Homemade Tomato Salsa
Fresh tomatoes, cilantro and lime make this ready-in-minutes homemade tomato salsa the perfect side to your next taco night or Mexican fiesta! Everyone loves salsa… I'm pretty sure I've never met a person who didn't like some form of it, especially combined with their favorite tortilla chips. And this salsa in particular? HEAVEN. So much...
Fresh tomatoes, cilantro and lime make this ready-in-minutes homemade tomato salsa the perfect side to your next taco night or Mexican fiesta!
Everyone loves salsa… I'm pretty sure I've never met a person who didn't like some form of it, especially combined with their favorite tortilla chips.
And this salsa in particular? HEAVEN. So much better than anything I've ever had from a jar. My kids just gobbled it up! My daughter wanted to put it on toasted baguettes like bruschetta (not a bad idea… just add basil!) and my son… well, he just ate it by the mouthful!
Other than the FANTASTIC taste, though, there's a few other reasons why you'll want to pick this tomato salsa over any other.
First… all fresh ingredients. You know this is a big plus. I don't have to go on and on about all the preservatives and weird chemicals in a simple jar of salsa… or anything, really. With this recipe you know exactly what's going into it.
Second, this recipe is SUPER simple. Like, wow. 20 minutes tops is all you'll need, although I do recommend leaving it in the fridge for a while for flavor.
Third… tomato salsa is a great and tasty way to sneak vegetables into your kids' diets. Or your own diet, for that matter!
Fourth… while I consider salsa and chips a summer snack, really, who says you need to have a Mexican meal when it's hot out? Have salsa at Thanksgiving! Grab this recipe around Christmas! Go wild! This is a very versatile homemade tomato salsa.
Have I convinced you to try this recipe yet?! Let's go!
Homemade Tomato Salsa - Ingredients & Utensils
Ingredients
- 4 large fresh tomatoes, diced very small
- 1 large fresh red onion, diced very small
- ½ bunch (about ½ cup) of fresh cilantro, stems removed and chopped
- 2 fresh jalapenos, diced very small (leave seeds in if you want it HOT!)
- 3 fresh garlic cloves, diced very small
- salt/pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- juice and zest of 1 large fresh lime
I know I said "fresh" over and over… but I want to drive home that this recipe is best when you use fresh (one more time) ingredients. Not canned, not pre-packaged. Nothing compares to truly homemade salsa!
Utensils/Other Items
- Large bowl
- That's it! Easy-peasy!!
Diet notes
As you can imagine… this salsa is THE PERFECT FOOD for almost everyone! Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, meat-free… it's amazing. With a few changes, you could make it paleo, too. Call up all your friends and have a Mexican fiesta!
You may run into issues if you have a cilantro-hater in your life, but they don't have to be invited. (Just kidding!!)
Homemade Tomato Salsa - Instructions
Prep time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5-6 cups
- In a large bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, and garlic.
- Add the lime zest and lime juice, then toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the chili powder and the salt/pepper on the vegetable combination. Stir.
- Add the chopped cilantro leaves and fold it all together.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavors to come together. However, I think the flavors taste best the next day!
Homemade Tomato Salsa - Q & A
I know it's a small, simple recipe...but here's a section to answer just a few little things I've been asked before!
Do you recommend any particular kind of tomatoes for this recipe?
The tomatoes DO make the salsa, honestly...so I don't blame you for wanting to know. Vine-ripened tomatoes are probably the best for this salsa. They have this sweet flavor that's just to die for! You should be able to get them at any grocery store or farmer's market.
Should I deseed the tomatoes?
Oh yes! It'll make the salsa less watery.
How long will this last in the fridge?
If you make it fresh… I'd say about 5 days. Any more than that and the salsa will get watery. No good!
What about freezing it?
I've never tried freezing it before. I imagine when you defrost it, it'd be more watery… (I feel like I've been saying "watery" a lot…) but if you try it out, let me know!
Do you need the cilantro? Can you use less?
Okay, okay… no, if you don't like cilantro, you don't have to use a lot of it. I know everyone has their own opinion on cilantro. However, I'd still add a little for just a touch of flavor!
How will your Mexican fiesta go?
Or maybe you're just making this tomato salsa for a fun summer snack? Please tell me about your experience in the comments, and let me know if you have any questions! Happy cooking!
Other salsas we've made…
If this salsa isn't your thing, try one of our other amazing recipes!
Homemade Tomato Salsa
Homemade Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes, diced very small
- 1 large red onion, diced very small
- ½ bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped
- 2 jalapenos, diced very small (leave seeds in if you want it HOT!)
- 3 garlic cloves, diced very small
- salt/pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- juice and zest of 1 large lime
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and garlic.
- Add the lime zest and the lime juice then toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the chili powder on and then the salt/pepper. Stir to combine. Taste to see if it needs more salt/pepper.
- Add the chopped cilantro leaves and fold together.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavors to come together.
Wow! This is so pretty and colorful! Looks like your kids have the right idea with this tasty salsa!
Fresh salsa is the best. I love it in the summer with a glass of sangria. Nothing says happiness like fresh Mexican flavors. 🙂
Thank you, thank you for not using cumin or oregano. Anymore cumin is used in so much.