Quick & Easy Blender Salsa — This easy salsa recipe will teach you how to make salsa at home in just a few minutes in the blender so you’ll never run out!
Easy Homemade Salsa … in a Blender!
I’m a chips and salsa fiend. I almost don’t even need the chips and can just shovel in the salsa by the fork-full.
When I want salsa now, I turn to this restaurant-style salsa recipe made in a blender.
The best part of this salsa is how fast, easy, and goofproof it is. Add all the ingredients to your blender or food processor, blend, and you’re done in under 2 minutes. My favorite kind of recipe!
Over time, the flavors really marry and the rawness of the onion and garlic mellows.
We love this easy salsa recipe so much more than any restaurant or store-bought salsa. I love it when homemade, easy recipes trump all the others.
Blender Salsa Ingredients
I prefer making my blended salsa with canned tomatoes rather than fresh. Using canned tomatoes keeps this a dump-and-blend recipe and eliminates the need to dirty a knife and cutting board.
Gather the following ingredients to make the salsa in a blender:
- Canned tomatoes
- Yellow onions
- Jalapeño pepper
- Garlic
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
How to Make Salsa in a Blender
This blender salsa recipe is customizable and requires you to stop, taste-test, and tweak based on your own personal preferences. Everyone’s preference for salt, heat, and texture differs.
- To make this simple salsa recipe, just add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.
- If desired, you can stir in black beans or corn to add extra flavor and texture (stir in by hand, don’t pulse in the blender).
Tip
You can enjoy the blended salsa right away, but I actually think it tastes best after it’s been allowed to sit in the fridge for a day. This gives the flavors time to come together.
FAQs
Yes, but try making a batch with a little sugar in it and see what you think! The sugar balances the heat from the pepper and the acidity in the tomatoes. Start with less and add more if necessary, and definitely be careful not to over-sweeten.
This salsa will last up to a week in the fridge and can be paired with chips, tacos, burritos, and more!
Also, I used canned whole tomatoes, but you can use diced if that’s all you have on hand.
Just make sure to buy a large enough can, and double check that your tomatoes don’t contain extra flavorings (sometimes they’re canned with basil or other herbs).
Yes! This restaurant-style salsa is extremely hard to resist right out of the blender, but if you can make it a day in advance and store it in the fridge, it’s much better the second and third day. I’ve never been able to get it to last past the third day.
Fairly spicy! Use fewer jalapeños and/or remove the seeds if you don’t like four-alarm fires as much as I do.
Yes, it probably would be fine to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned. It will result in a slightly different flavor perhaps, but if you have them to use up, I would go for it!
What to Serve with Restaurant-Style Salsa
Keep things simple by serving this blender salsa with homemade tortilla chips, or pair it with one or more of the following Mexican dishes:
- Tacos al pastor
- Beef taco salad bowls
- Sweet potato black bean enchiladas
- Veggie burrito bowls
- Smothered beef burritos
You can also use this salsa to make my favorite cheesy salsa chip dip or baked salsa chicken!
Pin This Recipe
Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa
This salsa recipe will teach you how to make salsa at home in just a few minutes in the blender, so you'll never run out!
Ingredients
- one 28-ounce can tomatoes, including juice (I used these whole, peeled plum tomatoes)
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 or 2 jalepeno peppers, de-stemmed and roughly chopped*
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste (remember some brands of tomatoes and chips are much saltier than others)
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional and to taste**
- 1 or 2 handfuls cilantro leaves, discard stems (I prefer 2)
- about 3 tablespoons lime juice
- about 3/4 cup corn, optional
- about 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, optional
- corn chips, for serving
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except optional corn and beans) to the canister of a blender or food processor in the order listed. Pulse or blend on high power until texture is as smooth as desired. If you have a very strong blender, you probably don’t need to pre-chop the ingredients before adding them to the blender, but I do just to make sure I don’t get large random, accidentally unblended chunks of any one ingredient.
- Taste the salsa and based on personal preference tweak as necessary.
- Optionally stir in the corn and black beans.
