Chunky Homemade Salsa

Chunky Homemade Salsa

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 6 cups

There is no substitute for fresh chunky homemade salsa, so give up the store-bought jars in your fridge and start making it at home with our quick and easy recipe. Once you're done, you'll have enough to feed a large party or to fill some containers and keep in the fridge for yourself.

You can easily adjust this salsa to your taste. If you don't like hot salsa, our recipe is just as good without the chile. Do you or any of your friends dislike cilantro? Leave it on the side for those who like it.

This recipe is great for chips, but you can use it in other recipes (omelets, steaks, soups, chilaquiles) to enhance their flavors.

Ingredients

  • 6 medium fresh tomatoes, 1/4-inch dice

  • 1 medium coarsely chopped sweet onion

  • 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced

  • 1 serrano chile, or jalapeño, seeded and diced

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

  • 8 ounces canned tomato sauce

  • 4 ounces canned chopped mild green chiles

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • Tortilla chips, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chunky Homemade Salsa ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

    In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Taste for seasoning. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the flavors blend.

    Salsa ingredients in a container

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Serve in a medium-size bowl alongside chips.

    Chunky Homemade Salsa in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

How to Store

  • Store any leftover salsa in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
  • You may also freeze portions of the salsa in freezer bags to preserve it for three months. You can then thaw it before using and enjoying. If it seems to have lost some texture after being thawed, you can always process it briefly in a food processor so it's smooth rather than chunky.

How to Use

Salsa isn't exclusively a dip for chips. If you have leftover salsa after a big party, use it to complement other dishes:

  • Eggs: Add a spoonful of salsa per egg. Mix all together and cook like scrambled eggs in a hot pan with olive oil. Serve with more corn chips or soft tortillas to make a breakfast burrito.
  • Steak and Chicken: Grill your meats as you'd normally do, but place a good amount of salsa on each piece before serving. Add sour cream and chopped scallions to finish.
  • Rice: Use salsa as a flavor base for your rice. In a pot, mix 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, 1 spoonful of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and cook rice as you'd normally do. Use rice as a side dish or as the base of a stir-fry.
  • Beans: If you need a quick dinner, steam some rice while you heat a can of black beans with 1 cup of salsa on medium heat for about 8 minutes. In a bowl, place 1/2 cup of cooked rice, 1/2 cup of beans, drizzle with olive oil, add 1/2 of an avocado, and crush a few tortillas on top for an easy Mexican-inspired bowl.

What tomatoes are best to make salsa?

A great salsa starts with the right tomatoes. Roma tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes are top choices to use for making salsa. These tomatoes have a meatier texture with less seeds and water in them than other tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
36 Calories
1g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 17mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 149mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: