This Restaurant Style Salsa tastes like authentic Mexican salsa. It is easy to make and goes with tortilla chips, tacos, or burritos.
This Restaurant Style Salsa goes great on nachos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas or tacos. It tastes just like the one you'll find at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
I am a big salsa fan - especially spicy. What some people call spicy, others say is medium, or even mild.
Even though the flavors get stronger as you cook them down, you can get a good idea of how spicy it will be by tasting it in the early stages, and adjust accordingly.
You could also add a pepper with less heat, like a jalapeño. I happen to gravitate toward serrano peppers, probably because you get a lot of spice in a small package.
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🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh tomatoes: I used hot house tomatoes, but you could use your favorite.
- Onion: I used a yellow onion for its sweet flavor. You could also use a white onion.
- Garlic: Adds a pungent flavor.
- Fresh lime juice: For some acidity.
- Serrano pepper: This pepper packs a lot of heat in a small package. For a milder salsa, leave out the seeds and veins or use a jalapeño pepper.
- Cilantro: Salsa just isn't salsa for me without the cilantro. I know for some people it tastes like soap. If that's the case for you, leave it out or use fresh parsley instead.
- Salt: To enhance the flavors.
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🔪 Instructions
Step 1: With a knife, make an "x" slit in each tomato.
Step 2: In a large pot, boil enough water to cover 4 tomatoes. Put tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes.
Step 3: Pull out each one and put in an ice bath. Peel the skin and cut out the core.
Step 4: In a food processor or high speed blender combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, serrano pepper, salt and lime juice. Blend to desired consistency.
Step 5: Pour salsa in a large pot. Simmer on medium heat on the stove for 30 minutes. The longer you cook it, the thicker and more concentrated it gets.
Step 6: Add chopped cilantro 3-5 minutes before removing from the heat. Let cool and store in the refrigerator.
🥡 Storage
This restaurant style salsa recipe will last up to 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
🍽 Serving
📖 Variations / Additions
- Jalapeño pepper for less heat
- Red onion
- Other type of tomatoes
- Spices: cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper
- Sugar
- Poblano, chipotle or other peppers
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Restaurant style salsa has a smooth texture, whereas chunky salsa has chunks of tomato, onion, and pepper in it.
One way is to cook it down. Cooking salsa concentrates the flavors as the water evaporates.
🎥 Video
This is the salsa you are going to want at all your parties and get-togethers!
I originally posted this recipe February 9, 2015. I added new photos and text when I republished it.
*Don't forget to come back and leave your feedback and star rating.
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Aren't these ramekins cute for serving salsa!
📋 Recipe
Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 Hot House tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped serrano pepper
- Salt
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Slit each tomato with an x on one side.
- Boil enough water in a saucepan for the tomatoes to be able to fit in.
- Put tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. Pull out each one and put in an ice water bath. Peel the skin and take out the core. Set aside.
- Put tomatoes, onion, garlic, serrano pepper, salt, and lime juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Do not add cilantro yet.
- Pour ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. The flavors get concentrated as you cook it.
- Add chopped cilantro about 3-5 minutes before you are done cooking.
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
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