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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Restaurant Style Salsa

    By Chula King · July 7, 2021 · Updated March 8, 2022 Leave a Comment

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    There are not too many things that are as easy to make and as delicious to serve as Restaurant Style Salsa. It takes minutes to make and can be as mild or as hot as you choose. Once you’ve tasted this homemade salsa, you’ll never reach for the store-bought kind again!

    Restaurant Style Salsa

    Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

    Table of Contents

    • Why You Should Make This Salsa
    • Ingredients for Restaurant Style Salsa
    • Making the Restaurant Style Salsa
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Other Amazing Salsa Recipes

    Why You Should Make This Salsa

    There are literally thousands of recipes online for tomato-based salsa. The reasons that you should make this recipe include the following:

    • It’s homemade meaning that you have total control over the ingredients, the quantities and the texture;
    • It’s heathy and brimming with flavor;
    • It just takes minutes to make;
    • It’s far superior to any store-bought salsa and is just as good if not better than the salsa served in Mexican restaurants;
    • Open a bag of tortilla chips and dip in – you’ll be totally hooked!

    Ingredients for Restaurant Style Salsa

    I used the following ingredients for this amazing homemade appetizer: Canned whole tomatoes, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, onions, fresh jalapeños, fresh garlic, fresh Italian parsley, sugar, ground cumin, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh lime juice.

    Rather than parsley, you could use cilantro. However, I fall into the camp that thinks that cilantro tastes awful!

    Ingredients for Salsa.

    Making the Restaurant Style Salsa

    I like my salsa thick and chunky. Therefore, I started by draining the canned whole tomatoes and the Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies.

    Then, I added all of the ingredients to the bowl of my food processor fitted with a steel blade.

    Salsa ingredients in the food processor.

    Next, I pulse processed the ingredients 5 times, which for me was the perfect amount of processing.

    Processed salsa in food processor.

    Before serving the salsa, I transferred it to a covered container and refrigerated it for about an hour. This was to allow the flavors to blend together.

    I ended up with an absolutely delicious Restaurant Style Salsa. It was thick and chunky and totally addictive. Yum!

    Restaurant Style salsa with tortilla chip.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What if I don’t own a food processor?

    You can use a blender to make this delicious salsa, or you can chop the vegetables by hand and mix them in a bowl. If you do use a blender, be careful that you don’t over process the salsa.

    How long will this salsa last?

    This salsa should last for about a week, covered in the refrigerator.

    Why does this recipe call for canned tomatoes as opposed to fresh tomatoes?

    I like to use canned tomatoes in this homemade salsa recipe for several reasons: (1) they are available year-round; (2) they make amazing salsa; and (3) fresh tomatoes are quite variable in terms of taste and texture.

    Can you freeze this salsa?

    You can freeze this salsa in a freezer-safe container. You should leave some room in the container for the salsa to expand as it freezes. Salsa stored in the freezer should last for four months.

    Other Amazing Salsa Recipes

    I’m a huge fan of different types of salsas. They are not only a quick and delicious appetizer when paired with a bag of tortilla chips, but also an awesome condiment for tacos, quesadillas, burritos and a whole host of other Mexican dishes.

    Besides this Restaurant Style Salsa, here are some of my favorites:

    • Salsa Verde
    • Fresh Sweet Corn Salsa
    • Black Bean and Corn Salsa
    • Cheesy Salsa Dip in a Bread Bowl

    I first posted this recipe for homemade Restaurant Style Salsa on February 5, 2019. Since then, it’s become a staple in our house.

    This update contains the same delicious recipe with updated text.

    I hope you liked this recipe for Restaurant Style Salsa as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Restaurant Style Salsa

    Restaurant Style Salsa

    There are not too many things that are as easy to make and as delicious to serve as Restaurant Style Salsa. It takes minutes to make and can be as mild or as hot as you choose. Once you’ve tasted this homemade salsa, you’ll never reach for the store bought kind again!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Cinco de Mayo, Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 29kcal
    Author: Chula King

    Ingredients

    • 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
    • 10 ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
    • ½ cup chopped onions
    • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membrane removed and chopped
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (See Note 1)
    • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • Juice of ½ lime

    Instructions

    • Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse process 5 times, or until desired consistency is reached.
    • Transfer to covered container. Refrigerate at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend.
    • Serve with tortilla chips.
    • Yield: 2 ½ cups.

    Chula’s Expert Tips

    1. May use cilantro in place of the parsley.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 16.7mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.

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    Filed Under: Appetizers, Cinco de Mayo, Sauces

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