The freshest salsa you've ever tasted! This restaurant-style salsa has bright flavor and the perfect texture. It's made using just a blender in under 5 minutes with a few ingredients. It's perfect for summer, grilling, tacos, and dipping!
This Quick and Easy Blender Salsa is the ultimate fiesta snack! Fresh tomatoes are paired with zingy onion, spicy jalapeño, fresh cilantro, and zesty lime. Blend it all together, serve with some corn tortilla chips and you have a delicious appetizer or snack.
Made from 8 ingredients in just 5 minutes, this thin yet chunky restaurant-style salsa is perfect for topping for tacos, quesadillas, salad, or just on its own. I am not claiming that this is an authentic recipe, just my take on a delicious snack!
Keep reading to learn how you can add this easy salsa recipe to your next fiesta. The best salsa you'll ever have!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make. Just 8 ingredients and 5 minutes are all you need.
- Prep ahead of time. Blend then store the salsa in the fridge up to a few days in advance.
- Packed with flavour. Nothing beats the freshness of real ingredients. This fresh salsa is zesty and delicious.
- Delicious on tacos, taquitos, salad, salmon, chicken—you name it.
- Easy to transport. Make it at home and bring it to the party.
- Easy to make for a large group. This dip can easily serve 6-8 people as an appetizer, and it's easy to double as a big batch.
- Allergy-friendly. This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free.
Want more party appetizers? You'll also like this marinated goat cheese spread, spicy edamame kale dip, mango pico de gallo, homemade french onion dip, melon prosciutto skewers, and dairy-free spinach artichoke dip.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you'll need to make this homemade salsa recipe:
- Roma tomatoes: These are typically used for this type of salsa. They are firm and flavorful. But any other type of fresh tomato should work. Do not use canned tomatoes.
- Red onion: In a pinch, use a white onion or yellow onion.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but pre-minced works fine.
- Jalapeño pepper: Remove the seeds if you want less spice. For more heat, try serrano peppers.
- Fresh cilantro: And lots of it! If you're a cilantro hater, sure you could leave it out, but you're leaving out a ton of flavor.
- Fresh lime: For zest and juice.
- Salt & cumin: Adjust the seasonings based on your taste preferences. Add any other spices you enjoy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
(1) Prepare the produce by slicing the tomatoes in half and scooping out the seeds. Discard the insides or use in another recipe. Chop the onion into large chunks and slice the top off of the jalapeño. Remove the seeds if you prefer less spice.
(2) Add all ingredients to the bucket of a high-power blender or food processor, including the zest and juice of the lime.
Remove the centre cap from the lid and place the tamper inside. Pulse or blend on manual mode, starting at low and increasing as needed. Use the tamper to press the ingredients down.
(3) Blend or pulse until you achieve your desired consistency.
The salsa tastes best after sitting in the fridge for 2+ hours, but you can enjoy immediately. Serve with corn tortilla chips, tacos, and more! Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
As an appetizer dip, it will serve 6-8 people.
What to Eat with Fresh Salsa
This fresh salsa is delicious all on it's own, so you really just need a simple tortilla chip or taco to accompany it and enjoy all the marinated flavors. I love to make this dip as a party appetizer or snack. Here are some of my favourite accompaniments:
- Corn tortilla chips
- Cheesy nachos
- Fish, chicken, or steak tacos
- Taquitos
- Over protein such as shrimp, chicken, steak, pork.
- Breakfast tacos
- Salsa pinwheels
- Love salsa? Serve a salsa spread with this mango pico de gallo.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: This salsa is a great recipe to make ahead of time as it will keep well in the fridge for days. Give it a stir before serving.
Storage: Keep the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will taste best after 2 hours in the fridge. Stir before serving.
Expert Tips
Here are some of my top tips and tricks for successful salsa:
- Remove the seeds of the tomatoes for a less watery salsa, and remove the seeds of the jalapeño for less spice.
- Pulse or blend slowly so you can make the salsa as chunky or smooth as you like.
- Be sure to let it sit and refrigerate. Let the flavours mingle for at least 30 minutes for optimal flavour.
- Stir before serving. To ensure the flavours are evenly dispersed.
- Give leftovers a squirt of fresh lime. Over hours and days, the acidity of the lime can mellow out slightly. To revive the zesty salsa, give it a squirt of ½ lime before serving leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pico de gallo is a chunky, chopped salsa, often called "salsa fresca". Whereas salsa is generally blended, containing more liquid.
Roma tomatoes have a lower water content than other tomatoes and a thick skin which gives great flavor. Removing the seeds reduces the water content as well. Roma tomatoes are preferred in this recipe, though any fresh tomato should work.
Restaurant style salsa often refers to a thinner, blended type of salsa, often served in Mexican-American restaurants. It also refers to a blended salsa to avoid confusion with pico de gallo, a chunkier, chopped salsa.
This fresh homemade salsa is a delicious dip that's perfect for your next Taco Tuesday or Mexican-inspired meal. It's a quick and easy recipe that packs a lot of flavor—perfect for dipping, topping, and enjoying with tortilla chips, tacos, nachos, and proteins.
More Appetizers
- Rotisserie Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Gluten Free Bang Bang Shrimp
- Marinated Goat Cheese Spread with Olives & Herbs
- Grilled Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers
Have you made this restaurant style blended salsa? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a 5 star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and review below, and tag me on instagram @fromoliviaskitchen!
Recipe
Blender Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- High powered blender
Ingredients
- 8 roma tomatoes de-seeded
- ½ red onion roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeños seeds removed if preferred
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime for zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the produce by slicing the tomatoes in half and scooping out the seeds. Discard the insides or use in another recipe. Chop the onion into large chunks and slice the top off of the jalapeño. Remove the seeds if you prefer less spice.
- Add all ingredients to the bucket of a high-power blender, including the zest and juice of the lime. Remove the centre cap from the lid and place the tamper inside. Pulse or blend on manual mode, starting at low and increasing as needed. Use the tamper to press the ingredients down. Blend or pulse until you achieve your desired consistency.
- The salsa tastes best after sitting in the fridge for 2+ hours, but you can enjoy immediately. Serve with corn tortilla chips, tacos, and more! Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You could use any type of fresh tomato, but de-seeded roma tomatoes are the best for this recipe.
- Make ahead: This salsa is a great recipe to make ahead of time as it will keep well in the fridge for days. Give it a stir before serving.
- Storage: Keep the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will taste best after 2 hours in the fridge. Stir before serving.
- Serve this fresh salsa with tortilla chips, on tacos, nachos, fish, chicken, steak—you name it.
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