Easiest Homemade Salsa Recipe (2024)

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Homemade Salsa may seem fancy, but really it is crazy easy to make and fresh salsa is 100x times better than anything you can get in a jar! You only need a few ingredients and a couple of minutes to make anything from a personal sized batch of salsa to a batch big enough to feed a crowd. This homemade salsa is made with canned tomatoes to make it easy, but mixed with fresh onion and cilantro so that it tastes completely fresh and delicious! Perfect for a party, as a topping on taco night, or just with a bag of chips and a movie, this salsa recipe is one I find myself making all the time!

Homemade Salsa Recipe

When you grow up in Texas, salsa is more of a religion than a condiment. You better believe that in every kitchen there is a go to salsa recipe. And this one is mine!

I really never thought about sharing this recipe since it is just such a basic for us. But when my friend recently begged for the recipe when I had it out at a get together I realized I couldn’t even send her here to the blog to get it! I realized it was about time to share this one!

This homemade salsa recipe is pretty basic. There are lots of recipes out there and lots of great recipes. Why this one is my trusty go to recipe that I have used most of my life, is the combination of being entirely delicious, but yet still so easy to make! With the use of some fresh ingredients and some canned you are able to trick your mouth into thinking this recipe took 10 hours of hard labor peeling tomatoes to make, when really I was able to whip up a batch of the homemade salsa in as little as 10 minutes!

So let’s do this! The salsa is calling!

What to serve Salsa with

This salsa goes well by itself with some chips or is the perfect topping or condiment for many dishes. Here are some of my favorite things to serve it with:

• Tacos with my favorite taco meat!
• Crockpot Green Chile Chicken
• Loaded Chicken Nachos
• Chicken Fajita Burrito Bowls
• Taco Zucchini Boats
• Barbecue Chicken Enchiladas
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken

How to Make Simple Salsa

I am going to walk through this salsa recipe with you here to give you a few tips and tricks I use when making it. You can find the FULL recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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Is this Salsa Spicy?

By default, this isn’t a very spicy salsa. I would probably rate it is mild, or possibly medium if you are extra sensitive. All 3 of my kids have eaten it from the time that they were allowed to start eating chips. There is a little bit of heat from the ROTEL tomatoes, but it is mellowed by the lime. You can increase the spiciness of the salsa by adding extra raw jalapeño to it in the first blending step, or by using “Hot” ROTEL tomatoes rather than original.

What Herbs are in Homemade Salsa?

Salsa traditionally incorporates garlic, cilantro, jalapeño and salt as the seasoning. In my recipe I think it is very important to use fresh cilantro since the flavor doesn’t carry well when it is dried. The fresh cilantro really is the key to making this salsa’s flavor truly amazing.

In my recipe I use garlic powder for ease and it works well to carry the flavor without the bite. You can also try it with fresh garlic if you prefer. The spice in this salsa comes from the canned tomatoes and green chiles, which I think gives the flavor and kick and saves a tremendous amount of time being canned.

The fresh lime is also an important ingredient. Fresh lime is easy to come by, lasts a long time in the fridge and really adds to the flavor of the salsa. It also helps to blend the strong flavors like garlic and onion into the flavor of the salsa.

Do I need any special equipment to make this Mexican Salsa?

You will need either a food processor or a blender. I prefer to use a food processor with the chopping blade, but a blender will also work. If you are using a blender you may need more liquid in the first step, so you can use the juice from the canned tomatoes.

How do I make a Big Batch of Salsa?

You can easily make enough to feed a large crowd or have some extra to freeze so that you can have it on hand any time the chips and salsa craving hits or company stops by. You can also cut the recipe in half for a personal sized little batch of salsa. You won’t want to more than double the recipe because generally the blender or food processor won’t be big enough.

How to Store Homemade Salsa in the Refrigerator

If you have left over salsa, you can store it in the refrigerator by placing it in an tightly closed container and and placing it in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Can I Freeze Salsa?

YES! Salsa freezes well and I recommend doing this to keep homemade salsa on hand so whenever you need it for a recipe or have a craving you can just reach in the freezer for some delicious salsa.

To freeze salsa, I recommend placing it in smaller portion sized tightly closing containers. Then store in the freezer for up to two months. To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator 24 hours before serving.

I really hope that your family likes this salsa as much as we do! It is a staple in our kitchen year round.

If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you let me know! You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me @easyfamilyrecipes so that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!

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Leave a Reply

1. Lisa

   September 25, 2022

   
   This is simply the BEST salsa recipe! Has anyone tried to can it (water-bath etc)?? If so is there anything to do or change to can it? I would love to be able to have it on the shelf all the time instead of in the freezer-it’s so good.

   Reply

2. Jill

   July 17, 2022

   
   Made this on a whim. so quick and easy and tastes out of this world!!

   Reply

3. Melissa

   March 27, 2022

   
   I have to make this salsa at least once a week! My family loves it so much! We prefer the Hot Rotel!

   Reply

4. PaulaG

   January 4, 2022

   Really enjoyed this recipe. I did add in 1 jalapeño, seeded and deveined. I will definitely keep this one to do again.

   Reply

5. Julie

   June 7, 2021

   
   I usually use green onions for my salsa, and didn’t have any, so I went to the internet on a quest of a recipe using canned tomatoes and found this. I am thrilled with it and so is my family. I added a tiny bit more salt and a tiny bit of pickled jalapeno peppers and it turned out amazing. Thank you for the great recipe. It’s so surprising how good it is using canned tomatoes!

   Reply

6. Dana

   April 19, 2020

   This recipe is easy and delicious. I didn’t have diced tomatoes, so i cut up one fresh Roma tomato and added with can of Rotel.

   Reply

7. Tori Hart

   March 28, 2020

   
   Made with the hot Rotel and real garlic instead of powdered. Turned out amazing!! Thank you

   Reply

8. Doug

   November 11, 2019

   This is very close to our go-to recipe, but I’ll throw in a suggestion or two fwiw. I make a big batch, so I just use a 28oz can of whole tomatoes (I use whole tomatoes, not diced, and use all the juice), one can of regular Rotel with green chiles and one can of Rotel with lime and cilantro. It’s not fresh, but it’s easier and fast and I don’t keep fresh cilantro or lime around all that often. Since I also use the garlic paste from a tube and a handful of frozen chopped onions, which I always have on hand, I just keep a can of tomatoes and the cans of Rotel in the pantry, and “homemade” salsa is ever-available at a moment’s notice. I then just add the salt, a 1/2 tsp of cumin, and THEN a full Splenda packet (trust me on this). Then we blend it the heck out of it so it’s that near-liquid, pourable salsa you get at the great little Mexican restaurants. Split the batch and blend in some heat if you want to make one hot and one mild.

   Reply

9. Ashley

   September 26, 2019

   
   This is one of my absolute favorites! So EASY and DELICIOUS!

   Reply

   1. Kimber Matherne

      September 26, 2019

      If you become addicted like me, you can make a double batch and freeze half! Then you get fresh salsa without the work!

      Reply

10. Teresa Clyde

    January 11, 2019

    
    Loved this simple salsa. My question is, can I can this version in a water bath.

    Reply