- Transfer to airtight container and serve immediately with chips. However, I prefer to refrigerate salsa for 1 day prior to serving because I prefer chilled salsa and because the flavors marry, mellow, and the flavor improves on the second and third day. Salsa will likely keep up to 1 week airtight in the fridge; however, we’ve always eaten a batch within 3 days.
Notes
*I prefer 2 peppers; remove seeds to greatly reduce heat level.
**The sugar balances the heat and tomato acidity; start with less and add more if necessary; careful not to over-sweeten.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 628mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g
More Homemade Salsa Recipes:
Chunky Tomatillo Avocado Salsa — If you like salsa verde, you’re going to LOVE this homemade version that includes creamy chunks of avocado! As FAST and EASY and tossing a handful of healthy ingredients into your food processor and the salsa is ready in seconds.
The Best Peach Mango Salsa — Fast, easy, and tastes a million times better than anything store-bought! So.darn.good!
Pineapple Salsa — Pineapple Chunks, yellow bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper — a healthy, clean, and simple ingredient list that packs big time flavor and texture.
Blueberry Corn Salsa — The salsa is packed with fresh blueberries, corn, strawberries, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, and hot sauce. There’s texture galore in every bite, but you can blend it if you prefer a smooth texture.
Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Salsa — A sweet and spicy salsa with a lovely smokiness from pineapple, tomatillo, onion, and garlic that are blistered under broiler and then blended with chipotle peppers! PERFECT over tacos, with chips, or as a great addition to any Mexican-inspired meal!
Watermelon Mango Salsa — The EASY salsa is made with watermelon, mango, and mint adds so much fresh FLAVOR!! Healthy, FAST, EASY!
Wondering if this could be made with fresh tomatoes. I have an abundance of them righ5 now.
Yes it probably would be fine. Slightly different flavor perhaps, but if you have them to use, I would go for it!
This salsa is great! I made it with a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and used a food processor instead of a blender and it was yummy. So much better than a jar.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s so much better than from a jar for you!
Can I can it?
Probably if you know how to can well. I don’t so can’t give any guidance.
This recipe was so quick, easy, and delicious! I love how easy it is to customize to your liking as well. It was a hit with my family!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a big hit!
Another hit! Fast, easy, and it tastes just like the salsa served in restaurants! 👍🏻👍🏻Serve it with good and salty chips.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you think it tastes just like from a restaurant!
Omg this salsa is too good it’s the only one that is just right!!! Not too hot and not bland, it’s just right FLAVORFUL !!! and who knew about the sugar, it works though thanks
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it’s just right for you!
Super yummy and easy!! Forgot to add the cumin, but it still tastes great! Thanks!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was super yummy and easy even without the cumin :)
Made this today and am absolutely thrilled with the end result. I didn’t measure much, just used the recipe as a guide, but it turned out so delicious and easy. Not as “pretty” as jarred salsa from the grocery, but 1000x better flavor. I don’t expect it to last a week in the fridge.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it has 1000x better flavor for you than anything you’d buy!
So good and definitely tastes like what you’d get at a restaurant. Definitely doesn’t taste as good if you omit it the sugar, no matter how sweet the tomatoes are. I substituted two TBSP canned chipotles for jalapeno for a more smoky flavor.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it definitely tastes like what you’d get at a restaurant! I agree with you about the sugar but there are always people who freak out over the slightest bit of sugar, so I try to give ‘options’ although like you I agree you need a bit of sugar. I bet than canned chipotles were great in it!
My go to salsa! I’m now not welcome at parties unless I bring this! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this is a favorite of your friends and family at parties you go to!
This is the best salsa! Just like a good mexican restaurant has. It is a keeper.
Glad it’s the best and a keeper for you!
Can u use fresh tomatoes and can this dip anytime of the year
yes
Thanks for the recipe it’s great but can I can it so I can enjoy it all year around? It’s about time to start getting ready to plant gardens and this would be a great thing to plant and can so I will have this wonderful salsa all winter long. Thanks for sharing Merry
I am sure you can enjoy this year round!
This was very simple to make and tastes good! I agree, why buy salsa when this tastes so good.
Thanks for the five star review and glad you agree that there’s no need to buy it!
