This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Nothing tastes better than fresh homemade salsa! This restaurant style salsa is SO easy to make, much less expensive than buying it in the store and customizable to suit your exact tastes. Get this BEST EVER salsa recipe right now, grab your ingredients (likely already in your pantry) and serve it up with your favorite chips or tacos.
Easy Restaurant Style Salsa
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and been served salsa and chips and realize, just as your meal is coming, you aren’t hungry anymore because you’ve devoured so much of the them? Same. And same thing will happen at home with this delicious restaurant-style salsa! It’s delicious and fresh tasting (all while using mostly pantry staples) and a CINCH to put together. Seriously it takes like 5 minutes from start to finish. Serve as is, or pair with your favorite taco recipe (we’ve got a few you might like).
Ingredients Needed for Salsa
- Canned Diced Tomato (this is essential for that restaurant style taste)
- Canned Green Chiles
- Garlic Clove
- White Vinegar
- Tomato Paste
- Red Onion
- Diced or Grape Tomatoes (you can omit if you don’t have them, but this gives the salsa a bit of a fresh feeling!)
- Salt
How to Make Salsa in a Blender
This explanation is going to be short and sweet because all you need to do to make restaurant style salsa in the blender is place all of the ingredients in the blender and give it a few pulses! That’s it. Depending on what type of blender to use, just start off with two pulses and then check to see the consistency. Keep pulsing with the blender until it is the right consistency for you. I found 3 pulses were enough to blend my salsa! This can also be done in a food processor.
Do I need to use fresh tomatoes for salsa?
NO! While you definitely can, we made a version that comes together so quickly, doesn’t require fresh tomatoes, and tastes just like the restaurant salsa you know and love!
Customize your Salsa
This recipe is pretty basic. Feel free to add in some other flavors or ingredients to customize it the way you want. Here are some ideas:
- You can use fresh tomatoes if you have an abundance on hand: now, it will taste less like restaurant style salsa, but can be pretty darned delicious.
- Add in fresh herbs: grab some fresh cilantro!
- Add in some spices: have some fun with some smokey flavor with either smoked chipotle peppers or even smoked paprika. Other spices? Cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and garlic powder!
- Want a kick? Add fresh jalapeño! Remember, the seeds are the spiciest part. Know your audience, too.
- Make it different: add in roasted red peppers for a unique twist.
- Add in some bonus items: you can add fruit, such as pineapple or mango for a tropical twist.
- Brighten it up: once you make it, taste and if you want a little something extra, add a little fresh lime juice.
How long will homemade salsa last?
It should last for roughly one week in the fridge in a sealed container!
Serving salsa:
It goes great with so many things, like our Homemade Guacamole, 15-Minute Chicken Tacos, Two-Ingredient Salsa Chicken (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker), and as dressing on our Taco Salad!
If you like this salsa dip recipe, check out these other appetizer dips we love:
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Healthy Spinach & Artichoke Dip
- Roasted Eggplant Dip
- 5-Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Baked Hummus Dip [VIDEO]
- 7 Layer Taco Dip
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip
- Jalapeño Popper Dip (Options for Dairy and Dairy-Free)
- Southwestern Hummus Dip
RESTAURANT STYLE SALSA
Ingredients
- 1-28 ounce can diced tomato
- 1-4 ounce. can green chiles
- 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes or diced whole tomato
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender (or food processor). Pulse 2-4 times, until salsa has reached your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more vinegar or salt, if needed.
- Serve, or store for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Avoid puree'ing the salsa completely - think if you want it more smooth or chunky!
- I like to chill it before serving!
- This recipe was originally published in 2015, and updated with new photos in 2020.
I’d love to make green smoothies and nut butters.
I would use this to get healthy and make some green smoothies!
That looks super tasty!!
A better question would be “what wouldn’t I make”!
Sofritas!! So delicious and super quick with a great blender!
This blender would be amazing for my gf family of four! I could whip up some baby food for little F and then a smoothie for the hubby! Fingers crossed….
What wouldn’t I make… hummus, guacamole, soup, salsa, smoothies, mole!
I would love to win this blender to help me make the fabulous recipes I am now discovering on this website and to help me fulfill me New Year’s resolution to get my blood sugars under control without drugs. Thank you for this opportunity to help myself.
Already thinking of so many things I would make in a nice, new blender 🙂
I’ve been looking into one of these! My little Oster just doesn’t have the power to liquefy things I like to blend. No one likes their morning smoothie with leafy bits floating around and getting stuck in their teeth. I just wish I had the money for one so this giveaway has perfect timing!
I love to cook. There are so many great recipes out there that a great blender would enhance the final product. My 4 year old is very involved with new recipes and being my assistant. I am trying to get my teenagers more engaged and off the “teenage” diet. Awesome appliances and kitchen aids make cooking easier. I would love to actually have an exceptional blender that I can use, rant and rave about. Hopefully it will keep the teens excited about being in the kitchen.
I just have a cheapo blender so I’d use BlendTec for everything!
I would use this for soups and sauces.
Smoothies all the way but this salsa sounds incredible! (And my current blender couldn’t do it justice 😉
I would use it for nut butters and smoothies!
If I won, I would love to use this Blendtec blender to create creamy soups, like cream of broccoli and cream of potato. 🙂
I would use this for so many things!! Protein shakes, sauces, soups, and most importantly nut butters!!
I have twin boys with autism as well as other mental illness and I’m trying to slowly change to a more whole foods diet with them. This would help me in so many ways, the possibilities are endless!!!
I would love to use this mostly for making my healthy smoothies!
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win this blender!!!