This fresh Mexican salsa recipe is easy and packed full of flavor! It is so delicious, the store-bought favorites don't compare to this homemade version.
This post was originally published on August 30, 2015.
Salsa. And chips. It's a food group. I could literally eat it all day and be happy. Unless the salsa is awful. There is nothing worse than a bad-tasting salsa. I personally need salsa with some flavor, a little pizzaz. So I obviously had to jump in and make my own!
Mexican Salsa Recipe
I have my go-to Mexican restaurants, always judged at the top because their salsas are superb! Like hot sauce, I love salsa on my food. Loads and loads. Especially fresh Mexican salsa! YUM.
My version of fresh Mexican salsa has a lot of different flavors going on. A little fresh tomato, but also a touch of fire-roasted flavor. I loved the combo of these two to make the ultimate end result!
What are the ingredients for salsa?
There are so many types of salsas out there, but there are some basics that most share in common. Here is a basic list:
- Tomatoes of some sort (fresh, roasted, tomatillos, etc)
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Peppers
- Garlic
- Salt
- Lime
What is the best salsa?
Obviously mine! Haha! Totally kidding, kinda. The best salsa is a personal opinion but I believe that it needs to be flavorful! I like all kinds of salsa, so first you should nail down what you are looking for in flavor.
Different types of salsa are good for different things. There is fresh, roasted, green, mild, spicy, sweet, etc. I love them all!
What kind of tomatoes are best
This depends on the type of salsa you want. I have recipes for both a homemade roasted salsa (in my cookbook) and this more fresh salsa recipe and use both. I like the roasted one for eating but also for using in enchiladas and other baked recipes too.
So different recipes use different tomatoes. If you are using only roasted tomatoes that will give you a more deep roasted flavor. If you are using mostly fresh tomatoes, you will have a fresher lighter flavor. And there is even tomatillos for a more tangy type salsa!
Do you have to peel the tomatoes?
This depends on the end result you are going for. For this recipe, I do not peel them. I don't find the need since it is blended but if you are making it chunky and you do not like the texture of the skins, then definitely peel them.
If you are canning a salsa however, you may want to peel the tomatoes because the skins are a little tough and with canning they will stand out. Click here to watch a video on the canning process!
Shelf life and storing
This salsa will last about 5-6 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The good news is that it is so delish, it probably won't last that long! If you can't eat it all within that time frame, I would recommend making a half recipe.
I would not recommend freezing this salsa, it just isn't going to hold up well and will become watery since it is based on fresh tomatoes.
How To Make Fresh Mexican Salsa
- Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Don't over blend if you want some texture.
- You can strain it through a mesh strainer for a chunkier version, or just get to dipping!
Tips for making this more or less spicy
This is a mild salsa recipe, perfect for all ages. If you are a spice addict (like me), you can add some fresh jalapeños, cayenne pepper or even chipotle pepper to spicy it up. You could also add some hot sauce if you want some extra tang with the spice.
Serving suggestions
I love Mexican food so I have loads of great recipes that this salsa pairs perfectly with! Here are some of my favorites:
- Vegan Queso Blanco
- 7 Layer Taco Dip
- Best Nacho Cheese
- Vegan Taquitos
- Oil-Free Baked Corn Tortilla Chips
- Fully Loaded Guacamole Dip
- Healthy Simple Guacamole Recipe
- Vegan Mexican Chili Cheese Dip
- Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Healthy Vegan Bean Dip
- Easy Pineapple Salsa
Easy Fresh Mexican Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes , about 4 average sized tomatoes
- 15 ounces fire roasted chopped tomatoes , drained (1 can)
- ½ cup sliced green onion , about 1-2 onions
- ½ cup chopped sweet or yellow onion , about ½ of an average sized onion
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves fresh garlic , or 4 cloves roasted garlic if preferred
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- cayenne, chipotle pepper or fresh jalapeños , optional for added spice
Instructions
- If using roasted garlic, peel garlic and mix with a splash of oil or veggie broth and some salt. Wrap in tin foil, and/or parchment and roast at 400°F/200°C in a regular or toaster oven, about 20-25 minutes, until garlic is browning and looks caramelized.
- Drain fire roasted tomatoes.
- Place all ingredients except green onions and cilantro into a food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add green onions and cilantro and pulse a few more times.
- If you prefer a less liquid salsa, drain using a fine mesh strainer.
- Serve!
Notes
- This salsa is a fresh tomato flavored salsa. If you want a more fire roasted flavor use more canned fire roasted tomatoes and less fresh. As long as you keep the total volume of tomatoes the same as the recipe, it will turn out great.
- The veggies only need to be coarsely chopped for measurement purposes since you will be blending them.
- This makes about 4 ½ cups salsa. Serving size is ½ cup.
