Tomato Salsa Recipe
This homemade fresh tomato salsa recipe is healthy, fresh, and so easy to make!
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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.
The Best Tomato Salsa Recipe
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. I’ve been making it for years, and it’s always a hit at family gatherings and weekend cookouts.
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 and flavor and take this salsa recipe to the next level. My secret to the best flavor is to let the ingredients chill overnight. All the flavors meld together creating a salsa that’s even better than restaurant varieties!
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!
Fresh Salsa Ingredients
For this fresh salsa recipe, you’ll need:
- Bell peppers
- English cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Sweet onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Lime
Best Tomatoes for Fresh 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.
How to Make Fresh 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Fresh Tomato Salsa Variations
The flavor in fresh salsa is built around the tomatoes and enhanced by the other ingredients.
So after the salsa has 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.
Serving 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.
How to Store Homemade Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes
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.
Tomato Salsa FAQs
Tomato skins are edible and easy to bite through. So, there’s no need to peel them unless you prefer the texture.
You don’t have to drain the tomatoes, but it is a great way to prevent your salsa from becoming watery.
Yes, it’s best to remove the seeds from the tomatoes, because they can cause the salsa to become watery.
Video: How to Make Fresh Tomato Salsa
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Homemade Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes
- 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
- 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
- 1–2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 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.
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Can your recipe for “Best Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa” be either canned or frozen? Thank You!
Hi Marilyn: I would not freeze it as the tomatoes will not have the same texture and the salsa will turn watery. As far as canning, I’ve never tried canning so I can’t answer with certainty.
Forget about my canning question. I found the rest of the comments & got your answer. Thank you.
Can this recipe be canned?
Looks good
Your recipes look and sounds delicious, but I am one of the few that can’t eat cilantro. Is there anything that could replace cilantro?
You can try fresh Italian parsley. It will be different tasting though.
thanks for sharing