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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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.