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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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I’ve used SO MANY of your recipes since I found your site, and every single one has been excellent! So much so, that I purchased your cookbook, which I rarely do anymore since pretty much any recipe can be found on the internet. Once again, you’ve provided a fabulous recipe!!! The only changes I made was to grill the veggies and used one large jalapeno since we’re kind of spice wimps 🙂 I was really only making this for my husband, because I’m not really a fan of salsa, but after trying it to check the seasonings found that I love this one.
Delicious! Thank you
Hi Jenn, I just picked a ton of tomatoes from the garden and was thinking of making this recipe. Is it a good recipe for canning also? I bought the small red Thai peppers. Would those work ok?
Love your recipes abs cookbooks! Gratitude to you
Carly
Hi Carly, I didn’t design this recipe with canning in mine so not sure it would be safe for that. You can freeze it though if you’d like. Regarding the peppers, those should be fine; just add more or less depending upon the amount of heat you want. And so glad to hear you like the recipes/cookbook!
Carly, I LOVE this salsa and happened to see your question. I compared this recipe with one of the recipes in the Ball Cookbook for canning and preserving and the ingredients are the same. Since Ball gives instructions for canning, I went ahead and canned this one. It worked just fine. Just remember to use the lime juice for the acidity… Good luck!
Ummm-umm!!! This is an amazing recipe! The charring really brought out garden tomato flavor in a big way; we can’t stop eating it! We plan to follow another reviewer’s great suggestion and freeze some to enjoy this winter. Thank you so much for sharing your superior recipes, Jenn!
Fantastic salsa! I made it with Hatch chilies and it is perfect spiciness for me. Definitely will make again.
Great flavor and super easy! Tastes like the real deal- will make again🍅
So good! Not knowing what my guests liked, I used 1 1/2 pepper and the kick was just perfect. Great recipe and definitely what I’d expect from a restaurant.
Love this! I started adding a can of Chile in adobo sauce and it gives an amazing smoky flavor! I make it weekly (double batch) and the family gobbles it up. They won’t even eat jar or grocery store salsa anymore.
Hi Chef Jenn,
We loved this ‘Salsa Rojo’!
Paired so well with the ‘Carne Asada’ recipe and alongside your ‘Guacamole recipe. It was so perfectly spicy and bursting with authentic flavors.
Thank you!
Hi Jen, we love this salsa, so good! We want to make it for someone with a cilantro/coriander allergy would subbing Italian parsley for the cilantro work? Would it change the flavor too much? Thanks!
Hi Bry, So glad you like it. Yes, Italian parsley will work; it will have a slightly different flavor but will still be good!
Delicious and flavourful! Thanks, Jenn!