My mom has been making some variation of this homemade salsa recipe for as long as I can remember. It is SO good and gets rave reviews anytime it’s made, so much so that it often gets made around the holidays to give as gifts! And yes I know I’m biased, but it’s truly just as good (or even better) than many restaurants’ fresh salsa.
Easy Salsa Ingredients
What makes this salsa so easy to make is that it uses quite a few canned tomatoes and chiles, so you quite literally just dump ingredients into a large bowl. The only fresh ingredients that require any prep are cilantro, green onions, and lime juice. So, that makes this salsa both very easy and relatively inexpensive to make – especially if you get a deal on the canned veggies!
What’s also great about this recipe is how easy it is to adapt to your family’s tastes. Like it spicier? Add canned jalapeños or more hot sauce! Prefer it tangier? Add more lime juice or a little extra vinegar! You can use different types of tomatoes to your tastes as well – fire roasted, garlic, or something a little spicier like Ro*tel. The one area that I personally wouldn’t skip is the fresh cilantro. If you’re one of the people who think that cilantro tastes like soap, then obviously that advice is probably best avoided. But I think the fresh cilantro really makes this salsa! 
How To Make Homemade Salsa
Get out a medium-large mixing bowl (depending on how large of a batch you’re going to make) and start opening cans! You’ll dump all the canned goods into the bowl. No draining necessary at all!
Then, you’ll squeeze in the juice from one large lime and toss in some chopped cilantro along with chopped green onions. The last thing is to stir in your added seasonings – garlic, vinegar, oil, and hot sauce.
That’s it! The end result is a deliciously tasty salsa – even more so the next day! Important note: this salsa must be refrigerated and will keep for at least 1 week (we’ve gone around 2 weeks before) in a refrigerated, air-tight container.
Other Delicious Spicy Dip Recipes
Printable Homemade Salsa Recipe
Easy Homemade Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 28oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 3 15oz can Diced Tomatoes your taste preference (RO*TEL®, fire roasted, with jalapeño, with garlic, etc)
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 2 4oz cans green chiles (optional: add 1 or more can diced jalapeños for extra spice)
- 1/2 C fresh cilantro leaves chopped (approximately 1/2 - 1 bunch)
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
- juice from 1 large lime approx 2 TBSP
- 1 tsp hot sauce start with 1 tsp of your choice of hot sauce, add more to desired level of heat
- 1 tsp garlic minced or powdered (add more to taste)
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Instructions
- Start by dumping the can of whole peeled tomatoes into a large mixing bowl (don’t drain anything!). Break the tomatoes by hand or cut. Continue with all canned ingredients.
- Wash and chop entire batch of green onions. Add to bowl.
- Wash and remove leaves from cilantro (no stems). Chop cilantro leaves and add to bowl.
- Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
- Add juice from one lime, garlic, and hot sauce. I recommend starting with a smaller amount of these ingredients (especially the hot sauce) mixing well, and tasting. A little hot sauce can go a long way! Adjust to your desired flavor and spice levels
- Stir in vinegar and oil. You can add a dash of salt & pepper if desired as well.
- Stir well to combine. Refrigerate. For the best flavor, allow the salsa to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Better yet, make it the night before as the flavors meld and get better over time!
Notes
* For large events or to give as gifts, double or even triple the recipe!
*Note: This homemade salsa recipe post first appeared on the site in June 2011. The photos and text have been updated since. 
3 Responses
I have been wanting to try making my own salsa for so long. This recipe looks great!!
This homemade salsa recipe looks delicious! I love easy recipes that make a big impact. YThanks for the recipe!