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The very best salsa can be made in 10 minutes and will rival your favorite restaurant and store-bought salsa.

Restaurant Style Salsa

The flavor will improve over time, so if possible, make the salsa at least an hour before you plan to serve it. Serve with your favorite chips and guacamole for what is sure to be a party pleasing appetizer. For a different kind of dip, stir rinsed and drained black beans and corn into the salsa and garnish with lime.
Servings: 26+ ounces or about 3¼ cups
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Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or 2 [14.5-ounce cans]; fire roasted optional)
  • ½ a small yellow onion, roughly chopped (3-3½ ounces total or a rounded ½ cup)
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, serrano, or red chili pepper, trimmed (2 for extra heat)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, lightly packed (may increase or decrease to taste)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (may use 1 clove for milder flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ tablespoons (22ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (plus an extra squeeze to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

  1. Drain the tomatoes in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the juices. Reserve the juices to add back later as needed.
  2. Add the roughly chopped onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and salt to a food processor and pulse to make the pieces a bit smaller. (Tip: If you’re uncertain about spice level, remove and reserve the jalapeño veins and seeds and add them back, to taste, at the end.) Add the drained tomatoes, lime juice, and cumin. Pulse the machine until your desired salsa consistency is achieved, scraping down the sides as needed. (I aim for puréed but still slightly chunky.)
  3. At this point you may also add back some of the reserved tomato juice, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency. Adjust seasoning, adding another pinch or two of salt and/or squeeze of lime juice to taste. (I typically add about 2 tablespoons total lime juice but recommend starting with 1½T to be sure.) Pour into a bowl, and if possible, refrigerate for an hour before serving (the flavors will improve upon resting) with tortilla chips or using in recipes that call for salsa.
  4. Storage: Store the salsa in a jar or lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and may be frozen. Add an extra squeeze of lime to perk up the flavor, as needed.

Notes

No food processor? You may use a blender: Add all the ingredients except the tomatoes and jalapeño seeds (if using) to the blender. Blend until evenly chopped, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the tomatoes and process until the desired consistency is reached–smooth, chunky, or somewhere in between. Taste and then add the desired amount of jalapeño seeds/and or cayenne pepper.
No chili peppers? Cayenne pepper may be used. I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon, adding more to taste. You may also use cayenne pepper in conjunction with the fresh chili pepper. To give a sense of heat, if I remove most of the jalapeño seeds and veins and also add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, the heat level is similar to a medium salsa.
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