I made this recipe and used fresh patio tomatoes and jalapeño from my garden. It turned out great, except it was sweet. I did not add any sugar. Do you think it was because I used patio tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes?
Thanks for the 5 star review. Some tomatoes can be very sweet and I am thinking that is what happened to you with garden tomatoes.
Canned tomatoes tend to be very acidic and don’t have that natural ‘garden fresh’ taste or sweetness.
This is really good! I didn’t add the options and had to use canned pickled jalapeños because that’s all I had. I love the freash taste, will be a favorite from now on, thanks for posting!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
a splash of balsamic vinegar sweetens and adds richness to salsa, and for variation, fire-roasted tomatoes are delicious. a little fresh green pepper adds a nice bitter element and some extra crispness without heat
This salsa is ahhhhhh-mazing! Thanks for sharing such a GREAT recipe!! :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank youuuu! I am a born and raised Texan who moved to Canada 12 years back. I have searched high and low to find a salsa that reminds me of home. Made this over the weekend and I am so happy!! So simple, so easy and perfect!! Love it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And that it reminds you of salsa from back home in Texas – that’s a great compliment, thanks!
I just need to tell you how much I LOVE this salsa! The first time I made it I considered living on fresh salsa for the rest of my life! Lol! Sooo good!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you! And after I made this the first time, I think I did live on it for a few days :)
Please check into the Pintrest link. It keeps coming up as pin not found.
Could you be a bit more specific? I just pinned this as a test to one of my boards and it worked just fine.
Just made this tonight, and it is delicious! My husband and I were both a little unsure about using canned tomatoes, but it is as good as any salsa I have had with fresh tomatoes. I also like that you can alter the heat level by adding more or less jalapeños. Now I am just wondering if it would freeze well.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I haven’t tried freezing it so can’t say for sure. I know there are ways to ‘can’ salsa using sterile jars, a water bath, etc. but you’d need to google for more info on that because I haven’t canned it either.
I’ve been making salsa for the past year. Just when I thought I got it down pat, I ran across your recipe. But because of your sense of humor and descriptive writing, I laughed until my eyes watered! You nailed it with every word! It was almost as if I had written your article myself! Because of that, I’ll be making your salsa tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe and for the laughter!
Glad you enjoyed my writing and got some laughs :)
This recipe looks delicious and I cant wait to try it out with my new blender! I absolutely love my Blender! I have had it about a year and have never had any issues. I have been making all different kinds of meals. I still make a lot of smoothies with it but I have been making my own soups and even peanut butter!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! The only thing that confuses me is where you say to omit the jalapeño seeds to help reduce the heat. I learned from a show all about different types of peppers. It said The heat actually comes from between the skin and the fruit.
There’s heat all over in peppers, skin, flesh, and seeds but I know from personal experience that the seeds do contain a lot of heat and you’ll reduce the overall heat load if you omit them.
Wow! This is so good! One question, my sulci even though fantastic tasting turned brown. I suspect it is from the cumin but yours did not look brown to me. Any ideas? Thanks!
Glad you love it! Cilantro can sometimes turn brown (oxidize) over time and sometimes that happens quicker than other times. Also tomatoes vary in how bright and vibrant they are, some are darker than others and then with the cilantro, that could be making the color darker.
Can I use fresh tomatoes? If so about how many.
Yes I’m sure that will be fine and you’d use as many as it takes to reach approximately 28 ounces, which is how much of the canned tomatoes I called for.
Just wanted to let you know my family and I LOVE this salsa! I have pinned it and made it a few times, but I am including it in a post on my blog about my garden harvest this year! I especially love the convenience of it in the winter, (I live in Minnesota) because I don’t need to have fresh tomatoes, I just use my canned ones from the summer before!
Thanks
JJ
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a favorite for you and your family! I grew up in MN and know exactly how winters are (even fresh storebought produce is quite pathetic) and amen for canned tomatoes, right!
Question please ;-) I’m going to use fresh tomatoes since they are finally in season!! Any idea how may I should use?? Do I need to cook them down or just chop them up?? PS… sorry I’m a terrible cook but I’m trying!!
I haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure what to do exactly but why don’t you just toss some in the blender with the other ingredients, blend, taste..and take it from there based on what you think the salsa needs. Pretty easy :) Enjoy!
Have you tried roasting the tomatoes and/or jalapeñoa first? It gives the salsa a great flavor!
I’ve also “fried” the salsa; meaning that I add a bit of oil to a sauce pan and add the salsa straight from the blender to cook it a bit. Also a different flavor!
Great ideas and tips! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this and we love it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Sound like the pioneer woman’s salsa recipe
Made it. Loved it. Hooked on it now. I adore getting a new salsa recipe, and while appearing simple, this one is wicked good. I go to a Mexican Restaurant (not a chain) 4 states away, twice a year just because their salsa is to die for. I drag back two big styrofoam “to go” soda cups full of the stuff, but it only lasts maybe 48 hours. LOL
Don’t take the comment to heart about pictures. Put as many of those beautiful things on your page as you want. Load time has almost nothing to do with anyone’s “slow computer.” It’s internet connection speed. And nowdays 95% of the country uses high speed wired, wifi or at least 4G. Photo loading is not an issue.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and you’re hooked. And now you have something to tide you over in between your twice annual Mexican restaurant that’s 4 states away!
And yeah, people will always gripe about something. My recipes are free, they’re dang good, and they work :) What else do people want? Wonders never cease :) Thanks for your support!
I enjoy and appreciate finding recipes on the internet. Please pardon me for bellyaching a bit. Is it necessary to have 6 pictures of the salsa? My computer is slow enough without waiting for the page to load. This happens all too often during my search for good stuff to eat! Thanks for listening.
Is there something I can substitute for the sugar in the recipe to help cut the sweetness? The wondering! Can’t wait to make it!
Not exactly sure what you’re asking but you don’t have to use sugar; sometimes tomatoes are a bit acidic and the tiny bit of sugar can cut that, but you can omit it if desired.
Just finished it and canned in in mason jars… One jar is already gone! Amazing!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Wonderful to hear you canned some…and that one jar is already gone! :)
My recipe is very similar but with every can of whole tomatoes I also add a can of rotel. And a can of green chiles as well. They add a different level of heat than the jalepenos. I also use about 1/3 the garlic and then garlic salt instead of plain salt & I’m heavy on the cumin. We love it!!! I have to triple the recipe. It’s a family favourite and there’s always a tub of it in our fridge! If it’s empty, the complaints start rolling in! Can’t wait to try the other recipes on this page-the baked cheesy salsa dip looks amazing!! :)
Rotel is great, can’t go wrong with that, nor with lots of cumin! Love that you make a triple batch at a time!
EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE LOOKS AMAZING! I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THEM ALL! THANK YOU!
i just made this. WOW! So good, Averie! It really is just like the good stuff in the restaurants. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad you loved it and it tasted just like restaurant salsa for you! Awesome :) And thank you so much for always FB’ing, Tweeting, and spreading the linky love – you’re the BEST! :)
Omg this looks amazing and perfect timing! I was thinking of throwing a themed party soon and this surely will be a hit! Thank you for another awesome recipe Averie xo C
Thanks & enjoy!!
“I’m a chips and salsa fiend.I almost don’t even need the chips and can just shovel in the salsa by the fork-full.” <– 200% me. Whenever we have salsa in the fridge, I always get caught with a spoon in the jar… Every single time. No shame. And that sinus-clearing line? Totally true!
I always get caught with a spoon in the jar too :) And can wash it all down with lots of margaritas :)
This is almost the exact salsa recipe we do, except I do one can of tomatoes and one can of Rotel, and I use green onions instead of yellow (a Hispanic friend’s mom used green onions in her salsa and I LOVE the slightly different flavor they add). This salsa is the best! Especially with ridiculous amounts of cilantro!
I can see where Rotel would be great and yes ridic amounts of cilantro for me too :)
I’m not a big fan of salso, but because of these pictures it looks delicious, will ask if my wife can make them, thanks!
