image of homemade salsa made from canned diced tomatoes served on a black plate with tortilla chips

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I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the best salsa recipes! I get constantly asked for the recipe, and it happens to friends, too. If I’m making fresh salsa, this is the recipe I turn to! It’s simple and gets eaten pretty quickly!

Not to mention that it has that thinner, restaurant-style consistency, which is perfect over enchiladas or crunchy tortilla chips!

If you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes, then a salsa recipe for canning is your best option. I absolutely love that tested recipe for canning salsa. It’s the only one I go by, shared by a Mennonite lady years ago. And one to try if you have too many fresh tomatoes on hand.

Homemade Salsa

This salsa recipe, on the other hand, is a quick, pureed version that has LOTS of good flavor and texture!

It’s pretty effortless to make, using canned tomatoes, and can be blended up in minutes, anytime of the year (not just summer)!

image of homemade salsa made from canned tomatoes in a serving bowl with a hand held tortilla chip

I often make this salsa on the whim, when I’m craving these creamy chicken enchiladas. This salsa is good, served fresh, or you can let it sit in the fridge to develop more flavor (it only gets better)!

Everyone is happy, including my teenagers! Use this salsa for anything Mexican, burritos, tacos, you name it! My friend dehydrates leftovers and makes a powder to use for Mexican rice. You could also use this to make salsa chicken.

We especially love to top our nachos with a Mexican-style white cheese sauce and this salsa (so delicious)! The same white queso sauce from my chicken enchiladas is the one I make to pair with this homemade salsa.

In principle, the queso dip is really a Béchamel sauce with American cheese that you will want over all of your Mexican dishes. But I’ll admit this salsa can be a centerpiece on its own without the queso dip.

image of homemade salsa blended in a large glass measuring cup with a ladle spoon

More About This Salsa Recipe

It took me a while to post this recipe. When a good friend asked me to copycat Chili’s salsa, I did it for fun and tested and played around with Restaurant-style salsa recipes, which in turn led me to hack Chili’s salsa.

But here’s the thing, I’m not really a fan of most restaurant salsas. I think some of them can be bland and overly salty.

My friend, on the other hand, loves Mexican food.

And so, I was invited to a baby shower that she hosted. She served this homemade salsa recipe as a late-night snack, and I fell in love with it! It had so much fresh flavor from the fresh cilantro, lots of raw onion bits speckled throughout, and most of all, it was so FLAVORFUL!

Like so flavorful, you didn’t need to add anything else!

image of chicken enchiladas covered with homemade fresh salsa
My Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas smothered in White Queso sauce and this homemade salsa.

I’ve been using her salsa recipe ever since, and finally decided I needed to post it. It is a hit every time I serve it for gatherings and is really the easiest recipe to make! It’s been tested with time, right in my kitchen, and never fails!

If you ever try this salsa recipe, leave a comment below to share your experience. I’m sure my friend would enjoy reading through your comments:)

Let’s get into the recipe notes!

Mise en PlaceEverything you need!:

Equipment:

Ingredients:

  • Canned diced tomatoes- I always use the fire-roasted diced tomatoes from Aldi. They’re cheap and add so much flavor!
  • Onion- any white or yellow onion will work. I particularly like the texture and white speckles it gives to this salsa.
  • Jalapeno- adds just a little kick of heat but is still fairly mild. I use a couple of tablespoons of pickled and sliced jalapeños, but you could use a few slices of a fresh jalapeño for that extra boost in flavor.
  • Fresh Cilantro- I use anywhere from half a bunch to one bunch of fresh cilantro. This is what makes restaurant-style salsa taste 10x better and so fresh!
  • Spices- like ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt are all you need to make a flavorful homemade salsa! Don’t be afraid to go heaping on these ingredients; the more the merrier!
  • Lime juice- can be used from a bottle or squeezed fresh. I don’t tend to keep fresh limes on hand, but I do try to keep a stash of this lime juice in glass bottles for recipes like these.
  • Organic cane sugar- balances out the acidic components of vinegar and tomatoes.
image of all the ingredients for salsa made with canned tomatoes (fire roasted diced tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, spices, sugar, onion, and cilantro).
Ingredients for homemade salsa (canned fire-roasted tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, onion, spices, cilantro, and lime juice).

