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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This salsa is AMAZING. I made this for a party and everyone devoured it. It’s very easy to make. I left the tomatoes in the broiler a couple minutes longer because eveything else cooked faster than them and I was worried about the garlic burning. I used one serrano pepper and poured some of the finished salsa into a small bowl and added half of a pepper to make a spicy version as well. Definitely making this again!
Question,
I saw that the salsa could be frozen, but has anyone tried canning?
This was delicious! I followed the recipe, but left out the oil. You can roast your veggies without it! Make your own chips by using corn tortillas (check your ingredients.. find ones that are made of only corn, water, lime and salt), bake them at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, and you have a healthful delicious snack. Thank you!!
Most of the heat in a pepper is in the seeds. Remove the seeds before cooking and you’ll have all the flavor with half the heat.
Actually, most of the heat of a pepper comes from the pith where the capsaicin is concentrated. The seeds get their heat from being in contact with the pith.
Oh my gosh! I’m normally modest (read, critical) about my own food, but this may be the best salsa I’ve ever tasted, let alone made myself! Definitely worth the effort of roasting the veggies. My daughter’s “piquant”-averse so I skipped the chilies but I did include a seeded jalapeno in the roasting mix, which was just perfect. It was great atop my chicken and black bean nachos. Thanks for this!
You may roast garlic in its skin! It will protect it. Remove the skin before processing of course
Thanks for the tip! Worked great =)
I want to try this, but wouldn’t the garlic burn under the broiler? How do you prevent that since I think burned garlic tastes terrible.
Hi Steve, All of the vegetables get slightly charred but not burnt, and the garlic cloves are left whole so they really don’t burn quickly. But if you’re concerned, just keep an eye on everything and pull the garlic cloves out early if they are getting too dark.
Would this still be good without the cilantro? I am one of those unfortunate souls whose tastebuds just aren’t wired for cilantro. I may be able to handle a small amount if it blends into the salsa and is a bit undetectable but I’m wondering if this recipe really loses something without it.
Hi Stevus, It will still be absolutely delicious without the cilantro.
Delicious!!!! I used bell peppers, garlic, Serrano and jalapeños with the rest. Best. Salsa. Ever.
Absolutely delicious! I had to stop myself from eating this salsa by the spoonful.