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This roasted tomato salsa recipe is easy to make and packed with smoky, spicy flavor. Perfect with tortilla chips, tacos, and more!
This roasted tomato salsa has been one of my favorites for years, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why! Instead of using raw or canned tomatoes, I roast fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a hot oven until they’re softened and lightly charred. Roasting brings out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness, mellows the onions and garlic, and gives the salsa a wonderful smoky flavor. (I use the same technique for my salsa verde, swapping the tomatoes for tomatillos.)
It’s easy to make, and the flavor gets even better after a day or two in the fridge, so it’s perfect for making ahead when you’re having people over.
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Tomato Salsa
As you can see, this salsa recipe calls for three serrano peppers. Serrano peppers are similar to jalapeño peppers in taste and appearance but they are smaller and hotter. Feel free to substitute jalapeño peppers, if you like, but keep in mind that you’ll only need one or two, depending on how spicy you like your salsa.
How To Make Roasted Tomato Salsa
Toss the veggies with oil: Begin by tossing the quartered tomatoes (I don’t even bother coring them), onion wedges, garlic and whole peppers with the vegetable oil directly on a baking sheet.
Broil: Cook under the broiler until blistered and slightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add seasoning: Transfer the vegetables to a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and add the salt and cumin.
Blend: Process until slightly chunky. Taste and add the remaining chili pepper(s), if desired.
Finish: Add the cilantro leaves and lime juice and pulse a few times until the cilantro is finely chopped. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead: This salsa is perfect for making ahead, especially if you’re entertaining. Prepare it up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before serving, and taste for seasoning. A squeeze of fresh lime juice can help brighten it up after a few days in the fridge.
Freezing: You can also freeze the salsa for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and give it a good stir before serving. The salsa may release some liquid as it thaws, so just drain off any excess if needed.
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into wedges
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 serrano chili peppers, stemmed (use less for a milder salsa)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 5 in (13 cm) beneath the heating element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, whole serrano chile peppers and vegetable oil directly on the prepared baking sheet and toss with your hands. Broil until softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables and their juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt and cumin and pulse until slightly chunky.
- Add the cilantro and fresh lime juice, and pulse until the cilantro is chopped. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and more lime juice if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm, at room temperature, or slightly chilled.
Notes
- This recipe is not meant for canning.
- Adjusting the heat: Serrano peppers can vary quite a bit in spiciness. If you prefer a milder salsa, start by blending in just one roasted serrano pepper. Taste the salsa, then add more of the roasted peppers, pulsing after each addition, until it’s as spicy as you like.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
What to Serve with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Of course, this salsa is delicious with tortilla chips, but don’t stop there! I love spooning it over chicken fajitas, carne asada, or southwestern burgers. It’s also great alongside guacamole and chili con queso if you’re putting together a spread for a party. And don’t forget about breakfast: a spoonful on scrambled eggs is delicious, too!
More Salsa Recipes You May Like
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Fabulous salsa! As a couple of other reviewers have mentioned, it was a little salty, but the flavor profile was terrific. Made with grilled chicken fajitas (also 5*).
This salsa is so delicious. I love it warm straight from the oven. I am mad at myself I was in a hurry and forgot the lime juice. Next time I’ll remember the lime juice and it will be even yummier! I really don’t like store bought salsa. This is absolutely delicious!
I am a huge fan. I have yet to make a recipe that wasn’t delicious from Once Upon a Chef.
So glad you like the recipes! 🙂
Can you adapt this recipe for canning? It sounds so delicious and highly recommend.
Hi Miriam, I didn’t design this for canning so I’m not sure that it would be safe — sorry!
Great balance of flavours! Used jalapenos as that’s what I had. Perfect recipe! I really love the grilled taste of the veggies!
hello, I have one green poblano pepper — could I use that instead of the serrano? I don’t want it to be too hot. thanks
Sure, Karen, that should work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I just made this as it sounded really good. I found however that it was way too salty ( 2 tsp) and ended up adding more tomatoes to it. I also found that it took about 20 minutes under the broiler to get the veggies charred perfectly.
I have made salsa based on a modified version of this recipe every 3 weeks or so for the last 5-6 months. I use an air fryer to roast the veggies in 2 batches – onions, pepper and garlic first (wrapped in foil for most of the time), then tomatoes in 2 layers (no foil). I do not use any oil and I only use half the salt and cumin called for based on it personal preference. Awesome!! I cannot believe I have been missing out on salsa so many years before finding this recipe. I love salsa but hate store bought. Also, I freeze half each time so that I actually have some to eat every week or so. The frozen batch is always great but kinda miss having it warm when fresh. It is great whether warm or cold, just different. Again, awesome!!!
Jenn, we love your recipes! I don’t have fresh tomatoes. Can I use canned fire-roasted tomatoes? Or can I use canned whole tomatoes and roast them? And if so, how many cans?
Hi Terri, I think you could get away with using the fire-roasted tomatoes (make sure they are well-drained). I’d still roast them along with the onions, etc. and suspect you’ll need about two 14.5-ounce cans of tomatoes. Please LMK how it turns out!
I always have too many fruits and vegetables, and love recipes like this that save me from wasting food. This recipe was an awesome solution for a costco container of grape tomatoes and 3 languishing jalapeños. No lime on hand, but I had a lemon! The salsa was so yummy while it is still warm.
Made it 3x and really like it. I skipped the oil when roasting and still good! Recommend
Love this salsa recipe – roasting the tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers makes all the difference. The flavor is wonderful