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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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seed the peppers?
Hi Carol, It depends. If you want the salsa to be spicy, you can leave the seeds. If you prefer it mild, definitely seed the peppers. 🙂
OMG so good! I was secretly eating it out of the processor and almost couldn’t stop lol. One jalapeño was good for me. I did cook two so I’m not sure what to do with the second one at this point. Any tips? I can’t wait to eat more but I want leave it to sit to let the flavours really blend. And I even added half the amount of the cilantro because I think cilantro is really important in salsa. And it wasn’t that bad. Yum! Far superior to any store bought ever.
So glad you like it (and I won’t tell anyone you were eating it straight from the food processor)! 🙂
Here are a number of ideas for using leftover jalapenos.
Hi Jenn I was planning on trying to make my own salsa and found your recipe. And I usually like all of your recipes so I have no doubt this will be just as good. However we’re not big fans of cilantro. Do we have to use it?
Nope – perfectly fine to leave it out 🙂
This recipe did not disappoint. It was so good we could have eaten with a spoon! I will never make salsa any other way and am looking forward to making this for my friends and family. Love it, thanks Jenn for another 5 star recipe!!
Jenn,
Can I use Roma tomatoes and, if yes, how many would you suggest?
Thank you.
Hi Debbie, It’s fine to use Roma tomatoes. I’d guesstimate you’ll need about 7 or 8. Hope you enjoy!
Easy and delicious! You can’t beat homemade salsa!
Is there any ingredient that can be used in place of the vegetable oil that isn’t an oil?
Hi Heather, you can use olive oil here; it will just alter the taste a bit but will still be good. Hope you enjoy!
What a simple yet delicious recipe! I made it last night for a Mexican themed dinner party and it went down a storm. I reckon be brave and put all the recommended chill’s in, gives it a great kick and leave fairly chunky when blending for a lovely bit of texture. I made sure the veg was nice and charred (under the grill worked fine) and used good quality tomatoes. Will become a household staple I’m sure!
Unfortunately, this salsa turned into a charred garlic soup for us. Way too liquid, and the flavour of the burned garlic cloves was overpowering.
Make sure NOT to peel them, then only the peel will blacken.
This is the best salsa! I make it every week. I think the serrano peppers (as opposed to jalapeno) really make a difference.