Smooth Restaurant-Style Salsa You Can Make at Home
This is the kind of salsa that disappears fast—and makes people ask whereyou bought it. Made with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime, then blended with San Marzano tomatoes and green chiles, this salsa hits the perfect balance of bright, savory, and just a little smoky. A short simmer helps concentrate the flavor and smooth everything out, giving you a restaurant-style salsa that’s bold, versatile, and absolutely snackable.
Servings 32 ounces
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 1 red onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded (you can substitute 1-2 habanero or serrano peppers.)
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2-3 teaspoons sugar, optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 15 ounces crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 can
- 4.5 ounces diced green chiles, mild, medium, or hot (1 can)
Instructions
- Place the fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the contents are fine and well blended.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and green chiles. Puree until mostly smooth. Taste, then add more seasoning if desired.
- Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes to remove excess water and blend the flavors. Let cool, then store in mason jars in the fridge. It usually makes just over 2 full mason jars worth.
Notes
My family loves this recipe. We served this as an appetizer for a family event, and we got the following comments:
- "This is the best salsa I've ever had."
- "You could package this up and sell it."