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Homemade salsa is a staple in our household! We love to pair it with all of our favorite Mexican dishes. Follow these tips for the best homemade salsa.
Who DOesn’t Love Homemade Salsa?
Homemade Salsa is one of our favorite dips and sauces, and we’re confident that our recipe is one of the best! You can pair it with Homemade Tortilla Chips, put it on top of a Burrito, or dip your Steak Tacos in it!
One of the best things about fresh salsa is its versatility. You can tailor it to your taste, making it exactly how you like it. Want a little spice? Add extra jalapeños or fire-roasted tomatoes for a kick. Prefer that fresh, vibrant flavor? Use fresh cilantro and lime juice. With homemade salsa, the possibilities are endless! And we’re here to give you tips to make it the best homemade salsa you’ve ever had.
Why We Love Homemade Salsa
- Taste the freshness. Homemade salsa is bursting with vibrant flavors and freshness that store-bought options simply can’t replicate.
- Quick and easy. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, homemade salsa can be ready to enjoy in no time.
- Total control. From spice level to ingredient selection, making your own salsa gives you complete control over the final product.
Homemade Salsa Ingredients
There are SO many ways to make homemade salsa, it can be quite overwhelming! But don’t worry, we’ll list the ingredients for our recipe and you can find the step-by-step instructions to make it here.
Ingredients for Our Homemade Salsa
- canned tomatoes (diced)
- can of Ro-Tel – Substitute it with ½ can of diced tomatoes, plus a 4-ounce can of green chiles
- fresh Roma tomatoes – Or add another can of Rotel (drained)
- onion powder – Or use ½ small onion, roughly chopped (red onion, white onion, or yellow onion)
- fresh cilantro
- can diced green chilies
- diced jalapeño – For less spice remove the seeds and the white pith from inside the jalapeño.
- minced garlic
- sugar – Or use 1 teaspoon of honey
- garlic salt with parsley flakes – and pepper, if desired
- ground cumin
- lime juice – Bottled or fresh lime juice, or lemon juice
Homemade Salsa: Our Best Tips
- Use fresh ingredients. We like to incorporate a mix of fresh and canned tomatoes, but adding fresh cilantro, limes, and onions can take your salsa to the next level. Fresh cilantro brings a vibrant flavor, and freshly squeezed lime juice adds a zesty tang that enhances the depth of flavor.
- Balance the flavors. The key to great salsa is pulling off the right mix of acidity, sweetness, and heat. A splash of lime juice can provide acidity, a pinch of sugar can add sweetness, and you can adjust the heat with your choice of peppers.
- Find the perfect texture. You can chop ingredients by hand, or use a food processor or blender to pulse them to your preferred consistency. Whether you like it chunky or smooth like restaurant style, getting the texture just right will make your salsa taste amazing.
- Season properly. Adding the right amount of salt, pepper, and other spices is key to making your salsa pop with flavor. Always start with less and then add more if needed. Taste as you go (our favorite part) until you have your perfect salsa.
- Let it marinate. Once all the ingredients for your salsa are in a bowl, let them sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld together.
- Consistency. To keep your salsa from getting too watery, drain canned tomatoes before mixing them in. If you’re using fresh tomatoes, chop and drain off the water before putting them in the processor.
- Store Properly. To keep your salsa fresh and flavorful, store it in airtight containers in the fridge. Homemade salsa typically lasts about 1-2 weeks.
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Pair Your Homemade Salsa With
FAQS
What Types of Tomatoes are Best in Homemade Salsa?
- Any type of tomatoes will work, but our favorite choice for fresh tomato salsa is Roma tomatoes!
Does Making HOmemade Salsa Take a lot of Time?
- Not at all! In fact, it’s super quick and simple! The total time it takes to make our homemade salsa is about 10 minutes!
What if My Salsa is Too Watery?
- If your salsa turns out too watery, don’t worry! You can help thicken it by adding more vegetables like onions or peppers. Avocados can also work well for this. Another option is to mix in some tomato paste and blend the salsa until you reach your desired consistency.
This had the right amount of flavor and was perfect for my regular tacos. Loved it!
We used our garden tomatoes and this salsa turned out perfectly! We added more veggies to make it thicker. It is so fresh and delicious!
Ooh I bet fresh garden veggies made it so tasty!! Glad you enjoyed the salsa recipe.
This homemade salsa had so much flavor and was so easy to make. Cannot wait to make this again!