This is not pico de gallo
Let’s get that out of the way first off. Pico de Gallo is made with very similar basic ingredients, but the end product is much different. Just as delicious, but different! Pico could be referred to as a fresh tomato salsa, as it uses fresh ingredients, like Roma tomatoes and chili peppers. And any good fresh salsa recipe won’t have you using a blender! Making pico with the same method as this salsa will result in a lackluster, watery salsa.
Restaurant style is made with canned tomatoes for a consistent tomato flavor. It’s then combined with the perfect blend of ingredients to maximize fresh flavors, and blended to a perfectly dippable, chunk free consistency!
Homemade doesn’t equal hard work
This salsa is everything. Savory, spicy, and salty, with a kick of lime. Great for dinner, parties, or just snacking on with some tortilla chips (which are also, conveniently, almost always gluten free as well.) And it’s SO easy. You can make your own salsa that is as good or (better than) the stuff from your local Mexican restaurant!
Besides being able to ensure it’s gluten free, another benefit to making this easy homemade salsa is customization. Do you love super spicy salsa? Add an extra jalapeño pepper. Only have Serrano Chiles unhand? Use them! Want an even more intense smokiness? Try chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Don’t love lime? Use lemon juice.
Also, for the freshness you taste in this recipe, you would think it’s a lot of work. But it’s not at all. The fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro and jalapeno pepper give you the perfect burst of flavor, but we use canned tomatoes. Which means you can make the best salsa, consistently, no matter if the fresh tomatoes aren’t great, because the main ingredients are super easy to find at any grocery store!
I’ve been making this recipe for years. It’s is my adapted version of The Pioneer Woman’s restaurant style salsa. My big secret is….drumroll please… Fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of canned whole tomatoes! I know, I know, it’s not that revolutionary… but it really adds a little something special, trust me.
Full batch or half batch?
Also, this is a huge batch. If you’re only cooking for one or two people, it might be a little bit much, so I oftentimes cut it in half. To make it easy for you, I’m going to include TWO printable recipes, one for the whole recipe, and one for half!
If you have a good blender or food processor (I have a large Ninja) you really don’t even need to mess with dicing or chopping anything up beforehand. I throw in a whole quarter of an onion, whole garlic cloves, and a whole jalapeño, with the stem removed. If you want to make sure you have an acurate measurement on your onion, go ahead and roughly dice it and measure in a measuring cup. Otherwise, about 1/4 of a smallish onion should be just the right amount. Now, let’s have the blender do the work, amiright? When it’s taco night and we’re ready to eat, the easier, the better!
Two notes on onions.
One; I almost always use part of a red onion in this recipe, or any, where you eat the onions raw. However, you can easily swap it if needed! A white onion is very good for salsa as well. If you have a really strongly flavored onion and want to tone it down a little bit, you can ‘deflame’ it. Just remove ends and stems, chop into quarters, and soak in a bowl of cool water for a few minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Or for a really mild onion flavor, try fresh green onions.
Two; My brother-in-law can not stand onions. Hates them with a passion. For a while I think he even had his kids convinced he was allergic to them! So my sister adapted the recipe to accommodate their family. She cuts out the onion completely and then doubles the amount of garlic. So if you have any onion haters, don’t despair! Just kick up the garlic.
How to enjoy
Naturally, this restaurant-style salsa pairs wonderfully with a bowl of chips! As far as savory snacks go, chips and salsa is an all time classic.
If you’re looking for a meal this would go well with, check out my Black Bean + Kale Enchilada Bake, or serve it up on top of my Easy Huevos Rancheros! It’s a great addition to Mexican rice or your favorite tacos as well. And don’t forget, adding a good salsa to your table is critical for any good cinco de mayo celebration!
Restaurant Style Salsa – Large Batch
Ingredients
- 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis (10 oz)
- 1/4 cup red onion (about 1/4 of an onion)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled & stem end cut off)
- 1 jalapeno (stem cut off)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- pinch sugar (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (or more)
- 1 tbsp lime juice (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Note: This is a very large batch. I recommend using a large capacity blender, or blending in batches if you have a smaller blender. Total yield is about 6-7 cups.
- Start by prepping your veggies; quarter your onion, peel garlic, remove jalapeno stem, and rinse cilantro.
- Next, combine everything in your blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for as long as it lasts – we've never kept any around long enough to see if it ever goes bad!
Restaurant Style Salsa – Small Batch
Ingredients
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 oz)
- 2 tbsp red onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- pinch sugar
- 1/4 cup cilantro (more to taste)
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice (more to taste)
Instructions
- Start by prepping your veggies; chop your onion, peel garlic, remove jalapeno stem and slice in half, and rinse cilantro.
- Next, combine everything in your blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for as long as it lasts – we've never kept any around long enough to see if it ever goes bad!