- This is a mild salsa so any child able to eat tomatoes is able to enjoy this as a dip. Many babies can’t handle the acidity of tomatoes until later so take caution before offering to an infant. It is probably best to wait until they are at least 8 months old.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Madiha Nawaz
I love salsa and can eat it at any time of the day! In my culture, our chutney made with tomatoes is just like this Mexican salsa and we like pairing it with any rice dish, stuffed flat bread called paratha or any other teatime savoury snack 🙂 I think, you'd love it too 🙂
Thanka for sharing this gorgeous recipe!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much Madiha! I pair this with so many things too! I've never had chutney but I bet it's delicious!
Sara
What kind of chips do you use? I have a hard time finding unsalted, wholegrain and oil-free chips. Do you buy those?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Sara! The oil free part is hard, I haven't found any oil free. But the unsalted and whole grain is pretty much most of the tortilla chips I've seen! Many have unsalted versions. For me, as long as they have very few ingredients (corn, lime, oil is the basics) I'm good. We sometimes do unsalted because we don't eat tons of salt but there are brands with less salt use than others. Cadia makes some great ones!
Michelle@healthiersteps
I love quick and easy recipes that's great for company and this recipe is a winner!'
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Michelle! Yes, perfect dip for having friends over!
Linda @ Veganosity
I could drink this! I love chips and salsa, and guacamole. I can't wait to see what's coming our way tomorrow!
veggiesdontbite
I can totally drink this too! Followed by a margarita of course 😉 Keep your eye out!
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
Beautiful recipe, Sophia! I've never used fire roasted canned tomatoes in my fresh salsa {usually use fresh tomatoes}, but that sounds like a delicious change <3 And with the amount of chips and salsa we go through here, I'll definitely have to try your version out 😀
veggiesdontbite
The fire roasted gives it just a tad of flavor dimension. Many restaurant salsas actually have roasted tomatoes along with fresh. But because of the fresh in there they taste like fresh. Plain fresh is very "pico de gallo" to me so I like mixing it up!
Howie Fox
Salsa and chips is like chocolate and caramal, like mozzarella and tomato, it's just delicious! Gourgeous photos too!! 😀
veggiesdontbite
YES!!!! LOL! So so good, and I think I'll take the chocolate and caramel for dessert 😉 Thank you!
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
I am in love with this!! Can you pass me a chip so I can dig right in?!? 😀
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Ceara!! I'll pass you a bag! You'll need it. LOL
Kelly @ TastingPage
Totally agree that salsa is and should be its own food group. Love all the great flavors in here like roasted garlic. Yum!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much! The roasted garlic is so good! But I mean, when is roasted garlic not 😉
Mandy
Chips and salsa....my absolute weakness. Well, one of them anyway! This salsa is GORGEOUS!!! And I love that you used both green onion and sweet onion. I'm in love and I haven't even tried it yet! <3
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Mandy! It's a great combo of flavors and I love having fresh salsa on hand!
The Vegan8
Looks gorgeous girl!! This looks like the perfect food group to me! I think I could live off salsa and chips! I love that you added roasted garlic, yum! I have never had a salsa in my life that didn't have a kick of heat to it....everything down here is spicy and the one I love from Trader Joes I buy sometimes is also spicy, so I'm intrigued at how this tastes with no heat added! Now, I'm craving salsa.
veggiesdontbite
LOL! I know, no spice here. And you must think I've lost it because you know how much I love spice. BUT, I was trying to make this a very family/kid friendly salsa because my whole family loves chips and salsa so much but I'm the only spice fiend. The 4 year old likes some spice, but the others are all spice wussies! It still has loads of flavor, especially with the roasted garlic in there. I love it, although truth be told I often dump my favorite hot sauce over the top. HAHAHA!
Jenn
This looks INCREDIBLE!! I also judge Mexican restaurants on the quality of their salsa. I became ADDICTED to chips and salsa when my son was first eating solids. Since there is little time to eat when caring for an infant, I would be feeing him with one hand and snacking on chips and salsa with the other. It is now my go-to when I'm having a snack craving!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Jenn! It must be a mom thing because that's just how I do it 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm pretty sure salsa should be eaten with a spoon 😉 It is a total veggie so the more the merrier!
veggiesdontbite
I eat mine with a chip spoon!! LOL! And I guess since it's all veggies you really should be able to eat as much as you want 😉
Sina @ Vegan Heaven
This looks so delicious, Sophia! 🙂 I love Mexican food and I totally agree with you! Salsa is awesome!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Sina! Isn't Mexican food the best?!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
OH wow! What a stunning looking delicious and flavorful salsa. Can't wait to try this awesomeness.
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much! It's really good and makes a great snack!
Cadry
I am a salsa fiend too. I love the idea of mixing fire roasted and fresh tomatoes. Good thinking!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Cadry! Yes, salsa is just so darn good! And top it off with hot sauce for an even bigger heavenly meal...