Your blender salsa seems really refreshing to begin this new year! Beautiful photos, too
It’s always good to have a good salsa to snack on with some chips. This one seems easy enough and sounds flavorful.
One of my favorite parts about going to a Mexican restaurant are the chips and salsa. This looks delicious!
Gorgeous photos Averie! You know I love salsa too and yours looks better than restaurant style. Much better! I could house the entire recipe myself with a few chips. Chips and salsa are my favorite snacky food, without a doubt! And now I’m craving them for breakfast lol.
Thanks for the compliments, Sally. I took these pics on vacation and the lighting is even more ‘unique’ here…ahem….than in San Diego. It’s total potluck what my shoots will look like! I think between me and you we could do some serious damage on salsa and a pitcher of margaritas! Hope you guys have a Happy New Year!!!
So quick and easy! I didn’t think I could make it myself and I love the consistency of it. I know this will be a regular recipe for us, thanks so much! Love your stunning photos, too!
Thanks for the compliments and hope you enjoy this!
Now that’s a big ole bowl of beautiful salsa right there! I’m a fan of the heat, too, so I’d be adding jalapenos, chipotles or whatever else to give it a kick! Great recipe and beautiful photos, too, Averie. :)
Thanks for the compliments, Julie!
Yum! This looks great. I’m always game for salsa.
We always use homemade salsa. It’s tasted so much better! Thanks for this one, is much more easy then what I was used to. Pinned it btw, pictures look awesome!
Thanks for pinning and for the compliments! Glad it’s even easier than what you’re used to, too!
Love homemade salsa especially when it’s so easy like this one. My tip: add a tablespoon or two of green Tabasco sauce to salsas or to your pico de gallo. It adds a really nice zip that leaves everyone wondering what the secret ingredient is.
Great tip! I love Tabasco but would have never thought to add green Tabasco to salsa or pico. Trying that for sure! Thanks!
I brought some salsa that I’d canned from my garden this summer to Christmas at my uncle’s house….everyone was screaming about how hot it was. I guess the jalapenos I used (and didn’t de-seed) were kind of spicy. ;)
Canning salsa is great because none would never make it past day 3 either, if I didn’t do that. But now, I’ve still got a good 3-4 pints in my pantry that I need to make last for another few months. A little bit of salsa heat in the cold winter….I can pretend I’m in a tropical paradise if I crank the heat and close the drapes.
Leave it to you to can salsa! I really didn’t know you could can it, per se. But now that I think about it, that’s how companies are able to make it and store it on grocery store shelves forever. Despite not having a garden, I think I’m going to stop up on summer tomatoes this summer and can it. I’ll be emailing you for boiling instructions :)
My family was freaking out a little about the heat levels. Like they put a tiny pinch of salsa on a huge chip. I literally submerge the chip in as much salsa as it will hold before it breaks AND have a spoon next to me so I can shovel in some non chip bites, too :)
That salsa looks amazing, and so easy!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I am in love with this Averie!! OMG, I could eat salsa like it’s my job. Pinned!
Me too. I like a few chips with my bowl of salsa :) We totally need a salsa, guac, and margarita party to happen this summer!!
Bring on the heat!
I love how easy this salsa is, and that you can totally tailor it to suit your own taste buds! I foresee this and A LOT of salty chips in my very near future!
Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and enjoy the HEAT! :)
Gotta love a good homemade blender salsa!! We’re going to the neighborhood New Year’s eve party tomorrow so I’ve been pondering what to take. This or the hummus from your cookbook. Either would be a winner and equally easy to make!
THIS!! Omg I loveeee this stuff. I have been eating it non-stop the past few weeks! :)
I love a good salsa recipe especially one with lots of cilantro and lots of heat. I always like to use spice instead of salt that way the salt on the chips isn’t too much. Cant wait to try.
I always like to use spice instead of salt that way the salt on the chips isn’t too much = AGREED!!! But if I don’t write to add salt, then people write in to tell me how ‘bland’ things are. I am super sensitive to salt so I really go with the smallest amount necessary but some people are more of the dump a half of salt shaker in and then add some more mentality :) Hope you have a great New Years, Lisa!!