This homemade fresh tomato salsa recipe is healthy, fresh, and so easy to make!

Serving Tip! Besides serving this salsa with tortilla chips, spoon it over Sheet Pan Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas or Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos for added flavor.

Best Homemade Salsa

This is the best-tasting homemade salsa with fresh ingredients! I hate to sound so blunt but honestly, once you try it, you won’t be disappointed.

It’s packed with traditional salsa ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. But also a few surprise ingredients, such as cucumbers and bell peppers.

The extra veggies add crunch, flavor and take this salsa recipe to the next level.

It’s perfect served over crockpot pork and beans or serve it traditionally with tortilla chips and you have one of the best summer appetizers!

Tomato Salsa Ingredients

For this fresh salsa recipe, you’ll need:

  • Bell peppers 
  • English cucumber 
  • Tomatoes 
  • Sweet onion
  • Garlic
  • Jalapeños 
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
Ingredients for best homemade salsa

Best Tomatoes for Salsa

When it comes to fresh salsa, you want the best-tasting tomatoes. We love vine-ripened tomatoes (tomatoes on the vine).

They are firm, yet sweet tasting and are readily available at most grocery stores. If the tomatoes are too firm, leave them out on your counter and they will soften in a day or two. 

You can also use Roma tomatoes if tomatoes on the vine are not available. They are slightly firmer but taste just as good.

Homemade salsa recipe in white bowl

How to Make Tomato Salsa

Make this salsa recipe up to a day in advance. The flavor just gets better the next day.

  • Step 1: Cut the ripe tomatoes in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and discard. Finely chop the tomatoes and add to a large bowl. 
Chopped up best tomatoes for salsa
  • Step 2: Finely chop the bell peppers, cucumbers, and onions. Mince the garlic. Add to the tomatoes. Chop the fresh cilantro and add to the bowl.
Cut up vegetables for fresh tomato salsa
  • Step 3: Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the salsa. Season with salt and stir until combined.
  • Step 4: Refrigerate the salsa before serving for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
Tomato salsa in glass bowl

What Can I Add to Salsa to Make it Better?

Flavor in fresh salsa is built around the tomatoes and enhanced by the other ingredients.

So after the salsa had time to chill, give it a taste test, preferably slightly at room temperature.

Does it need more salt? More fresh lime juice? Or maybe even more onions and cilantro. Most times the recipe is simply lacking a little more salt and acidity. 

How Long Can You Refrigerate Homemade Salsa?

Fresh tomato salsa will last in the refrigerator 3-4 days when kept in an airtight sealed container.

You can technically stretch it out to 1 week, however, I find that the tomatoes break down too much and release a lot of water if the salsa sits too long. 

Close up fresh salsa recipe

Serving Fresh Tomato Salsa

Not only is fresh salsa delicious served with tortilla chips but also over egg muffins, baked chicken fajitas, shrimp tacos, grilled veggies, lettuce wraps, burrito bowls, or mixed into cooked quinoa or black beans. 

You can also serve it alongside other tex-mex meals such as grilled chicken sliders or chicken enchiladas.

Video: How to Make Fresh Tomato Salsa

Print
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Overhead best homemade fresh tomato salsa

The Best Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Chop
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

This homemade salsa recipe is healthy, fresh, and so easy to make! It’s the best salsa recipe you will ever make.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped English cucumber
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes on the vine, seeded, about 3-4 tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 12 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Taste for salt and acidity before serving.

Notes

  • To remove the seeds from the tomatoes: Cut the tomato in half lengthwise and using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 29
  • Sugar: 3.3 g
  • Sodium: 6.3 mg
  • Fat: 0.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.7 g
  • Protein: 1.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Recipe was first published in May 2015. We updated the photos and text in June 2019.