Bring bold, zesty flavor to your table in just 5 minutes with this easy restaurant-style salsa! Made in a blender or food processor, this homemade salsa is loaded with fresh ingredients and authentic taste-so good, you'll never go back to store-bought.
"This is a wonderful salsa recipe! I'm a huge cumin lover, so that added such a nice depth, and I love the way the honey rounded out the flavors."
★★★★★- Amanda
Love restaurant-style salsa? This recipe tastes just like the classic red salsa served with chips at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
I always make a double batch, because it disappears fast in my home. Make sure to make my homemade chips to go with it! Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
You will need the following simple ingredients to make authentic flavored restaurant-style salsa.
- Canned diced tomatoes and chiles-Spicy or mild- You can substitute with plain canned tomatoes and a small can of green chiles.
- Canned diced tomatoes-You can substitute with canned whole tomatoes. Do not use crushed tomatoes.
- Cilantro- Fresh cilantro adds loads of flavor, but if you do not like cilantro, you can leave it out.
- Cumin
- Fresh lime juice
- Garlic cloves- You can substitute with garlic powder.
- Honey- I love the flavor of honey in this salsa. It adds a touch of sweetness without overpowering the sauce. Honey also balances the acidity. However, if you don't have honey on hand, you can substitute it for 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
- Salt
- Jalapeño pepper- If you want it mild, substitute one small bell pepper for a jalapeño. For a spicy salsa, add an addtional jalapeño pepper or a serrano pepper.
- Onion- Use white onion or red onion.
Steps
Follow these easy steps to make salsa from scratch.
- Chop the the onion and jalapeno into large chunks to allow them to move freely in your food processor or blender.
- Add all of the ingredients to your food processor or blender.
- Pulse until smooth! Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Watch how to make
Lime Tip
To get the most juice out of your lime, microwave your lime for 20-30 seconds before cutting, then roll it firmly on a hard surface to loosen the juices.
How long does it last?
Homemade salsa will last 5 to 7 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can freeze fresh homemade salsa, but I do not recommend it. Frozen salsa becomes very watery when it is thawed out.
You can also check out my 20 Easy and Delicious Salsa Recipe Round Up featuring some of my recipes and recipes from other food bloggers!
Please leave me a comment below if you make this red salsa and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your homemade salsa on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa: 5-Minute Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 10 ounces can diced tomatoes with chilies
- ½ onion roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 jalapeño seeded
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- medium sized handful of fresh cilantro washed
- juice of one lime
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add: canned diced tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes with chilies, onion roughly chopped, garlic clove, jalapeno, honey, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste.14 ounces can diced tomatoes, 10 ounces can diced tomatoes with chilies, ½ onion roughly chopped, 1 clove garlic chopped or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 jalapeño, 1 teaspoon honey, ¼ teaspoon cumin, medium sized handful of fresh cilantro, juice of one lime, salt to taste
- Pulse until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nicole says
The flavors in the salsa is on point!! So delicious. I have been snacking on it all day.
Erin says
I made this just now and it's fantastic! I can't wait to put it to good use! SO easy, too!
Laura says
This recipe was perfect for our Cinco de mayo lunch! We used fresh chilis and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Daniela says
I was hesitant about the honey but it really does make a difference. This recipe for restaurant-style salsa will be made on repeat this summer
Freya says
I love raw salsa but often find it lacks in flavour. The sugar made the world of difference!
Natalie says
I never thought of placing honey instead of sugar in my salsa. I tried it and my family enjoyed it! Thanks!
Allyssa says
I can taste the seasonings and it tasted really flavorful! Thanks a lot for sharing this salsa recipe! Loved it!
Amanda says
This is a wonderful salsa recipe! I'm a huge cumin lover, so that added such a nice depth, and I love the way the honey rounded out the flavors.
veenaazmanov says
This is surely a flavorful Salsa recipe. Like the combination of ingredients to make it. I would love to enjoy them with some crispy chips and fries.
Andrea says
I could eat restaurant style salsa everyday! Thanks for a great recipe. I've never made it with honey so I'm going to try this.
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
My mom makes salsa like this. SO. GOOD! Totally different than chunky pico. Think I'll make some for our Mexican food on Friday. Thanks for the great recipe.