Homemade Salsa Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes (5 Min!)

Name: Homemade Salsa Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes (5 Min!)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 medium Tomatoes ((halved)); 1 small Onion ((cut into large chunks)); 1 cup Fresh cilantro; 1 medium Jalapeno ((seeds removed)); 3 cloves Garlic ((minced coarsely)); 1 tbsp Lime juice; 1/4 tsp Sea salt

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This easy homemade salsa recipe is one of the best ways to amp up Taco Tuesday (or any Mexican-inspired meal)! Once you learn how to make salsa with fresh tomatoes and cilantro, you might never go back to the jarred stuff… and just like mango salsa, avocado salsa verde, and pineapple salsa, it only takes a few simple ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Salsa Recipe

Zesty, fresh flavor
Juicy tomato texture with hints of onion, garlic, and jalapeño
5 basic ingredients
Done in 5 minutes
No cooking needed
Makes a restaurant-style salsa that pairs with nachos, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or your favorite Mexican-style dishes!

Homemade salsa recipe with two tortilla chips dipped.

Ingredients In Salsa

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for homemade fresh tomato salsa, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are most common for this salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes, but any variety will work. Choose ripe yet fairly firm ones, as very ripe tomatoes might make the salsa too juicy.
Onion – This recipe for fresh tomato salsa uses a white onion, but a yellow onion, red onion, or even green onion will work.
Cilantro – Homemade salsa with cilantro has the most classic flavor, but you could use other herbs if you like. I don’t recommend dried cilantro for fresh salsa recipes.
Jalapeno – For some heat. Add it without seeds and white parts for less heat, or for extra spice, include both or even add extra peppers.
Garlic – For best results, coarsely mince your garlic fresh before adding it to your food processor. This ensures that the pieces get small enough without turning your salsa into a paste. You can also use jarred minced garlic for convenience.
Lime Juice – Optional, but keeps the salsa fresh for longer and adds a bit of tang. Use fresh or bottled lime juice, or even lemon juice.
Sea Salt – To taste.

Ingredients for how to make salsa in bowls.

How To Make Salsa With Fresh Tomatoes

This section shows how to make homemade salsa, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Chop. Chop tomatoes and onion into large chunks.
Blend. Add all ingredients to a food processor. (A high-powered blender may also work.) Pulse until salsa reaches the desired consistency.
Enjoy! Transfer to a bowl for dipping, or serve with other foods. (See ideas below!)

TIP: How to taste for salt:

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.

Salsa with fresh tomatoes fully blended and served in a bowl.

Fresh Salsa Recipe Variations

Swap peppers – Trade jalapenos for serrano peppers, green chiles, chipotles, or your favorite spicy chilies.
Add or change spices – This fresh tomato salsa recipe would taste delicious with added cumin, oregano, thyme, paprika, or chili powder.
Use canned tomatoes – Fresh tomato salsa recipes taste best, but you can also used canned tomatoes if needed. Process other ingredients first and blend these in last.
Broil or roast for extra flavor – Arrange tomatoes, peppers, and peeled onion skin side up on a sheet pan and broil for 6-8 minutes, or until blistered and slightly blackened. Blend as usual. (This works best with riper tomatoes!)

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers covered in an airtight container or Mason jar.

How Long Does Salsa Last In The Fridge?

How long does homemade salsa last? As a general guideline, salsa lasts in the refrigerator 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 lime juice, it will last a bit longer: The acidity acts as a natural preservative.

It will be easy to tell when salsa has gone bad. Watch for a strange smell, visible mold, or a significant darkening in color.

Can You Freeze Salsa?

Yes! Freezing homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes is definitely doable, though it’s not ideal. Don’t expect it to taste identical to freshly made.

Simply simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes, up to as long as 45 minutes, to bring out extra moisture. Then, let it cool and freeze in plastic freezer bags. After thawing, drain off any excess liquid before serving.

How To Can Salsa:

Preserve the fresh ingredients in this salsa with this easy method. It will last 12 months (or even longer)!

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. 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.

What To Serve With Homemade Salsa

Serve this fresh sauce with all kinds of easy mains and Mexican favorites.

