The BEST Easy Homemade Spicy Salsa (5 min recipe!)
Looking for a delicious homemade salsa recipe that turns out perfectly every time? Friend, this. IS. IT. Made with some canned + fresh ingredients, this is the BEST easy homemade spicy salsa recipe, and it only takes about 5 minutes to throw together!
Trust me, trust me, trust me. This is THE BEST spicy salsa recipe out there.
In fact, it even won a blue ribbon in the homemade salsa competition at our county fair!
I told you, it’s really good. 😉
I’ve made this no fewer than…100 times? Maybe a thousand?
Probably closer to a million. It’s my absolute favorite salsa recipe, and inevitably, every single time I make it to share with other people, I get asked for the recipe.
When you make it, you’ll get asked the same thing – just send ’em to me and I’m THRILLED to share!
Here’s what you’ll love about this homemade spicy salsa recipe:
- It comes out perfectly every time. I’ve done a salsa taste test on countless other recipes and variations, and this one continues to take the cake. If you follow this recipe, it’ll come out perfectly the FIRST time.
- It’s restaurant-quality. Like, really good Mexican restaurant quality. I think this recipe actually beats the outrageously delicious salsas I’ve had at Mexican restaurants. Am I allowed to say that?
- The flavor is UN-BE-LIEVABLE. Yes, I use canned tomatoes. No, it definitely doesn’t taste canned at ALL. Yes, I have tried several salsa recipes with fresh tomatoes. And no, they’re not as good. This tastes like 100% fresh salsa, and it beats recipes with fresh tomatoes every time. It’s an absolutely fantastic recipe.
- This recipe is party-perfect. It makes a pretty hearty batch, and you’ll be glad it did, because people are going to go crazy over this! It’s the best salsa for a crowd!
- It has simple ingredients that require very little prep. You’ll do some minor slicing and chopping, but this is a pretty effortless recipe. It’ll take you about 5 minutes to make.
- The flavor gets better over time. It’s delicious on minute 1 of making it, but it’s also delicious a week later. The flavor just gets better and better!
- Don’t love spicy, but love a great salsa? No problem! You can cut some of the spice just by eliminating some of the peppers. EASY!
Ingredients you’ll need for this easy salsa recipe:
You really just need a handful of basic ingredients (with a few power players) in there!
- 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 can (14.5oz) diced Mexican style tomatoes*
- 1 can (14.5oz) diced chipotle style tomatoes*
- 1/4 of a red onion
- 1/3-1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro, washed
- 1 jalapeno pepper – stem removed, sliced in half with the seeds
- Juice squeezed from 1 lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder – if you love a powerful garlic flavor, you can use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves instead. If you make it with fresh garlic, the flavor is going to be much stronger the following day, so just know that! Some people love that, but some people don’t. I really think it tastes great with either powder or fresh cloves, but I typically prefer to make it with powder.
- 1 tsp onion powder – makes a big difference for additional flavor!
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + a tsp or two of the sauce – yes, chipotle pepper from the little can in the adobo sauce. When I started making this type of salsa about 10-15 years ago, my original recipe didn’t include these, but once I started adding chipotle peppers, it made a BIG difference with some extra flavor, and there’s no going back!
- 2 tsp salt – I use sea salt, but I think kosher or regular table salt is fine
A note about the ingredients:
- *If you don’t have access to those types of diced tomatoes: You should have access to diced tomatoes with green chiles in your grocery store, but if you can’t find the other two (Mexican style and/or chipotle style) in your store, then use 3 cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles & then add in one additional chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (for a total of two chipotle peppers).
- You can make it spicier with more peppers. The base recipe on its own has a bite to it (all depending on how hot that jalapeno is that you use), BUT, you can easily increase the spice by simply adding in another jalapeno with seeds & one or two serrano peppers. This will make it spicier but won’t change the delicious flavor at all.
- You can make it a more mild salsa if you’d prefer – simply remove the seeds from the 1 jalapeno that you include. The salsa will still have some spice, but won’t have as much of a bite if you take the seeds out.
- YES, even though it’s made from canned tomatoes, the salsa tastes incredibly fresh and doesn’t taste like canned tomatoes at all. With the combination of the canned tomatoes + the fresh flavors & seasonings, there’s so much flavor – it’ll knock your socks off. The depth of flavor in salsa is a big deal to me, and every single time, canned tomatoes made for a better salsa.
