Fresh Blended Salsa with tomatoes, cilantro, onion & lime juice, made super fast in a blender! Better than restaurant homemade salsa recipe with amazing fresh flavor everyone loves.
I began making blended salsa years ago and WOW- I had no idea it was so easy. When I heard of blender salsa I envisioned salsa puree- but that’s not actually the case! I have a high powered blender and it takes just a minute or two to get the perfect salsa consistency. And the flavor! Incredible. This time of year is perfect too because many of us have fresh tomatoes from the garden.
This Blender Salsa recipe has been pinned over 85,000 times and everyone loves it!
Fresh Blender Salsa Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this salsa:
- 5-6 fresh tomatoes: Garden tomatoes are the BEST! If you have to buy them, aim for a Farmer’s Market or the vine-on variety at the grocery store. They taste so much better ! (You can use canned tomatoes too- aim for about 20 oz of tomatoes with the liquid drained)
- fresh cilantro: no substitutions!
- red onion and/or sweet onion: I personally think salsa tastes the best if you use half sweet onion, half red onion. Try it!
- minced garlic: fresh or jarred is fine. I once used homemade roasted garlic and it was AMAZING!
- lime juice: fresh or bottled is fine
- salt & a pinch of sugar: sounds odd, but don’t leave it out! Just a tiny bit of sugar cuts down on the acidity of tomatoes and makes a big difference in flavor.
Can you use any tomatoes for salsa?
The best kinds of tomatoes you can use for salsa are the ones you have on hand! Ha! I use any kind of tomato. My favorite store-bought tomatoes are the red on the vine tomatoes because I think they have great flavor. Roma tomatoes have fewer seeds, so they’re also popular because you use more of each tomato.
Can you use dried cilantro in salsa?
Dried cilantro, also called coriander is not a good option for salsa because it just doesn’t have enough flavor. You’ll want to use fresh cilantro for this salsa recipe!
How to Make Blended Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes
This homemade salsa takes only about 10 minutes to make, start to finish. Here’s what you need to do:
Prepare the tomatoes
Wash tomatoes and cut out the cores. Slice each tomato in fourths. Using a spoon or your hands, gently remove the seeds from each tomato. Make sure you feel around each section and get all the watery seed membrane out. The tomato pieces will look empty and that’s ok!
Roughly chop onion & cilantro
Slice onion into 1″ chunks. My favorite salsa has half red onion and half sweet onion. If you opt for both, you’ll just need about 4-5 one inch chunks of each.
Cut 1/3 of one bunch of cilantro. Take that bunch and cut it in half or thirds, depending on the size.
Blend it!
Add tomatoes to your blender. Top with cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, sugar and salt. Place the lid on your blender and pulse 5-10 times. I like to aim for a consistency thinner than chunky salsa, but definitely not pureed.
Store it!
Transfer salsa to a jar. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Salsa stays fresh refrigerated in an air tight container for 1 week- 10 days.
How to make spicy salsa 🌶️
My family isn’t a fan of spicy salsa, but if you want to add some heat, I recommend adding 1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Pepper seasoning. It adds a wonderful smoky flavor and just enough heat to make it interesting. You can also add about 1/3 of a fresh jalapeno pepper with the seeds removed.
Do I have to let this Salsa sit before eating?
Ideally, this salsa will sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours prior to being served. You can eat it right away, however the salsa is a bit frothy from the blender, so it is best if it sits a couple hours. I aim to make this salsa the night before I want to serve it so that it chills in the fridge overnight. The flavors meld better and it’s AMAZING the next day!
Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 5-6 fresh tomatoes
- 1/3 bunch fresh cilantro about 1/3 cup loosely packed
- 1/4 cup red onion and/or sweet onion
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- 1 TBSP lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash tomatoes and cut out the core. Slice each tomato in fourths. Using a spoon or your hands, gently remove the seeds from each tomato. Make sure you feel around each section and get all the watery seed membrane out. The tomato pieces will look empty and that’s ok!
- Slice onion into 1″ chunks. My favorite salsa has half red onion and half sweet onion. If you opt for both, you’ll just need about 4-5 one inch chunks of each.
- Cut 1/3 of one bunch of cilantro. Take that bunch and cut it in half or thirds, depending on the size.
- Add tomatoes to your blender. Top with cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, sugar and salt. Place the lid on your blender and pulse 5-10 times. I like to aim for a consistency thinner than chunky salsa, but definitely not pureed.
