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Homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes and cilantro is a must for Mexican night! Some people save it for Taco Tuesday, but I’ll take it any day of the week. So, I want to share one of the quickest low carb Mexican recipes I’ve ever made. It’s fresh tomato salsa, and it requires no cooking at all.
With five ingredients and five minutes prep time, it’s the best homemade salsa recipe ever when you want quick and easy. And who doesn’t?!
Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa Ingredients
In my book, the best homemade salsa is the one that you’ll make again and again. Even when you’re super busy.
Because let’s face it, gathering a million ingredients or endless simmering for just a small part of your meal – even if it’s a super awesome, super important part! – just isn’t going to happen very often.
That’s why I’m all about this easy homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes. Five simple ingredients. Five quick minutes. And you’re done.
Here’s what you need:
- Fresh tomatoes – of course!
- Cilantro
- Onion
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
Plus, salt and pepper, of course.
I also recommend adding a bit of lime juice for tang and to make it last longer, but that part is optional. Up to you!
The other great thing about this homemade salsa recipe is it’s super flexible. Feel free to adjust the heat by adding more jalapenos.
If you’re not a cilantro lover, you can use another fresh herb, like parsley. Or, even combine a bunch of different herbs for the flavor you want! But for true Mexican flavor, go with cilantro all the way.
How To Make Homemade Salsa With Fresh Tomatoes and Cilantro
So, how do you make homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes? It’s super easy. (Noticing a theme here?)
Making salsa at home takes all of – wait for it! – three steps:
- Chop the large vegetables into big chunks – just the tomatoes and onions. For best results, mince the garlic as well.
- Throw everything in your food processor.
- Pulse until desired consistency is reached.
It doesn’t get any simpler than that! You can easily customize the homemade salsa from there. Feel free to add something else, toss in some spices or other herbs, or adjust the salt.
Tip: Taste the salsa to determine if you need to adjust salt a bit before you reach the consistency you want. That way, you can adjust the salt more and pulse again.
How Long Does Homemade Salsa Last in a Mason Jar?
Wondering how to store homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes? The best way is in a Mason jar in the fridge!
I recommend these particular Mason jars, because their wide mouth makes for easy access. Best of all, they are the perfect size for this homemade salsa recipe – they will hold the entire recipe amount perfectly. Besides, they are also the right size for making a low carb Mason jar salad.
On the other hand, if you are also going to be making homemade avocado mayo in a Mason jar, it’s better to get these Mason jars instead. Then you can just use two jars to store the homemade salsa in them. That has the advantage of taking up less room in your fridge for the second, smaller jar once you’ve gone through the first one.
How Long Is Homemade Salsa Good For?
As a general guideline, this homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes and cilantro will last, refrigerated in a Mason jar, for about a week.
The exact amount of time that homemade salsa will vary a bit depending on several factors. The more fresh your veggies are, the longer it will last. Also, if you include the optional lime juice, it will last a bit longer. The acidity acts as a natural preservative.
It will be easy to tell when the salsa has gone bad. Watch for a strange smell, visible mold, or a significant darkening in color.
How To Can Salsa At Home
This homemade salsa recipe is also suitable for canning, so that’s totally an option if you want to go that route. You’ll need to sterilize the jars and lids first, and it does require some effort. But, the reward is that the salsa can last a couple months or even longer.
Here are the steps for how to can salsa:
- Sterilize the jars. In a large stockpot, submerge the jars and lids in water. Simmer to sterilize them. (You don’t need to simmer the bands, only the jars and lids.) Keep them simmering until step 3.
- Simmer the salsa. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the salsa to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Fill the jars. Remove the jars from the water and put them on a towel. Fill with salsa, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. Wipe any salsa from the rim. Remove the lids from the water, one at a time, dry off, and close tightly with the band.
- Process the jars. Place the sealed jars back into the stockpot with boiling water, over medium-high heat, such that they are almost submerged but the tops are above the water. Cover the pot and let it boil for 15 minutes. After that, remove the jars and put them back on the towel to cool, without moving.
- Check the seals. Check the seal after 24 hours – it should not flex when pressed.
Can You Freeze Homemade Salsa?
Yes! Freezing homemade salsa is definitely doable, though it’s not ideal. Don’t expect the salsa to be identical to freshly made.
