Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Here's a super quick traditional tomato salsa that you can pull together in about 10 minutes. All you need is a food processor (or a blender).

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You don’t need to chop up tomatoes for this tomato salsa, but I do suggest a little hand chopping of other ingredients. Specifically, I like to chop the red onion and the Jalapeño by hand so that I can be guaranteed there are no large chunks left in the salsa and so I can add these hand-chopped ingredients at the end of blending to add a little texture to the salsa. 

This recipe calls for chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. A chipotle pepper is simply a dried and smoked Jalapeño pepper and it adds a nice smokiness to this salsa along with some heat. If you can’t find chipotle peppers in adobo (they come in a can in the ethnic section of your grocery store), you could substitute canned green chiles or more Jalapeño peppers. The flavor will be brighter instead of smoky, but just as good. I’d start by adding a tablespoon of either and then adjust the final salsa to taste.

While this salsa recipe does give you ingredient measurements, making a salsa is really up to the individual. If you like your salsa hot, add a little more Jalapeño pepper (for a brighter heat) or Chipotle pepper (for a smokier heat). If you’re looking for a low sodium salsa, cut back on the salt. Make it your own.

Smooth tomato salsa in a small blue dish with blue and yellow tortilla chips around the outside

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Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Nutrition Info Print Recipe
  • Prep Time: 10 m
  • Total Time: 10 m
  • Servings:
    8

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp red onion finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 chipotle in adobo
  • 14.5 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Jalapeño pepper minced
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Start by finely dicing the red onion and soaking it in cold water while you prepare the salsa. This will help cut the harsh bite of the onion flavor a little, minimizing its aftertaste.

  2. Set up your food processor and with the blade spinning, add the garlic clove. Once it has been chopped finely, add the cilantro leaves through the feed tube. Once the cilantro leaves are chopped, add the chipotle pepper. Then, stop the processor and add the tomatoes, salt and lime juice to taste (start with half a lime and add more if needed). Process until the salsa is the texture you like.

  3. Add the minced Jalapeño pepper. Drain the onion well and add it to the processor as well. Process one more time. Adjust the seasonings (salt and lime juice) to taste and serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy,
If you made this recipe, please add your comments and ratings below.

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Comments (5)Post a Reply

  1. 5 stars
    Gave this five stars, because it looks delish, but I won’t be making it till later today (after I buy the ingredients). How much lime juice do you start out with (it was omitted in the recipe)?

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Heather. I’ve fixed the omission. I start with ½ lime, juiced and then add more to taste. Hope you like it!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I love salsa! This recipe looks so good and easy…going to get my ingredients today! Although, not a fan of cilantro, so may just leave out or use just a bit,

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is delicious. As a Texan, I was looking for a smoky salsa recipe that rivaled a couple of our favorite restaurant salsas, and this is definitely it! Again, being Texan and accustomed to spicy, on my second attempt and beyond, I added just a tad more jalapeño and chilis in adobo. The chilis vary considerably in size, and that has to be a consideration in how many you use. Thank you, Meredith, for how kindly and generously you share your knowledge and recipes.

    Reply

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