Easy Roasted Salsa Recipe

A bowl of homemade roasted salsa on a blue background.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings:6 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

If you’ve ever wanted restaurant-style salsa with deeper, more robust flavor, this is the one to make. Quick pan-seared jalapeño, onion, garlic, and lime create rich, caramelized notes, while canned crushed tomatoes keep things easy and reliable year-round (fresh tomatoes work, too). Think upscale restaurant salsa, but made in your kitchen with just 7 ingredients!

Yield: makes 2¼ cups (18 fl oz)

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

2 tablespoons oil, optional - see Notes for oil-free
4 jalapeños
½ large onion - white, red, or sweet
2 limes
3 cloves garlic
1 (15 oz) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (or regular) - about 1½ cups; see Notes for fresh tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro - including thin stems
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt - adjust to taste

Instructions

Trim the stems from the jalapenos and slice lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder salsa, or keep some seeds for a spicy kick. I usually keep the seeds in one pepper, and remove the rest. Also, rough chop the onion, halve the limes, and peel the garlic. Slice each clove of garlic in half.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the jalapeños, onion, garlic, and lime halves, cut-side down. Cook, turning the jalapeños and onion occasionally, until softened and charred in spots.
Keep a close eye here - the limes and garlic cook faster than the rest (anything past lightly golden can turn bitter). Remove the garlic as soon as it’s lightly golden, and transfer the limes to a plate once softened and just golden. Continue cooking the jalapeños and onion until tender.
Transfer the onion, jalapeños, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor.
Return the skillet to heat, and add the crushed tomatoes (careful of splatter). Stirring occasionally, simmer for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and sweeter.
Transfer tomatoes to the food processor along with the cilantro, salt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and juice from the cooked limes. Blend until the desired consistency is reached.
Taste and adjust salt, heat, and lime. Enjoy your salsa now, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Fresh tomatoes: you'll need about 4 medium tomatoes. You can either halve them and roast/sear separately from the other ingredients (not enough room in the pan for everything at once), or dice and simmer.

Oil-free option: Omitting the oil does affect the flavor of the salsa, but it's still delicious without! Dry-sear the onion, jalapeno, and lime. Smash the garlic cloves and cook briefly, careful not to burn. Add a splash of water if needed.

Store salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition