• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Browse Recipes
  • Resources
  • subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Life Currents
Home » Traditional Salsa Recipe

Traditional Salsa Recipe

July 26, 2021 by Debi 2 Comments

  • Share
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Learn how to make this Traditional Salsa Recipe, a delicious table salsa made with canned tomatoes, and it’s a perfect snack or appetizer.

I first made this recipe back in 2012 when I hosted a birthday party for my father-in-law. I made two fresh salsas for our taco bar: this traditional salsa recipe made with canned tomatoes and a fun enchilada salsa which is also made with canned tomatoes.

a bowl of tomato salsa topped with cilantro and served with chips, title on image: Traditional Salsa Recipe.

We appreciate your support

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 using canned tomatoes

Why buy bland jarred salsa when you can make a more flavorful salsa using canned tomatoes at home with not a lot of effort?

I love salsa; I eat it all the time. Seriously, there isn’t a time when I don’t have salsa in the house. I’d always prefer to have homemade, but what’s a girl to do when there’s no fresh tomatoes?

Try canned ones! And, you know, I’m really happy with this salsa recipe!

You won’t want to stop eating this yummy salsa once you start. The good thing is that it’s healthy, so you won’t feel bad about indulging a bit.

Taco bar party

I mentioned the other day that we made homemade carne asada. Well, if we serve tacos, you can bet that we serve salsa.

In this case, salsa is good for two courses – the appetizer with chips, and the main dish tacos with all the taco fixin’s.

This recipe is for a nice traditional classic tomato salsa, and I love the convenience of using canned tomatoes. If you’re making salsa in the winter months when fresh tomatoes just aren’t available, this recipe using canned tomatoes is perfect!

Looking for more great salsa recipes?

This deeply flavored Homemade Roasted Tomato Salsa is amazing in a taco, on a burrito, on top of nachos, or simply served with tortilla chips! Roasting the fresh summer garden tomatoes retains their freshness, while gaining flavor intensity and sweetness. The resulting dip creates a way better-than-store-bought salsa.

Just 5 ingredients makes this Easy Restaurant Style Salsa so quick to make. After placing some of the ingredients in the food processor, you briefly cook the canned tomatoes and processed ingredients for a perfectly cooked salsa. And, it’s fresher tasting than the store-bought jarred stuff.

Looking for more great Mexican flavors?

Check out these recipes for Mexican Avocado Cotija Dip, Chilaquiles, Southwestern Pot Pie, and all my Mexican food recipes.

a chip dipped in salsa.

Blender vs. food processor

When I went to remake this salsa this time, I found that my food processor had broken. So, I used my blender to make the salsa this time.

I will say that I’m a much bigger fan of the food processor for things like salsa. You can get more control over the fineness of the chop using the food processor. The blender is much more suited to making purees for things like smoothies and soup. I suppose if you wanted to make this salsa into gazpacho, the blender would be great. LOL

Want to read more on the differences and specialties of each appliance, take a look at my guide to the blender vs. food processor.

So, yes, you can use the blender to make this salsa, but I do recommend the food processor.

Pro tips for homemade salsa

Wear disposable gloves when cutting, peeling, and removing the seeds and membranes of hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. And definitely avoid touching your face.

As I stated above, I recommend a food processor for easy and well chopped ingredients. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop by hand, or very carefully, and working in batches, use a blender, but be careful not to over process the ingredients.

Let it sit: Prepare your salsa about an hour before you plan on serving it. Not only will the flavors mingle together better, the salt will draw out the moisture from the tomatoes. Just keep in mind: The longer the salsa sits, the liquidy-er it will get, so plan accordingly.

Want to make it a little zippier? Squeeze in some fresh lime juice.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own air fryer tortilla chips. It’s super easy if you have an air fryer.

How to make

Roast the onion & chile under a broiler or on a grill. Roasting the veggies creates rich, smoky flavors, and softens the bite of the onion.

You don’t even have to peel the onion before you roast it!

broiled onion and chile pepper on a foil lined pan.

After the veggies are charred, peel the onion and chop it. Cut the stem end off of the chile and remove the seeds and membranes for a mild salsa; leave the seeds and membranes in if you want a hotter salsa.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Super simple and delicious salsa.

salsa in a bowl with chips.

