The Best Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa

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

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

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Best Homemade Salsa

This is the best tasting homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes. 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 few surprise ingredients, such as cucumbers and bell peppers.

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

All you need is a bag of your favorite tortilla chips and you have one of the best summer appetizers!

Ingredients for Best Homemade Salsa Recipe

For this fresh salsa recipe, you’ll need:

• Bell peppers 
• English cucumber 
• Tomatoes 
• Sweet onion
• Garlic
• Jalapeños 
• Cilantro
• Lime

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. 

Homemade Salsa Recipe

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

• Step 1: Cut the 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 cilantro and add to the bowl

• Step 3: Squeeze 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.

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 lime juice? Or maybe even more onions and cilantro. Most times the recipe is simply lacking 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. 

Serving Fresh Tomato Salsa

Not only is fresh salsa delish 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.

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