A quick and easy roasted tomato salsa made from tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Better than store-bought, this roasted salsa is delicious served with tortilla chips or in tacos and burritos.
There’s nothing better than a table filled with homemade tortilla chips, a frozen margarita or two and a big bowl of homemade salsa. It’s my go-to appetizer for any get together with friends and family because everyone loves it and it’s so easy to make!
Like my 5-minute homemade salsa recipe, this salsa is made with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. The difference is that the ingredients in this recipe are roasted, which brings out some of the sweetness in the tomatoes and peppers while adding that delicious smoky char in every bite.
Roasting the ingredients only adds about 10 minutes to the total time and is well worth it! Whether you serve it with chips or eat it in burritos and tacos, I know you’re going to love this recipe. So grab your ingredients and let’s make some salsa!
How to make roasted tomato salsa
First, roast the tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and garlic. I like to drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables first and then spread it out using my fingers so they’re all nice and coated. Then place them on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 10-15 minutes, making sure to flip them over halfway through.
If you have a gas stove or a grill, you could roast them over the open flame until they’re blackened and blistered on all sides instead of using the broiler. The roasting method is up to you – as long as they’re charred, they’re good to go.
Next, remove the stems from the jalapenos (and seeds if you don’t want it spicy) and transfer everything to a food processor or a blender. Don’t remove any of the charred and blackened skin. That’s what gives this salsa so much depth and a subtle smoky flavor!
Then add in some fresh sprigs of cilantro, a little salt and some lime juice. If you’re someone who doesn’t like cilantro, you can completely omit it.
Lastly, pulse or blend until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. For a chunkier salsa, give the blender a few pulses. For a smooth salsa, blend it for a full minute.
Don’t forget to give the salsa a taste and add more salt if necessary. I often find that I’ll add more salt if the tortilla chips I serve it with are on the salty side. If the chips aren’t very salty, I’ll add more to the salsa.
Once the flavor is just right, you can serve the salsa immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it until ready to eat. I like eating this salsa warm or at room temperature, but you can also eat it chilled.
More salsa recipes to try
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes)
- 1 small onion, halved (yellow or white)
- 2 jalapenos
- 3 cloves garlic
- 10 sprigs cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- Place the tomatoes, onion halves, jalapenos and garlic on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and rub it all over the vegetables to coat.
- Place the baking sheet in oven and broil for 10-15 minutes, flipping the vegetables halfway through, until the skins have blistered and blackened.
- Carefully remove and discard the stems of the jalapenos. If you don't want the salsa too spicy, you can also remove and discard the seeds.
- Transfer everything to a food processor or blender and add the cilantro sprigs, lime juice and salt.
- Pulse a few times for a chunky salsa or blend for one minute for a smooth salsa. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
This was the first time making salsa. Myself and my family enjoyed the delicious salsa.
Can this recipe be canned?
Hi Debi! Yes, it can!
So easy and delicious!! Can this be frozen?
Hi Maegan! Yes, it can!
Hi Isabel, thanks for sharing this recipe. It was fantastic and a great way to use up some of my tomatoes from the garden.
It was delicious and am making again thanks for a easy great salsa!!!
I will never ever make salsa another way! It is hands down the best salsa I’ve ever tasted. I’m more of a pico de gallo type of person. But since I always have an allergic reaction to handling raw tomatoes (it’s the juices) I wanted to find a recipe for salsa to spare my poor hands.
This dish is so easy to prepare, I made my first batch yesterday with beef barbacoa, guac, homemade corn tortillas etc. And my sister couldn’t stop raving about how delicious the salsa was. So I ended giving her the leftovers, which I now thoroughly regret. So I am, as I am writing this review, roasting a new batch in the oven. 😁
What would be a good way to kick up the heat in this recipe? My dad LOVES really spicy salsa, but wants to stay home for his birthday so I want to make him a fantastic dinner.
Hi Amy! We suggest adding more jalapenos or adding serrano peppers to make it more spicy!
I made this salsa for our Christmas Day meal and it was a huge hit! We live in Texas where Tex-Mex is king and this was just as good if not better than many of the salsa we have had in our favorite restaurants! We served it warm and there was barely any left.
Yay! Just made this with alongside your Mexican Rice and some shredded chicken. Yummy! Thank you! 5 Stars!
Did this in the grill…Excellent!!