Can I make this ahead of time?

This salsa can absolutely be made ahead of time. The flavors will meld and the salsa will be tastier.

It can be stored in a tightly covered container for 5-7 days in the fridge.

If your salsa separates a bit and you get a liquid-y patch, simply stir it back together.

Can I freeze this salsa?

Again, yes absolutely, you can freeze this for later if you want to. Allow the salsa to cool completely, then store it in airtight containers in the freezer. You can also freeze it in old-school ice cube trays, then pop the salsa ice cubes into a heavy-duty freezer bags.

Let’s keep in touch

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

a large bowl of tomato salsa garnished with cilantro leaves, title on top: Traditional Salsa Recipe using canned tomatoes.

Traditional Salsa Recipe

square crop of tomato salsa in a bowl garnished with cilantro and served with chips.

Traditional Salsa Recipe

Debi
Learn how to make this Traditional Salsa Recipe, a delicious table salsa made with canned tomatoes, and it’s a perfect snack or appetizer.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 28 servings
Calories 12 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 yellow onion unpeeled
  • 1 Serrano chile
  • 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes undrained
  • 28 ounce can no-salt added whole peeled plum tomatoes undrained
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ bunch cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Roast the onion and pepper on a hot grill, until blackened and charred. Or place them on a baking sheet and broil until the peels are black, turning once or twice to roast all the sides of the vegetables, about 15 minutes.
  • Take the peel off the onion. Coarsely chop the onion. Cut the stem end of the spicy pepper and remove the seeds and membranes for a mild salsa; leave the seeds and membranes in if you want a hotter salsa.
  • Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired chunkiness. If the salsa is too thick, thin with a little water, about 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition

Calories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 164mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 71IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

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.

Keyword canned tomatoes, salsa
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!

A while bowl filled with Traditional Tomato Salsa.
I added the original pictures to the post in case you followed a link with these images to get here, now you know you’re in the right place.
  • Share

Filed Under: Appetizers, Budget, Game Day, Gluten-free, Mexican Food, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: appetizers, cilantro, Mexican, salsa, snacks, Snacks, appetizers, tailgating, tomato

You May Also Like

square crop of a bowl of hummus on a cloth with veggies next to it.
Homemade Hummus
square crop of a bowl of noodle soup with lots of toppings.
Sopa de Fideo
square crop looking into a bowl filled with pesto sauce garnished with cilantro.
Cilantro Pesto
about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

Previous Post: « Healthy Green Chickpea Enchiladas
Next Post: Strawberry Fruit Roll-Up »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandra Shaffer

    August 15, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    This salsa recipe is so flavorful and so easy! I love that you used canned tomatoes. They’re always stocked in my pantry. So much better than buying at the grocery store. This is a keeper!

  2. Min

    September 26, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a classic recipe that we make over and over again. A keeper! Thank you for sharing!

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

Most Popular Recipes

square crop of a bowl of lemon cottage cheese pudding with a spoon on the side.
square crop looking down into a baking dish filled with pepper jelly topped cheese dip with crackers on the right.
square crop of creamy dressing in a glass jar with fresh cilantro and limes around it.
looking down on a bowl with two scoops of coconut sorbet in it.
square crop looking down on a small white bowl filled with ranch and surrounded by vegetables and a lemon wedge.
a Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes with a bite missing so you can see the filling.
A chip that's been dipped in cheese and the bowl of cheese is behind it.
looking fown in a cast iron skillet filled with White Bean Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi and a wooden spoon sticking out.
a white bowl filled with rice pudding that's topped witha s prinkle of cinnamon and there's a spoon in the pudding.

Footer

SEEN ON

as seen on

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

This month’s featured recipes: Bourbon Banana Bread, Crescent Roll Chicken Squares, Pecan Pie Muffins, and Flourless Chocolate Cookies.

Want to tip me? You can Buy Me a Coffee! And thanks!

© 2025 lifecurrentsblog.com. All rights reserved. Find my Privacy Policy Here.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
  • Threads
  • X
  • Email

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.