Description
This quick and easy 5 Minute Restaurant Style Salsa is vibrant, fresh, and packed with authentic flavors. Made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice, it delivers the perfect balance of heat and tang. Ideal for serving with tortilla chips or as a complement to your favorite Mexican dishes, this salsa can be enjoyed immediately or after a day of resting for deeper flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Salsa Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes (12 ounces or 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes)
- 1/4 small onion
- 1/2 clove garlic (or 1 very small clove)
- 1/2 jalapeno (seeds and membranes discarded)
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- Black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and slice them in half. Add them to a food processor or blender. If using canned tomatoes, drain them in a colander or squeeze out excess liquid before adding.
- Add Onion and Garlic: Add 1/4 small onion and smashed garlic clove to the blender. The garlic is lightly crushed by smashing with the side of a knife to release flavor.
- Add Jalapeno: Add half a jalapeno pepper with seeds and membranes removed for a mild heat level.
- Include Cilantro: Add about 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves for fresh herbal notes.
- Season the Salsa: Add 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon sugar, and black pepper to taste to balance and enhance flavors.
- Blend Carefully: Pulse the mixture in the blender or food processor in 1-second bursts. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides to ensure even chopping. Avoid over-blending to prevent a watery salsa.
- Serve: Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips, such as Juanitas. For deeper flavor, refrigerate and enjoy the salsa the next day once the flavors have melded perfectly.
Notes
- For a milder salsa, remove all seeds from the jalapeno; for extra heat, leave some seeds.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best zesty flavor.
- If you prefer chunkier salsa, blend less and pulse more carefully.
- This salsa keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Juanitas tortilla chips are recommended for serving, but any sturdy chip works well.
