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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I like this version of salas a lot. I like to roast fast and hot so that there are actually some bits not cooked at all. I also add a clove of garlic because … garlic! I love garlic.
Margot C – what do you mean by roasting fast and hot?
I love how easy this salsa is, and delicious!
Is it possible to “process” this salsa in pint jars in a water bath canner? YUMMY! Gr8 recipe…thank you!
I wish it were possible, Jeani, but unfortunately the recipe is not safe for canning. Sorry!
Your basic method for making salsa has become a permanent part of our cuisine. Even though I use vastly different ingredients sometimes, the essential approach is yours. I just made a big batch of salsa verde, completely winging it on the ingredients, but it’s wonderful! Used 2.5 lb tomatillos, 1.75 lb onions, 1.25 lb jalapenos, 13 cloves garlic, a T each of cumin and lime juice, 1 t each of salt and pepper. THANK YOU for introducing me to roasted veggie salsa!
Love the idea of roasted salsa verde, Brian. I plan on trying that!
I recently discovered this recipe for roasted tomato salsa. It is everything you want in a recipe; it is delicious, easy to make and you can freeze it too!Adjust the heat by the number and or kind of peppers that you use. I use a combination of jalapeno and serrano peppers.
Was in the middle of making roasted salsa ala JoAnn…when I decided to google it…I already had the tomatoes, onion, garlic and a drizzele of olive oil roasting on roast convection 375 so continued down that path. Let everything roast together for about 20 minutes then poured a can of green chilis in with the mix and continued roasting for another 20 minutes. Didn’t broil, but may try that next time…this worked perfectly to my taste and since I don’t like hot and didn’t have any hot peppers, I opened the green chilis instead and it actually worked well. When done, I poured veggies into my Vitamix (best appliance on the planet), added 1 tsp cumin, 1 TBSP lime juice and 2 tsps salt…big mistake on the salt….way too much….next time, I’ll try adding 1/2 tsp and then taste and add more. Processed all of that together in the Vitamix, then added 1/4 cup cilantro leaves….this was hands down delicious salsa! I was trying to replicate the salsa from Fresh Market in the jar which is killer salsa, but I think this was better…minus the salt!! Its a learning process…but this was delicious. Thanks for giving me the cumin and cilantro amounts to add…it was perfection!!! Will definitely keep perfecting this salsa to my liking!!! Much better than anything I’ve had raw….love it!!
Absolutely fantastic flavor, and so easy to make. I halved and seeded my serranos to make them less hot, but I did use all three. I also used slightly less cumin because I was worried it might overpower the wonderful roasty flavor of the vegetables. This will be my salsa de casa from now on. Thanks!
Can this roasted tomato salsa be processed and canned?
Unfortunately it can’t — sorry!
Can this salsa be frozen? If so, for how long? How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Judy, I’d say it keeps well in the fridge for about a week, and it can also be frozen.
I froze about a gallon of the salsa last fall, mostly in small 8-ounce plastic Benecol containers. We’re still using it, and it tastes fine.
Really liked it! So easy to make, my 1 year old ended up eating a lot of it! – I put very little of the jalapeno in it.