Keep in mind that freezing homemade salsa breaks down the cell walls in the vegetables, so the end result will be more watery and less flavorful after thawing. Still, for convenience it can be worth it.
If you want to freeze this homemade salsa recipe, you’ll need to cook it. This will bring out some of the water upfront, so that you don’t end up with a totally watery mess after thawing. It also slows enzyme activity in the vegetables, which means the flavors preserve a bit better.
Simply simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes, up to as long as 45 minutes, to bring out the extra moisture. Then, you can let it cool and freeze in plastic freezer bags. After thawing, drain off any excess liquid before serving.
What To Serve With Homemade Salsa
There are about a zillion ways to use homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes! Here are a few ideas:
- Chips – Try this homemade salsa recipe with some keto low carb tortilla chips, zucchini chips or simple cheese crisps. I used cheddar for the pictures this time, but one of my favorite ways is with my hybrid cheddar parmesan crisps.
- Tacos – Make tacos with some coconut tortillas or cheese taco shells. Or, sneak a veggie in there and make cauliflower tortillas instead.
- Fish – It’s delicious over some salmon or whitefish!
- Chicken – How about mixing it with some shredded chicken?
- Tortilla chips – Try it with low carb tortilla chips!
- Healthy taco salad – If you’re having a super busy night, a salad is one of the quickest ways to use homemade salsa with cilantro and tomatoes. It’s even easier than making actual tacos, and just as delicious.
And since it’s definitely going to be Mexican night when you serve this homemade salsa, don’t forget the skinny margaritas!
Oh, and if you prefer pico over salsa, try this homemade Pico de Gallo recipe.
Tools To Make The Best Homemade Salsa Recipe:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Food processor – This one is powerful, reliable and a good size for any task. If you want to make fresh tomato salsa in a food processor, I highly recommend this one. And, I use it almost every day for all kinds of other recipes!
- Chef’s knife – To get your veggies cut into large chunks before processing.
- Mason jars – Convenient for storing homemade salsa with tomatoes in the fridge. And, you can also use these if you want to make canned salsa.
- Large stockpot – To process the canned salsa. (See instructions above).
- 3-piece canning kit – A must-have if you’ll be making canned salsa! This includes a jar lifter (to get the jars out of the hot water), a funnel (to avoid salsa on the rim where it can break a seal), and a magnetic lid lifter (to get the hot lids out of the water easily).
- Freezer bags – Use these if you want to freeze homemade salsa.
Homemade Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes and Cilantro:
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The BEST Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
An easy, FAST homemade salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes and cilantro! See how to make fresh tomato salsa with just 5 ingredients & 5 minutes. It's the best homemade salsa recipe ever!
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Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
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Put everything in a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tbsp
- Check the post above for instructions on storing, canning, or freezing homemade salsa.
- Due to the serving size, nutrition info shows 0 carbs and sugar. The tomatoes and onion do both have a very tiny amount of both, but the amount per serving comes out to be negligible.
- Optional lime juice is not included in nutrition info, but does not significantly change it.
- Exact number of servings will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Video Showing How To Make Homemade Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes:
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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11 Comments
Kaylin
Can I use a blender instead of food processor?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kaylin, Yes, but the same rule applies with a blender – pulse the mixture, do not just let it run. Your salsa is complete when you achieve your desired consistency! Enjoy!
Shelly
Do you recommend a particular type of tomato or onion? Beefsteak, roma, etc? What about onion type. I love your recipes! keep them coming 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shelly, You can use any kind you like. I like to use Roma tomatoes, and sweet white or yellow onions.
Vicki Larsen
Hi Maya – I’m confused by the carb count. There are carbs in tomatoes and onions so how can the carb count of this salsa be zero?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Vicki, you are correct. However, due to the serving size, the nutrition info shows 0 carbs and sugar. The tomatoes and onion do both have a very tiny amount of both, but the amount per serving comes out to be negligible.
Claudia Mitchell
Perfect salsa for the entire family. I’d take fresh ingredients over bottled salsa any day.
Tracy
Loved this fresh. What is the canning process? Thank u.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Tracy! I added steps for the canning process to the post above.
Carlos Masso
It’s nice to read your posts and also make your recipes. They help me keep the line, thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Carlos! I’m glad you like them.