Homemade roasted tomato salsa is packed with deep, rich flavors from oven-roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion, jalapeño, and garlic. With a squeeze of lime juice and handful of fragrant cilantro, it’s a bold dip that you will crave.
Serve this naturally vegan and gluten-free appetizer with tortilla chips for dunking or pile it on tacos.
Salsa is a staple in my house. I always have it on hand for a quick snack with tortilla chips, or to serve alongside tacos for dinner.
And while jarred salsa works in a pinch, nothing compares to homemade – especially when it’s roasted tomato salsa.
Roasting the ingredients in the oven intensifies and amplifies their natural flavors.
It adds roasty-toasty blackened spots, provides caramelized sweetness, and a slightly smoky depth that you just can’t get from jarred varieties.
That’s what makes oven roasted tomato salsa oh-so craveable. Serve this easy & flavor-packed dip at your next taco night, and watch it improve any dish.
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Tomatoes: For this oven-roasted salsa, I like to use medium-sized vine ripened tomatoes. However, any tomatoes will work for this recipe.
Some people swear by Roma tomatoes for roasted salsas. I find them to be on the bland side, but if that’s what you have and like, use them.
Onion: Get a small to medium-sized yellow onion, which becomes sweet and flavorful when roasting.
Garlic: Remember to leave the peels on the cloves when roasting to protect the garlic inside.
Choose medium to large cloves. If your cloves are very small, you may need to remove them from the oven early, so that they don’t burn or get hard.
Oil: Use avocado oil or another neutral-flavored cooking oil.
Lime juice: For the optimum flavor, freshly squeezed is best.
Jalapeño: Jalapeño peppers vary by spiciness. So if you’re spice-averse, check the heat level of your pepper before adding it to the salsa. If desired, use less or omit it completely. If you like spicier salsa, add an additional pepper.
Cilantro: Look for fresh cilantro that is bright green, not slimy or blackened.
Tip: Don’t let the cilantro stems go to waste! They have the same great flavor as the leaves. You can discard any thick, hard parts of the stems, but use the rest in the salsa.
Salt: Salt makes the flavors pop.
Easy step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Put tomatoes, quartered onion, jalapeño, and unpeeled garlic on a rimmed baking sheet, and evenly coat with oil.
Tip: For easy clean-up, line your baking sheet in parchment paper before roasting the vegetables.
2. Roast the vegetables in the oven at 435 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
(For even browning, use a spatula to flip all of the ingredients at the 10-minute mark, or whenever they’ve browned on one side.)
Look for deep brown marks on the vegetables, especially the onion and jalapeño. This ensures maximum caramelization for the best flavor.
Remember: When roasting vegetables, don’t be afraid of some blackened spots. That’s where the flavor is!
Remove from oven, and allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Once they’re cool enough to touch, peel the garlic cloves, and cut off the stem from the jalapeño pepper.
3. Put all of the vegetables into your food processor and add fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and salt.
4. Blend in the food processor until the salsa has reached your preferred consistency. (I like mine a little chunky for a rustic feel, but if you prefer a smoother dip, keep blending.) If necessary, stop while blending to scrape down the sides.
You can eat the salsa while it’s warm. Or move it to an airtight container, and refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy it.
5. When it’s time to eat, stir the salsa, and then transfer it to a serving dish. Serve with tortilla chips for dunking.
Make it your own
Make this tomato salsa recipe your own by varying the ingredients. Here are some ways to personalize this recipe:
- Vary the type of tomatoes, depending on what you have available
- Swap out the tomatoes and make tomatillo salsa instead
- Vary the amounts of garlic, lime juice, or salt for more/less garlicky flavor, tang, or saltiness
- For more heat, use a spicier jalapeño, add an additional pepper, or splash in hot sauce to the blended salsa
- For less heat, use a milder jalapeño, add less of it, or omit it completely
- For even more nuanced flavor, add a pinch of cumin
Serving ideas
Of course, roasted salsa is a simple and delicious snack on its own with tortilla chips for dipping.
It also goes beautifully with other dishes to round out or improve a meal.
Here are more serving ideas:
- Dollop salsa on top of soy chorizo tacos (above), black bean tacos, or vegan chicken tacos
- Serve it alongside refried bean quesadillas
- Use it as a topping on air fryer tostadas or veggie fajitas
- Add generous splashes of salsa on a pile of vegan nachos
- Add a scoop of it to taco salad
- Throw roasted salsa on a lentil & black bean burrito bowl
Storage instructions
Store roasted tomato salsa in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about 5 days.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, if there’s any water separation, give it a stir, so that everything is evenly incorporated and combined.
FAQ
No, this roasted salsa recipe is meant for storing in the refrigerator, not canning.
Canning is outside of my area of expertise, so I can’t make any recommendations about using this recipe for canning.
Yes, if you don’t have a food processor, I recommend chopping all of the roasted vegetables by hand instead, and combine everything with a spoon in a bowl. Depending on how small you chop everything, it can be finer or chunkier.
Botanically, tomatoes and jalapeños are fruits, because they develop from the flower of a plant, and they contain seeds. However, in culinary contexts, they’re generally considered vegetables because of their savory flavor.
Most folks would be surprised if you said you were serving fruit salad and then brought them this salsa. Haha!
More salsa recipes you’ll love
For even more dipping opportunities, check out these delicious homemade salsas:
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Roasted tomato salsa with onion, jalapeño & garlic
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 medium-sized tomatoes vine-ripened (1 pound, 6 ounces)
- 1 small to medium-sized yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 4 or 5 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil
- ¼ heaping cup chopped cilantro (Remove any hard or thick parts of the stems)
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 435 degrees. (If you like, line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up.)
- Put the tomatoes, quartered onion, jalapeño pepper, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, and use your hands to make sure all of the veggies are evenly coated. Lay them evenly across the baking sheet.
- Put the sheet pan in the oven, and roast the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes. For even roasting, use a spatula to flip all of the vegetables after 10 minutes, or whenever they're brown on one side.
- Once the veggies (especially the onion and jalapeño) have nice deep brown marks on both sides, remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Once they're cool enough to touch, peel the garlic, and cut the stem off of the jalapeño.
- Put the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and peeled garlic into the food processor. Add chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Then blend until it has reached your preferred consistency. (I like mine on the chunky side!) If necessary, stop and scrape down the sides for even blending.
- Once blended, taste and adjust for salt and lime juice as needed. You can eat the salsa right away with tortilla chips, or move it to an airtight container, and refrigerate.
Shell
Homemade salsa is the best and I am loving this recipe! Delicious.
Cadry Nelson
That’s great to hear! Thank you for letting me know.
David
So delicious! I love homemade salsa, and this one really hits the spot.
Cadry Nelson
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thanks for the great feedback.