typically chicken enchiladas (especially my Chicken Enchilada Casserole or my Chicken Enchilada Meal Prep Bowls,) or Chile rellenos that must be covered in delicious salsa.
For years, I have tried to perfect the absolute best homemade salsa. When This one is absolutely it!! This salsa elevates any Mexican meal, taco bowl recipe, or just as a side dip for party guests! I learned some key tips from a Mexican friend of mine, and my life was forever changed.
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:
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!
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:
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.
What to eat with this Salsa:
This salsa is so versatile that I keep coming back to it again and again. It adds the perfect fresh kick to so many of my favorite Mexican-inspired dinners. I especially love spooning it over Sheet Pan Chipotle Steak Fajitas, but it’s just as good alongside Instant Pot Chicken Tinga. This salsa goes perfectly with chips or try my creamy Cottage Cheese Queso for a protein-packed twist.
The Best Homemade Salsa You’ll Ever Eat
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
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Place tomatoes and peppers in the skillet.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place tomatoes, peppers, onions, lime, and canned tomatoes 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.
- Place in a large bowl and refrigerate until cooled before serving. Serve with your favorite Mexican dish or with chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was the taste I have been searching for! I have usually roasted my vegetables in the broiler but using the pan worked out wonderfully. I used a Serrano chili versus a poblano along with a white onion instead of the green onion. This turned out a salsa that was wonderful. I am a salsa addict and my cravings were assuaged. I loved the texture. I agree that leaving it a bit chunky is perfect.
I’m going to try some variations such as adding a dried chipotle to add some smokiness. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m just curious, what is the reason for combining fresh and canned tomatoes? Almost every recipe I’ve found does this, but you seem to actually respond so I’m wondering if there is a reason?
Most restaurant style salsas use canned tomatoes to give that extra rich/sweet taste of tomatoes. I prefer the fresh (more of salsa Fresca), but find that combining the 2 gives it exactly the right taste/texture!
Thank you for sharing this. I made it and agree 100% — BEST.SALSA.EVA!
This is an amazing salsa. We made a double bath right away and plan to make another today. I do have a question can this be frozen or canned? Thanks
I canned this last year, and it got even better! My husband and kids devour every jar we open. It thickens over time as well since the veggies reabsorb some of the liquid. I used a water bath for mine at 20 minutes. I did it directly as I finished preparing it, so it was still warm at the time it was canned. I hope this helps!
I just made this and it is DELICIOUS. So much flavor! My cooking abilities are somewhere between ‘lacking’ and ‘pitiful’ so I was genuinely apprehensive to put vegetables in a naked pan on medium-high and basically let them burn, but I trusted the process and I’m glad I did because the final result is A+. (Also, the vegetables ‘sang’ in the pan throughout the sauteing process, which I was charmed by and found weirdly soothing!) My one misstep is that I didn’t realize my jalapenos were MUCH bigger than average, so I ended up with a VERY spicy salsa. I have a high heat tolerance, but I think this salsa is too spicy for me to eat with chips. However, my intention is to put a few spoonfuls of it on salad bowls, which I think I’ll still be able to handle, lol. Fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing!
When you say use a poblano chili those are usually dried. Should I use fresh pasilla chili’s instead? They are often confused as the same is why I ask. I just made this with pasilla chili’s because I couldn’t find poblano’s at my grocery store (dried or fresh). Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
Jolie – Poblanos are fresh peppers. When you dry a poblano, you then have an ancho chili.
This salsa is absolutely fantastic!!!!
I agree!! Thank you, Jessica!
I doubled the recipe mistaking the amount of salsa this actually makes. Now I have 3 quarts of this delicious salsa. The flavor is absolutely amazing! My spouse has said I’ve ruined her now. She can’t go back to the jarred or premade stuff.
Hi there, I am planning on making this tonight so not sure if you will see this in time, but do you peel the poblano pepper after you char it, or leave it on and put it in the blender as is? Thank you and I’ll check back in after we eat it tomorrow!
I don’t peel the skin, I leave it on. But you can definitely peel it off!
What a fantastic recipe! It was awesome right after I made it. I cannot wait till it has some time in the refrigerator. 🙂