Easy Recipe for Homemade Salsa (2024)

If you’ve been buying salsa in a jar, it may be time to rethink that. This easy recipe for Homemade Salsa is one of those pantry staples you can make yourself. It’s cheaper and tastier than the commercial varieties. And so easy!

Serve this Homemade Salsa at your next shindig, it’s a Great Game Day Appetizer to share with friends and family, alongside a Taco Layer Dip and Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.

Since we eat so much Mexican food at our house, we eat a lot of salsa, at least a pint a week, sometimes more!

When we first married, I paid $4 for a 16-ounce container every week. It was from the refrigerated section at the store, so it had to be primo, right?

Once I realized that I could make twice as much for a fraction of the price, I quit buying it. On the occasions where I’m lazy or in a hurry and I’ve bought the old varieties, we’ve been sorely disappointed. Homemade tastes so much better!

Why Make This

It’s a good cheap eat! At only $1.51 for 4 cups of salsa, this is a great deal, especially if you enjoy salsa often. It’s a delicious addition to a Nacho Bar!

It’s a great winter option when fresh tomatoes aren’t prime. This is the homemade salsa recipe I prepare weekly, using canned tomatoes. Later in the summer when fresh garden tomatoes are in abundance, I make Homemade Pico de Gallo, but this holds us over through the rest of the year.

It’s quick and easy. There’s not much prep involved, just a quick chop of the onion, cilantro, and chile. Stir it all together and you’re off!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make Homemade Salsa the easy way:

tomatoes – Since this salsa is unblended, I recommend using canned petite diced tomatoes, but there are so many options you can lean on, including freshly seeded and chopped tomatoes, canned fire-roasted tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes. Each will give your salsa a slightly different texture, so experiment until you have what you love best.

fresh cilantro – Cilantro is a must-have for homemade salsa. You can grow your own or buy it from the store. Be sure to follow these tips to Keep Cilantro Fresh.

green onion – Green onion is cheap and easy to use, but you can also use yellow, red, or white onions. Taste them before you add them to the salsa. If they are bitter, rinse well with cold water to improve their taste.

jalapeño – The amount of heat will depend on which chile you use. Serrano will be hottest; crushed red pepper will be mild; jalapeño will be somewhere in between.

lime juice – Lime juice helps round out the flavors and adds another fresh layer of flavor. You can use bottled juice, but fresh is often best.

salt and pepper – Season your salsa to taste with salt and pepper.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this easy homemade salsa:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes with their juices, the cilantro, chile pepper, and lime juice, stirring gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips or other Mexican dishes.

FAQs & Recipe Costs

Recipe Costs

Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

• petite diced tomatoes – $0.90
• fresh cilantro – $0.25
• green onion – $0.10
• jalapeño – $0.15
• lime juice – $0.10
• salt and pepper – $0.01

While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $1.51 for a big batch of Homemade Salsa, about 9 cents/serving!

That’s a much better price than buying it in a jar!Making your own is a great way to save money on a good eat.

Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe more economical:

• Do a price comparison. I know that ALDI is the best place to buy ingredients in bulk, like canned tomatoes,when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on onions, I buy a lot.
• Store your cilantro so that it lasts! Most recipes only call for a handful of the fragrant herb, so stretch that purchase as far as you can. Better yet, grow your own in a pot in the kitchen or in the back yard, weather permitting.

Perfect Pairings

This post was originally published on June 19, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.