How to make homemade spicy salsa:
Just watch how easily this recipe comes together!
Step 1: Gather your ingredients & add them to your blender
Pour in the diced tomatoes, and then add everything else straight into your blender or food processor. Give it a couple of pulses and you’re done!
(I just use my regular blender for this and it works just fine. No need for any fancy equipment!)
Step 2: ENJOY!
I TOLD YOU THAT WAS AN EASY SALSA RECIPE! 😆
Yes, that’s literally it. Prep the ingredients, throw them into the blender, and you have instant salsa.
Pour into a serving bowl, pop open a bag of tortilla chips, and go enjoy the best homemade salsa ever.
Questions about this spicy salsa recipe:
How long does it keep?
This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks. If you’re serving it for a crowd, no problem – it’ll get gobbled up in no time! If you’re making it to go along with a regular weeknight dinner, then you can either munch up the rest with chips, or plan to use it up throughout the week in another recipe – enchiladas, salsa chicken, etc. As long as you keep it in an airtight container, though, it should last you several days in the fridge.
How should I store it?
My go-to is to keep it in mason jars in my fridge, but you can store it in other airtight containers as well. I think it keeps longer in mason jars, though!
Can I freeze it?
You CAN freeze this in a freezer-safe container or in a plastic freezer bag, but it’ll lose some of the flavor in the freezing process. If you do decide to freeze it, just add some extra seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, and perhaps some salt) to liven it up a little bit after it thaws.
Can I use different peppers?
Yep, you can use a variety of fresh peppers if you want it even spicier. Jalapenos are my go-to, but you could easily use a serrano pepper or even habanero peppers if you want a really spicy salsa!
How much does this make?
It makes enough to almost-fill about 3 pint-sized mason jars. (About 6 cups.)
Is this easy to make a double batch?
If you have a huge blender, then YES. If not, then you’ll probably want to make one batch right after the other. The ingredients for this take up almost all of the space in my blender, but I have doubled the recipe before when I’ve needed an insane amount of salsa. 😉
Can I make a half batch?
Because this calls for 3 cans of diced tomatoes, it’ll be a little harder to halve, but you can make it in thirds. I’ve never done it, but if you portion out the ingredients, it’s certainly possible. But, you’ll probably wish you would’ve made the whole batch once you taste it. 😉
What should I serve it with?
Well, for one, definitely tortilla chips. 😉 But, this is also a great recipe if you need salsa for homemade salsa chicken, to add in extra flavor to chicken tortilla soup, or to serve alongside any of your favorite Mexican dishes.
Forget having to go out to your favorite Mexican restaurant for delicious chips and salsa! Call the neighbors over – this makes a large batch, and I promise you, they’ll be thrilled to help you eat it!
You can also make this delicious salsa recipe to go with:
- A batch of fresh, homemade guacamole (mmm-mmm!)
- Beef, chicken, or fish tacos
- Shredded chicken for salsa chicken
- Any of your favorite Mexican food dishes like this delicious Tex-Mex casserole!
- Taco salad or burrito bowls
The BEST Easy Homemade Spicy Salsa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can 14.5oz diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 can 14.5oz diced Mexican style tomatoes*
- 1 can 14.5oz diced chipotle style tomatoes*
- 1/4 of a red onion
- 1/3-1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro washed
- 1 jalapeno pepper - stem removed sliced in half with the seeds
- Juice squeezed from 1 lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + a tsp or two of the sauce from a can
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Pour the cans of tomatoes in blender.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend for 10-15 seconds or until everything is evenly pureed.
- Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want a spicier salsa, add more jalapenos + jalapeno seeds, as well as a serrano pepper or two.
- This keeps in the fridge for about a week in an air-tight container - I think it's best stored in mason jars. You can also freeze it, but it'll lose a little bit of its flavor when it thaws. Add in some extra garlic and onion powder for a flavor boost.
Mauri,
Oh my goodness … Salsa has NEVER tasted so good! My kids, who aren’t huge salsa lovers have been eating this for the last couple of days. My youngest even asked me how I made it so he could make more! We don’t have H-E-B here in Virginia, but I was able to substitute with Del Monte and Rotell and it was wonderful.
Keep on sending the Tex-Mex recipes … love them!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you found a substitute for the HEB brand – I need to do that periodically so I can offer tips for alternatives to those of you who don’t live in TX! So glad y’all loved the salsa!