Texas Restaurant-Style Salsa
Make the ultimate authentic Texas restaurant-style salsa in your blender! This easy recipe uses a mix of roasted fresh vegetables and canned tomatoes for that signature Tex-Mex flavor that can easily be customized to your liking.
Servings: 5 cups
Calories: 10kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1 large white onion, divided (cut in half)
- 4-5 medium fresh jalapeño peppers
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons canola oil (or another neutral oil)
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed (about ½ bunch)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- Optional: 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place the Roma tomatoes, half of the white onion (cut into quarters), peeled garlic, and whole jalapenos on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil and toss until lightly coated. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and blistered and the jalapenos have developed dark, charred spots. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Prep the jalapenos: Once cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos. Leave the roasted skins on, they add flavor and those signature charred flecks to the salsa. For the roasted Roma tomatoes, slice off and discard the hard stem spots (cores). No need to remove the tomato skin and seeds.
- First blend: In a large blender or food processor, add the canned tomatoes (with juices), roasted Roma tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos and roasted onion chunks. Pulse 4 to 5 times until the mixture is broken down but still pretty chunky.
- The second blend: Add the reserved raw white onion (roughly chopped), fresh cilantro, and salt. Pulse 3 to 5 times until you reach your desired restaurant-style consistency. Avoid over-blending, which can make the salsa foamy.
- Chill and serve: Taste for seasoning and add a pinch more salt or lime juice, if needed. Transfer the salsa to an airtight container (mason jars work great) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled with your favorite tortilla chips.
Notes
Tomatoes, onion, jalapeños and garlic can also be roasted on the stove-top or in an air fryer. See post for more information.
Cilantro - Use the top half of stems and leaves.
Tomato Prep: There is no need to peel or remove the seeds from the Roma tomatoes! The blender does all the work, and leaving the seeds in adds great savory flavor. I just recommend slicing off hard stem after the tomato has been roasted.
Nutrition
Serving: 2Tbsp. | Calories: 10kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.3g | Fiber: 0.5g