Chips – Try it with your favorite tortilla chips, zucchini chips, or cheddar parmesan crisps.
Tacos & burritos – Make burrito bowls or tacos with some flour tortillas, coconut tortillas, almond flour tortillas, or cheese taco shells. Or, sneak a veggie in there and make cauliflower tortillas instead.
Fish – Spoon this over pan seared salmon, grilled shrimp skewers, or baked cod for a zesty upgrade.
Chicken – Salsa pairs well with shredded chicken, cilantro lime chicken, and chicken fajitas.
Salad or slaw – Serve with healthy taco salad, avocado egg salad, or taco slaw for another dash of flavor.
Classic Mexican dishes – Make carne asada, beef barbacoa, or stuffed poblano peppers to serve with this iconic sauce. Don’t forget the skinny margaritas!

Recommended Tools

Food Processor – This is the one I have. It’s powerful and large enough for a big batch of salsa.
Mason Jars – Convenient for general storing or canning.
Large stockpot – To process the canned salsa. (See instructions above).
Canning Kit – For long-term salsa storage! Includes a jar lifter (to get 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 hot lids out of water easily).

Homemade Fresh Salsa Recipe

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.

4 medium Tomatoes (halved) ▢
1 small Onion (cut into large chunks) ▢
1 cup Fresh cilantro ▢
1 medium Jalapeno (seeds removed) ▢
3 cloves Garlic (minced coarsely) ▢
1 tbsp Lime juice ▢
1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Put everything in a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.

Last Step: Leave A Rating!

Rate this recipe

Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Check the post above for instructions on storing, canning, or freezing homemade salsa.
Exact number of servings will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 9

Fat 0.1g

Protein 0.4g

Total Carbs 2g

Net Carbs 1.5g

Fiber 0.5g

Sugar 1.1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: homemade salsa, how to make salsa, mango salsa recipe, salsa with fresh tomatoes

Calories: 9 kcal

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25 Comments

Marlene Pingley
0 September 11, 2022Reply

My husband loved this salsa.
Elgie
0 September 10, 2022Reply

Wonderful recipe! Thanks for your posting this.
Jenni
0 August 8, 2022Reply

This salsa is SO GOOD! Its dangerously easy, which means I am eating chips and salsa all the time!
Wendy
0 August 8, 2022Reply

This was the perfect solution for the surplus of tomatoes from my garden!
Glenda
0 August 8, 2022Reply

Love this quick and easy recipe. So full of flavor!
Beth
0 September 12, 2021Reply

Hi Maya,
I decided to use the canning process but realized I only used 1 teaspoon lime juice. Was that enough lime juice? I don’t want to get my family sick. I did follow the canning process to a T. Salsa was delish!
Thank you!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 September 14, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Beth, The lime juice in this recipe is actually optional so using only 1 tsp is perfectly fine.
  - Beth
    0 September 14, 2021Reply
    
    Thank you
Liz sinnema
0 October 19, 2020Reply

So is Vinegar required for salsa? If so, how much for your recipe?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 October 19, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Liz, Vinegar is not required.
Jason
0 August 25, 2020Reply

If I am water bath canning the salsa, do I need to add any apple cider vinegar?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 August 27, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Jason, Please do your research before proceeding. To my knowledge, the vinegar is necassary to prevent bacteria growth, but I’m not sure how much your will need for each jar.
Rayna Jenkins
0 August 15, 2020Reply

Can the cilantro be left out?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 August 15, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Rayna, Yes, if you prefer, you can leave the cilantro out.
Kaylin
0 June 2, 2020Reply

Can I use a blender instead of food processor?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 June 3, 2020Reply
  
  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
0 April 27, 2019Reply

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
  0 April 29, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Shelly, You can use any kind you like. I like to use Roma tomatoes, and sweet white or yellow onions.
Vicki Larsen
0 December 30, 2018Reply

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
  0 August 12, 2019Reply
  
  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
0 December 12, 2018Reply

Perfect salsa for the entire family. I’d take fresh ingredients over bottled salsa any day.
Tracy
0 September 5, 2018Reply

Loved this fresh. What is the canning process? Thank u.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 27, 2018Reply
  
  Thank you so much, Tracy! I added steps for the canning process to the post above.
Carlos Masso
0 August 5, 2018Reply

It’s nice to read your posts and also make your recipes. They help me keep the line, thanks.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 August 5, 2018Reply
  
  Thank you, Carlos! I’m glad you like them.

Homemade Salsa Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes

Free: 5 Secrets To Fast Healthy Dinners

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Salsa Recipe

Ingredients In Salsa

How To Make Salsa With Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Salsa Recipe Variations