Salsa (Fresh Restaurant-Style)

Homemade salsa is one of those kitchen wins that makes you wonder why you ever bought it in a jar. This version is fresh, simple, and totally customizable—you can make it mild for the kids or kick it up with extra jalapeño for adults.

I love using my Ninja Kitchen Food Processor to blitz everything together—it keeps the texture perfect (chunky, not mushy) and makes the whole process take less than 10 minutes. The lime zest and touch of cumin bring that restaurant-style depth, while a tiny pinch of sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes just enough.

Make it your own by adding roasted corn, grilled pineapple, or a handful of black beans for extra texture. It’s one of those recipes that’s impossible to mess up and always impresses—especially when served with a mountain of chips and your favorite people.

Salsa (Fresh Restaurant-Style)

Bright, zesty, and packed with fresh flavor—this quick blender salsa beats store-bought every time and takes just 10 minutes to make.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 0 min Total: 10 min Yields: ~3 cups

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Salsa is one of those things that’s hard to mess up—once you learn the basics, you can tweak it a hundred different ways and it always turns out amazing. This version is my go-to base recipe: simple, fresh, and full of flavor from real ingredients.

• Food Processor: Makes chopping fast and foolproof. You’ll never go back to hand-dicing tomatoes again.
• Citrus Juicer: Essential for that burst of lime juice that makes salsa pop.
• Glass Storage Jars: Perfect for storing salsa in the fridge and keeping it fresh all week.

Serve it with chips, tacos, eggs, or grilled chicken—basically anything that could use a little kick.

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Ingredients

• ½ white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 5–6 Roma tomatoes
• Jalapeño, to taste (I used 1 whole)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Pinch of sugar (to balance acidity)

Directions

1. Roughly chop all ingredients.
2. In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped.
3. Add tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and zest, salt, cumin, and sugar. Pulse until just combined—keep it chunky! Avoid over-processing or the salsa can turn watery.
4. If needed, strain out excess liquid before serving. Adjust seasoning to taste and enjoy!

Make It Your Way: Add diced mango or pineapple for a sweet twist, or swap the jalapeño for serrano if you like extra heat.

Storage & Shelf Life

Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving as natural separation may occur.

Pro Tip: Let the salsa sit in the fridge for 30–60 minutes before serving—it helps the flavors blend and deepen.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Let kids help by adding ingredients to the food processor or tasting for spice level—just remind them not to touch their eyes after the jalapeño!