- Transfer salsa to a jar. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Salsa stays fresh refrigerated in an air tight container for 1 week.
Video
Notes
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Can I freeze blended salsa?
You can freeze salsa! Just store it in an airtight container. You can freeze it for up to 2 months. Just thaw, stir and enjoy!
Why do you add sugar to this blender salsa recipe?
Just a tiny amount of sugar added to salsa reduces the acidity to make it more palatable. You don’t need much and you can use granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Do you love fresh salsa as much as we do?!
Here are more of our salsa recipes if you have a garden full of tomatoes you’re trying to use up:
- I have a serious addiction to GREEN SALSA! Omg it’s so good. I added in avocado to make it creamy and it’s one of my favorites.
- Take everything you love about salsa and add pineapple. Yep. Fresh Pineapple Salsa. Perfect on tacos or eggs during breakfast. Better yet, make breakfast tacos. The world is now a better place.
- Another fun twist on fresh salsa- Chile Olive Salsa! The saltiness of the olives pairs so well with the classic flavors. Try it!
- Take that salsa and make it into a crowd pleasing DIP! Our Cheesy Salsa Dip is a keeper.
Easy Blender Salsa made with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, onion and lime juice made super fast in a blender! Better than restaurant salsa with amazing fresh flavor everyone loves!
Cindy says
This was so easy. Liking more spice, I added 5 fresh, seeded jalapeños. Definitely a keeper.
Sarah says
Can this recipe be canned (water bathed)? Would it need cooked first?
Nicole says
The acid level in this recipe is not safe for canning and processing, most of those recipes have added vinegar. Since this recipe is not canning-friendly, we recommend simply making a batch whenever you’re hungry or keeping it stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days 🙂
Randy Tremain says
Great recipe! Made a mild batch that tasted great. Then made a hot one for me with 5 garden jalapeños. Absolutely amazing!
Nicole says
That sounds delicious
Bailey says
How many ounces does this recipe make roughly?
Jessica says
I’d say about 16 oz
Carrie says
Tried this out, easy to make! It tastes delicious too but my color looks horrendous!! Looks more like mole’. I definitely hit the pulse button a little too long!
Jessica says
Sometimes if you let it sit in the fridge a while, it’s almost like the color settles. It’s initially less clear, more frothy looking. Still tastes great though, right?!
arlene says
hi there,
Can I put this salsa in a mason jar and put it in the cool storage for the future to eat too?
Jessica says
Well you’d have to pressure can it to be able to set it in a cold storage. I don’t have experience with that, sorry.
Mallory says
I’m not the biggest fan of cilantro. If I only use a tiny bit or omit it completely, will that throw off the consistency?
Nellie says
Nope, not at all!
Roxella says
We like our salsa Spicy. This will be my go to recipe. Totally tasty!!
Mary says
Is there anything that I can swap out the cilantro for because I’m one of those people that cilantro tastes like soap to me?
Jessica says
You could just leave it out! Taste it and if you think it needs more flavor, onion powder, Smoked Paprika and lime juice all add flavor without heat.
Dawn says
Fantastic recipe and so easy . I had campari tomatoes that were bogo at the grocery store. Wanted to use them before they went bad. Whipped up your recipe, let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Shared it with some friends, big hit! The next day one of my friends said “I woke up thinking about that salsa!” Best compliment ever!
Jessica says
Bahaha- I wake up thinking about salsa too!! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Sheri Berrong says
Is this recipe good for canned salsa? Water bath canner, pressure canner? How long & how much pressure?
Jessica says
I am a canning drop out so I’m not sure, unfortunately.
Dawn says
Do you peel the tomatoes first.
Jessica says
I don’t!
Christie Anderson says
This salsa is DELICIOUS! I’m afraid it’s ruined us for eating any other kind of salsa. My husband absolutely loves it. I put in more cilantro than it calls for because we love cilantro. He also added some heat to his. I’m excited for the next potluck. I think we’ll double the recipe and add heat for those that love it and keep the rest mild as I like it. Salsa and chips, here we come!
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked it Christie!! I should have warned you that it’ll ruin you from here on out, LOL. Try adding a bit of chipotle sauce- just a bit- ½ tsp at first!! It comes in a can, I get mine without the peppers. Adds a delicious smoky flavor! I’m with you on the more cilantro too!