Seriously, the best salsa recipe! Fresh tomatillos, red tomatoes, jalapeno and lime juice pulsed into a spicy Mexican salsa fresca. A quick and easy healthy appetizer or sauce ready in 5 minutes, and no chopping required!
A mouthwatering way to use seasonal summer tomatoes is to turn them into a delicious appetizer or snack dipped with chips! Serve it next to my mango guacamole, or try my roasted tomatillo salsa verde when you want a green version.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: none
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4
- ⚡ Calories: 18kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: 8 (tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, pink salt)
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fresh, bright and spicy, with a slightly sweet, fruity tang from the tomatillos
- ✋ Difficulty: Load the food processor and pulse. No chopping
Quick Answer
Add 3 large vine or Roma tomatoes, 4 tomatillos, 1 large garlic clove, ½ shallot, 1 jalapeno (halved and seeded), 1 cup cilantro, the juice of 1 lime and ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt to a food processor. Pulse at low speed in 1 second bursts about 5 to 10 times, until it reaches the consistency you like. Pour it into a serving bowl and serve with chips or on burritos, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. For less heat, use half a jalapeno or leave it out. It serves 4 at 18 calories each and is ready in 5 minutes.
Jump to:
One evening the boys wanted chips to snack on with dinner but we were out of salsa. I happened to have all the ingredients, so the boys and I whipped up this BEST salsa recipe in as little as 5 minutes! It is so delicious, fresh and delectable that the whole batch will disappear in seconds.
Why This Salsa Recipe Works
Click to see why it works
- Tomatillos plus tomatoes. Tomatillos are slightly sweeter, fruitier and have an herbal flavor, which makes them a great partner for plump vine or Roma tomatoes.
- A shallot does double duty. Traditional salsas use onions, chilies and herbs. A shallot combines the flavors of garlic and onion, with a hint more garlic.
- Pulsing beats chopping. Pulsing still releases the oils from the cilantro and jalapeno, without smelly, messy hands and with fewer dishes.
- Short, low pulses. Pulsing at low speed in 1 second bursts, 5 to 10 times, keeps it chunky instead of turning it into a puree.
- Seeded jalapeno. Halving the jalapeno and removing the seeds gives a kick without too much heat.
- Lime and pink salt. Fresh lime juice and a little pink Himalayan salt brighten everything.
Why You'll Love This Salsa
- No chopping at all. The food processor chops up the vegetables for you. No mess, no fuss!
- Ready in 5 minutes at just 18 calories per serving.
- Kid approved. My little c puts a few dabs of salsa on EVERY one of his meals.
- Goes with every Mexican night, from vegetable enchilada casserole to taco salad and a vegetarian burrito bowl.
- A great way to use summer tomatoes, and still good all year long.
Key Ingredients
- Vine or Roma tomatoes - plump and ripe.
- Tomatillos - or more Roma tomatoes if you can't find them.
- Garlic and shallot - the shallot combines the flavors of garlic and onion.
- Jalapeno - halved and seeds removed. Use half, or none, if you don't like spicy.
- Cilantro - a full cup for fresh, herby flavor.
- Lime - the juice of one lime.
- Pink Himalayan salt - just a little to bring it all together.
See recipe card for quantities.
The Secret in This Salsa Recipe
The secret to this favorite salsa recipe is using tomatillos combined with plump vine or Roma tomatoes. I like to use tomatillos that are picked later and are seedier. Tomatillos are a nightshade fruit and come from a different plant than tomatoes. They are slightly sweeter, fruitier and have an herbal flavor, which makes them a great addition to salsa recipes.
If tomatillos are not available to you, you can substitute equal amounts of red tomatoes.
How to Make the Best Salsa
1Load and pulse. Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse at a low speed for 1 second intervals about 5 to 10 times, or until you reach the consistency you like. The processor chops up the vegetables for you!
2Pour into a bowl. Scoop out or pour the salsa into a serving bowl. If you are not serving it right away, store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
3Serve. Serve it on top of burritos or with chips.
4Adjust the heat. If you do not like spicy, use half a jalapeno or leave it out altogether.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Pulse, don't puree. Short 1 second bursts at low speed keep the salsa chunky.
- Drain juicy tomatoes. If the tomatoes have lots of liquid, drain some of it before serving.
- No tomatillos? Use equal amounts of red tomatoes.
- Pick later, seedier tomatillos for the best flavor.
- Control the heat with half a jalapeno, or none at all.
Ways to Use Salsa
What is your typical go-to weeknight dinner? For us it is usually Mexican food. If you ask my children around 4:30 pm to get ready for dinner, their typical response is "What's for dinner, bean and cheese burritos?" They can eat that all day long, so I better make sure I have the best salsa recipe on hand, or at least the ingredients.
My little c is a fanatic of salsa. Spicy, hot, mild, sweet, he'll take it all. He even requests Tapatío, Cholula, Tabasco, salsa verde and "regular" salsa by name!
- Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Family-style Nachos
- Smothered Bean and Cheese Burritos by Chef In Training (just use gluten-free tortillas)
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos
If you like this salsa recipe, you may also like this Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip by The Cookie Rookie or my citrus salsa.
Best Salsa Recipe FAQs
Tomatillos combined with plump vine or Roma tomatoes. Tomatillos are slightly sweeter, fruitier and more herbal than tomatoes, which gives the salsa its depth.
Yes. If tomatillos are not available, substitute equal amounts of red tomatoes.
Use half a jalapeno, or leave it out altogether. Removing the seeds also keeps the heat down.
Pulsing in a food processor gives the same effect as chopping. The oils still come out of the cilantro and jalapeno, and you save your hands and a few dishes.
If you are not serving it right away, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Drain off some liquid before serving if the tomatoes were very juicy.
Serve it with chips, on burritos, over enchilada casserole, nachos or taco salad, or as a sauce for salads.
More Mexican Favorites
Make it a fiesta with Mango Guacamole, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde, Homemade Tortilla Chips and Vegetarian Taco Salad. If you make this recipe I would love to see it! Hashtag me on social media #delightfulmomfood. Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Best Salsa Recipe (No Chopping Required!)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large vine or Roma tomatoes
- 4 tomatillos or more Roma tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove large
- ½ shallot
- 1 jalapeno halved and seeds removed
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 lime juice of
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor.
- Pulse at a low speed for 1 second intervals about 5-10 times or until desired consistency is reached. The processor will chop up the vegetables for you! No mess no fuss!
- Scoop out or pour the salsa into a serving bowl. If you are not serving this right away store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Serve on top of burritos or serve with chips.
- TIP: If you do not like spicy just use half a jalapeno or eliminate all together.
Notes
If tomatillos are not available to you, you can also substitute them for equal amounts of red tomatoes.
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