Roasted Tomato Salsa
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The vegetables in this salsa recipe are roasted, intensifying the flavor of the tomatoes, mellowing the onions and garlic, and adding a touch of smokiness.
This bright and spicy roasted tomato salsa recipe is a longtime favorite of mine. It is very different from most salsa recipes, which are typically made using raw or canned tomatoes. Roasting the vegetables in a high-heat oven intensifies the flavor of the tomatoes, mellows the onions and garlic, and adds a touch of smokiness. (I use the same roasting method to make my favorite salsa verde, replacing the tomatoes with tomatillos.) The recipe is easy to make and, if you’re having a party, you can prepare it a few days ahead of time.
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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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 the vegetables until blistered and slightly charred, 10-15 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and add the salt and cumin. (Note: This is a spicy salsa — you may want to start with one pepper in the food processor, and then blend the other(s) in if you want more heat.)
Process until slightly chunky. Taste and add the remaining chili pepper(s), if desired.
Add the cilantro leaves and lime juice and pulse a few times until the cilantro is finely chopped.
Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Salsa goes with so many recipes! Try pairing it with:
- Fajitas
- Guacamole
- Salsa (Restaurant-Style)
- Chili Con Queso
- Carne Asada
- Southwestern Burgers
- 14 Cinco de Mayo Recipes For A Fiesta To Remember
Roasted Tomato Salsa
The vegetables in this salsa recipe are roasted, intensifying the flavor of the tomatoes, mellowing the onions and garlic, and adding a touch of smokiness.
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 cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 5 inches 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, 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (Note: This is a spicy salsa recipe. If you are concerned about the level of heat, add only one Serrano pepper at this point. You can always blend the others in to taste.) Add the salt and cumin and pulse until just slightly chunky. (If you left out some of the chili peppers, now's the time to taste and add more.) 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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The salsa will last nicely for up to a week; store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Note: This recipe is not meant for canning.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 69
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 173 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 g
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.
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Hi ! I served big platters of this salsa along with your guacamole and chips by our family Chanukah party and it was the first dish that went …thank you for another keeper! ( I make the salsa almost every shabbos to dip the challa into as well…it always gets the best reviews by guests)
So easy and so delicious! This has become a favorite immediately! Now everyone wants me to bring to every gathering. Also easy to adjust, impossible to ruin.
Can I freeze this salsa? So very delicious 😋!
Glad you like it, Gina! I haven’t frozen it myself but I think it should freeze very well for up to a couple of months. Some of the liquid may separate out when it’s defrosted, or it might get a bit watery, but you can correct that by reheating it.
This salsa is amazing! Start with one teaspoon of salt initially…I found the two teaspoons of salt to be adequate for double the amount of tomatoes, etc. would have been way too salty had I started with the full recommended amount.
I have frozen this salsa, and it’s just as delicious when it thaws. It only needed stirring, and I didn’t reheat the salsa. Yum!
I freeze it in ziplock bags. No issues with separation and it is yummy cold.
Hi there – this is a fantastic salsa, really loved it! Any chance you have a weight for the tomatoes (and maybe even an estimate for the onion)? There is so much judgement involved due to variability with these veggies in particular it be great to have weights to keep proportions right. Thank you!
Hi Mike, I’m guessing the tomatoes are about 1-1/3 lbs (600 g). The onions would be about 3/4 lb (340 g). Hope that helps and glad you enjoyed!
Just made this! Oh so delicious. I used two roasted jalapeños and a little extra cilantro. Not sure why I don’t make more often – so simple. Will be serving with chicken tacos later. Thank you!
My family and I loved this. Best salsa recipie I’ve found. Thank you for posting.
I’ve made this salsa recipe as written dozens of times. It will impress all who try it. Numerous friends have asked for the recipe and that’s when I refer them to your site and share that a wonderful cookbook is also available. I simply LOVE every recipe I have tried!
I thought this was the best tasting salsa I have EVER had. I do like spicy so I added all 3 peppers but it’s was super spicy! I’m wondering if stemmed meant more than cutting off the stems? Was I suppsoed to keep the whole, seeds and all? Haha, or do I just need to add less peppers next time? Thanks so much!
Hi Angela, Glad you liked this! Regarding the peppers, you handled them correctly by just cutting off the stem and using the remainder. If you make it again, you can tone it down by using just one or two peppers. 🙂
Tried this last night, my husband & I loved it. Such great taste & so easy. This is a keeper for sure !!
Much thanks to you for the recipe! The taste is great. Is this salsa supposed to be very thick?
Hi Rex, I wouldn’t call the texture of the salsa thick, but it’s definitely not watery; it has the texture of puréed vegetables if that makes sense.