Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

A bowl of red salsa topped with chopped fresh cilantro in a blue bowl surrounded by tortilla chips, with fresh cilantro, tomatoes, garlic cloves, jalapenos, and lime wedges surrounding the bowl.

Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

This Restaurant Style Salsa roja is made with fresh ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños blended together and seasoned in a skillet.

Course Appetizers

Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword blender salsa, homemade salsa, restaurant style salsa, salsa

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 13kcal

Author Michele @ Flavor Mosaic

Ingredients

4 roma tomatoes quartered
¼ white onion roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic roughly chopped
1 jalapeno seeds removed
10 stems cilantro long section with no leaves removed
¼ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt I recommend kosher salt for the coarse texture
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lime wedges optional

Instructions

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Blend until the ingredients are combined and finely chopped.
4 roma tomatoes, ¼ white onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 jalapeno, 10 stems cilantro, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
Heat one Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add blended ingredients and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Salsa will be thin with small pieces of the finely chopped vegetables.
Give the salsa a taste and add more salt as needed.
Serve with lime wedges, chips, tacos, empanadas, or your favorite foods.
Lime wedges

Video

Notes

Use fresh tomatoes. Choose ripe and flavorful tomatoes for the best results. Roma tomatoes are commonly used for their balanced sweetness and meaty texture. Look for tomatoes that are firm to the touch but still slightly soft, and avoid ones that are overly mushy or have blemishes.
Mild Salsa. This is a mild restaurant style salsa. To increase the heat, keep the jalapeño seeds and membrane intact or add hotter chili peppers like habaneros or serrano pepperss. Remember to handle chili peppers with caution and wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.
Smooth Texture. The recipe yields a thinner salsa with finely chopped vegetables. If you prefer a chunkier texture, pulse the ingredients in the food processor or blender for a shorter duration, or chop the vegetables by hand and mix them together.
Taste. Taste the salsa before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more salt for additional flavor balance or a pinch more sugar to cut through any bitterness from the tomatoes.
Customize. Feel free to customize the seasoning with herbs, spices, or even a squeeze of lime juice to enhance the overall taste.
Make Ahead. Restaurant-style salsa can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors often improve after some time as they meld together. Prepare the salsa a few hours or even a day before serving to allow the flavors to develop. Just remember to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Chill. Serve the salsa chilled or at room temperature, depending on your preference. If refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to shine.

Nutrition