From-Scratch Hack

Canning diced tomatoes is so rewarding and frugal! If you have an abundance of garden tomatoes, blanch and chop them chunky to can. It’s an easy way to preserve tomatoes and use them in your favorite recipes! Use one quart of homemade canned tomatoes (whole or diced) for this salsa recipe.

How to Make Salsa with Canned Tomatoes

  1. Gather all of the ingredients.
  2. Wash and rinse the fresh cilantro.
  3. Peel and dice the onion. This is important if you want that perfectly pureed texture. If you blend a whole onion into the salsa, you will get a puree and not much texture. You want to have specks of onion in the salsa.
  4. Layer all the ingredients into a large 8-cup measuring cup (this is fantastic for homemade salsa)!
  5. Using a stick immersion blender, pulse the salsa until the cilantro looks finely chopped. Don’t blend until it’s smooth; you want to have texture.
  6. Serve immediately or let it sit in the fridge to develop flavor.
image of blended salsa using a stick blender
Blended salsa using canned fire-roasted tomatoes.

Storing

Restaurant-style salsa made from canned tomatoes keeps for weeks in the fridge. Lime juice helps keep salsa fresh longer by acting as a natural preservative.

Image of homemade salsa stored in the fridge.

Keep homemade salsa for up to two weeks in an air-tight container. Freezing will change the texture, so plan to use that for cooking if you freeze salsa.

From-Scratch Frugal Tip

I store herbs like fresh cilantro and parsley in drinking glasses filled with cold water in the fridge. When you bring home fresh, tender herbs, rinse them and place them in a tall glass filled with cold water. Let them air dry for a few hours by a window, then cover the top with a plastic bag and keep them refrigerated. Change out the water from time to time to keep them fresh longer.

Herbs stay fresh for weeks (sometimes months) this way. And you don’t have to run to the store for fresh herbs every time.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes:

Here are more Mexican inspired recipes with lots of bold and zesty flavor!

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Homemade Salsa Recipe with Canned Tomatoes

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By: Alyona Demyanchuk
My favorite salsa recipe, made fresh, using canned diced tomatoes! It's super flavorful, easy to make, and has the perfect restaurant-style, pulsed consistency! Not too thin, or too chunky, just right!
image of homemade salsa made from canned diced tomatoes served on a black plate with tortilla chips
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, (not drained)
  • 1 large onion, (diced) see notes below
  • 2 Tbsp pickled jalapeños , (or half of a fresh jalapeño)
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt, (heaping)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin, (heaping)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder, (heaping)
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    image of all the ingredients for homemade salsa (fire-roasted canned tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, spices, and sugar).
  • In a large 8-cup measuring cup, combine the ingredients in the given order (2-14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, 1 large diced onion, 2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos, 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 1 heaping teaspoon each of: salt, ground cumin, and garlic powder, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and 1/2 Tbsp of organic cane sugar).
    image of salsa ingredients in a large measuring cup ready to blended
  • Pulse together with an immersion hand blender until the salsa has a slightly thinner consistency, yet is still pulse-chopped. Or until the tomatoes and cilantro are finely chopped. Don't puree the salsa; pulsing is key for the right texture. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
    image of blended salsa using a hand blender

Notes

  • It’s ok if you have some liquid from the pickled jalapeños. Substitute with half of a fresh jalapeño if desired, or a whole jalapeño for spicy salsa. 
  • Dice the onion before blending, so that you don’t overblend and puree the salsa. It will be hard to pulse a whole onion using a stick blender. 
  • A food processor or heavy-duty mixer can be used instead of an immersion blender. Be sure to pulse the salsa, not puree. 

Nutrition (per serving)

1serving Serving16kcal Calories4g Carbs1g Protein0.1g Fat0.02g Saturated Fat0.04g Polyunsaturated Fat0.03g Monounsaturated Fat241mg Sodium122mg Potassium1g Fiber2g Sugar118IU Vitamin A6mg Vitamin C20mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Salsa Recipe with Canned Tomatoes
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
16
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.1
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.02
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.04
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.03
g
Sodium
 
241
mg
10
%
Potassium
 
122
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
4
g
1
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
 
118
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
20
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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