Just 5 ingredients makes this Easy Restaurant Salsa so quick to make, and my go-to salsa of choice. And, it’s fresher tasting than the store-bought jarred stuff.
And this salsa is made with canned crushed tomatoes to save you time and energy. You might even want to call it crushed tomato salsa.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Salsa inspiration
I haven’t been able to grow any tomatoes in my garden, or any veggies for that matter, because of the lawn removal project (which by the way has slowed down dramatically because it’s been so dang hot and humid here, but we hope to get back to it soon).
So, since I haven’t been able to grow any tomatoes of my own, and the ones at the store just aren’t really worthy of making into salsa, I’ve actually been buying salsa lately.
Fortunately for me we’ve found an awesome one.
It comes from the produce section of my grocery store, and it’s really good! The sign says that it’s made right there at the store.
research
I was reading the ingredient label the other day, and there were only 5 main ingredients, plus some preservatives.
One of the things that struck me when reading the label was that the tomatoes they use are canned (they have the same list of ingredients as a can of tomatoes).
Well, you know what that means; I set out on a mission to recreate it myself.
5 simple ingredients
With just 5 simple ingredients, I hoped it wouldn’t be too hard.
After a few tries I think I’ve gotten pretty close.
And, when my husband took the bowl of salsa out of the fridge and started eating it saying how delicious it was, well I knew I had to share it with you.
Thus, Easy Restaurant Style Salsa was created.
How to make
How to make salsa with crushed tomatoes
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
Prep the veggies
Cut the stem off of the jalapenos, and remove the seeds and membranes.
If you have sensitive skin you may want to wear gloves while prepping the chiles. And be sure not to touch your eyes or your face after handling chiles, as the juices will burn.
Roughly chop the chiles, and place them in the bowl of a small food processor.
Pulse them to chop
Add the cilantro, garlic powder, and salt, and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
And, a note on cilantro: you don’t have to remove all the stems; they are perfectly edible.
But, I do remove the larger stems so there aren’t quite so many.
Cook the mixture
Place the chopped chile mixture along with the crushed tomatoes in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Get ready for serving
Refrigerate until cool. Check the consistency of the salsa; If you’d like it a little thinner, add a little water to reach desired consistency.
Serve with chips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, tostadas, anything!
Mild, medium, or hot
Use 1 jalapeno if you like a mild salsa, and 2 if you prefer a spicier salsa.
I might make it with 3 jalapenos for my brother (he likes it really spicy!).
Adjust as needed
I think the salsa is nice and thick, perfect for tacos and breakfast burritos.
But, if you are dipping chips into it, you may want it to be a little thinner, so add a little water to thin it.
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Easy Restaurant Salsa Recipe
Easy Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 1-2 jalapeno chiles
- 1 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
- water to thin as desired
Instructions
- Cut the stem off of the jalapenos, and remove the seeds and membranes. Roughly chop the chiles, and place them in the bowl of a small food processor. Add the cilantro, garlic powder, and salt, and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
- Place the chopped chile mixture along with the crushed tomatoes in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Refrigerate until cool. Check the consistency of the salsa; If you’d like it a little thinner, add a little water to reach desired consistency. Serve with chips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, tostadas, anything!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Jillian
I love making homemade salsa, this was so easy to make and so good!
Debra
Could I substitute dried cilantro and get basically the same flavour?
Debi
Hi Debra, I’m honestly not that well versed in dried cilantro, but I’d be willing to guess that it would work just fine. I generally grow cilantro, and it’s pretty cheap to buy here. Since most of the other herbs work great dried, I would guess the same for cilantro. Dried herbs are generally more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you’ll need less; the typical ratio is three times the amount of fresh herbs as dry. So this would mean you’d want 1/3 cup of dried. That’s a lot in my opinion. I’d probably start with a tablespoon and work up tasting after each addition. Let me know if it works. I’d love to learn!
Debra
Thank you so much for getting back with me so quickly. I would normally just go purchase fresh cilantro but I’m trying to work down my pantry. Yes, a 1/3 cup sounds like an awful lot to me too. I’m going with your suggestion of starting small. After all you can always add more. I will definately let you know how it turns out. Thanks again!
Drbra
I made this tonight. My hubby said this was just as good as what we get at our favorite restaurant. I stopped and got fresh cilantro. It was amazing. This is my new go to favorite!!
Debi
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved it!!! Thanks so much for letting me know! Have a wonderful week!!! 🙂 🙂
Lisa
Hi,
We love salsa so I can’t wait to make this recipe! Why is it cooked? Also, can this be stored at room temperature as a canned item also?
Thanks!
Debi
Lisa, cooking it concentrates the flavors and makes them more mellow. Also, my husband doesn’t like raw tomato flavors (even canned ones are too tomato-y for him), so I cook tomatoes to remove that raw bite. For serving, its fine to keep it out at room temperature, but for longer storage, like even more than a day, I’d refrigerate it. I don’t actually go through the canning process, but if you would like to do so, please follow the instructions from the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html or the official site from the makers of Ball jars https://www.freshpreserving.com/ .
Nancy
omg, delicious. i have the same conundrum with store bought salsa! i am going to the store today and will be having chips and salsa for dinner!!