This recipe is The Best Homemade restaurant-style salsa ever!! It’s fresh, bright, and seriously addicting. It’s better than jarred salsa, and you can whip it up in a flash. 

homemade salsa in a bowl

Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

Confession: I am one of those people who, when they go to eat at a Mexican restaurant, eat so many chips and salsa that when the main course arrives, they are no longer hungry. Can you relate? I really, really LOVE Restaurant Style Salsa!

This salsa recipe is not too oniony or garlicky, nor too spicy for my kids. It’s fresh, bright, and serially addicting.

I don’t think I have an easier recipe in my collection. You just need to throw everything into a food processor and process it until you reach the consistency you want.

Seriously…this salsa recipe is The Best Homemade Restaurant-Style Salsa ever!! 

homemade salsa in a bowl  with chips

Ingredients You’ll Need

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).

  • Fire-roasted tomatoes
  • Onion 
  • Garlic 
  • Jalapeno
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Cilantro leaves 
  • Green chili 
  • Cumin
  • Black pepper
  • Salt 

Process Overview: Step-by-Step

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).

This is the BEST part! To make Restaurant Style Salsa just you just have to put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you achieve the desired consistency.

  1. Prepare all the veggies

  2. Chop

    Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro leaves, fresh lime juice, cumin, black pepper, and salt to your food processor. Chop to a fine grade. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and green chiles. Puree until mostly smooth.

  3. Taste and adjust if necessary

    Taste, then add salt or cumin, if desired. 

close up of homemade salsa in a bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

What Type of Canned Tomato Should I Use?

I love to use fire-roasted tomatoes because they add an extra layer of flavor, but canned plain tomatoes and canned tomatoes with green chilies will all work great; just use what you have.

What if I Don’t Own a Food Processor?

This salsa can also be made in a blender. Alternatively, you can also finely chop up the vegetables by hand and then stir everything together in a bowl.

Can’t stand cilantro? 

Simply omit it.

Is This Salsa Recipe Spicy?

This recipe is slightly spicy! This is because I seeded and deveined the jalapeño. If you are sensitive to spicy heat, you can adjust the recipe by adding less jalapeño. Or, if you prefer to take the heat up a notch, try throwing in a habanero or serrano chile!

Storing Instructions

Store salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days 

fresh salsa in a bowl with yucca chips

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Recipe Card

homemade salsa in a bowl

The Best Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

Oriana Romero
This recipe is The Best Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa ever!! Better than jarred salsa and you can whip it up in a flash. 
4 from 28 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
 

  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, pealed and roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined (see notes)
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt ( or more to taste)
  • 14.5 oz ( one can – 411 g) fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 4.5 oz (one can – 127 g) green chili

Important

Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!

Instructions
 

  • Prepare all the veggies.
  • Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro leaves, fresh lime juice, cumin, black pepper, salt to your food processor. Chop to a fine grade.
  • Pour in the crushed tomatoes and green chiles. Puree until mostly smooth. Taste, then add more salt and/or cumin, if desired. 
  • Serve immediately and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Oriana’s Notes
 
JALAPENO: If you want to add more heat use the entire jalapeno with seeds, or even add in two. You can even use habanero or serrano chile intead!
 
STORE salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
 
 
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!Recipe reviews on the website are extremely valuable to other readers online. So, please don’t forget to give it a 5-star rating below.

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 5gSodium: 395mgPotassium: 28mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 240IUVitamin C: 6.2mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Calories 24
Keyword easy mexican recipe salsa

Originally posted in October 2014, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in February 2025.  

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4 from 28 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love, love, LOVE this recipe. I’ve been looking for a salsa recipe that gives me that “at the cantina” vibe. This one does all of that. Thank you Oriana. This did not disappoint!

  2. 5 stars
    Yum~I love the recipe,especially,if it is like what you
    get at a restaurant.I rally don’t like the jarred grocery
    store stuff.

  3. 5 stars
    Salsa has always been a fave of mine and this looks absolutely delicious. I will have to bookmark this recipe! I have always wanted to try Uncle Julio’s, too!