• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Garden Grazer
  • Recipes
  • Matcha
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Gluten-Free
  • Oil-Free
  • Newsletter
  • Matcha
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Gluten-Free
    • Oil-Free
    • Newsletter
    • Matcha
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dip

    Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa

    Nov 8, 2012 by Kaitlin

    This easy restaurant-style salsa recipe is made right at home in the blender! It's so flavorful, adaptable, and tastes similar to the ones you find at a Mexican restaurant. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

    Restaurant-style blender salsa in a small white bowl with tortilla chips

    This simple recipe for restaurant-style blender salsa only takes 10 minutes and 8 (or less!) ingredients.

    It's wonderful all year round. We enjoy having a batch ready in the fridge for a quick snack or appetizer throughout the week.

    Plus it's so refreshing, flavorful, and tastes similar to the ones you would find at a Mexican restaurant.

    Ingredients for restaurant style salsa in a food processor

    Ingredients for Blender Salsa

    For this homemade salsa recipe you will need:

    • Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes: If you can't find fire roasted canned tomatoes, simply use regular diced tomatoes. (I haven't tried this with fresh tomatoes, but I'm guessing those would work too!)
    • Canned diced green chiles: I use mild. These typically come in a small 4 oz. can. Or you can substitute fresh jalapeño which is fantastic as well.
    • Fresh garlic cloves: A little goes a long way since we are using raw garlic.
    • Onion: Any color works. I have used yellow onion, white onion, red onion, and sweet onion.
    • Fresh cilantro: This is key for fresh flavor. The more the better in my opinion!
    • Fresh lime juice: This helps brighten it up.
    • Agave: Or other sweetener of choice, to help balance out the acidity.
    • Ground cumin: This isn't totally necessary but I find it is a nice addition.
    • Salt: This helps improve and enhance all the flavors.
    Salsa blended up in a food processor

    How to Make

    This is truly one of my all-time favorite recipes because it is so tasty and easy to make. Simply:

    Chop: Roughly chop the onion and garlic to fit in your blender or food processor.

    Combine: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. (I use a 9-cup food processor.)

    Blend: Pulse a few times until you reach your desired consistency. Blend less for a chunky salsa, or more for a smoother salsa.

    Taste: Give it a taste and adjust any flavors as needed.

    Tip: You can serve it right away, but I find it tastes best after it chills. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight) to let the flavors blend.

    Small white bowl of salsa with yellow tortilla chips around it

    Customizing

    This is a mild salsa as written. If you like yours spicy, give it a kick by adding spices such as:

    • Jalapeño peppers
    • Chipotle in adobo sauce
    • Serrano peppers
    • Medium diced green chiles (instead of mild)

    Note: Roasted garlic would also be a lovely addition!

    Storing

    This recipe yields about 4 cups of fresh salsa.

    We find it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Simply store in an airtight container with a tight fitting lid.

    Plate of three vegan tacos with chickpea-walnut taco filling

    How To Use

    This recipe is a great condiment with your favorite Mexican food. Try it:

    • As a chip dip with tortilla chips
    • For topping tacos (such as the Chickpea-Walnut Tacos pictured above)
    • In Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers
    • With your favorite Burritos, nachos, Burrito Bowls, or Fajitas
    • Or even on breakfast dishes like Tofu Scramble or Southwest Tofu Burritos
    Bowl of restaurant-style blender salsa with chips

    For more inspiration, also browse all sauce and seasoning.

    Small white bowl of salsa with yellow tortilla chips around it

    Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa

    An easy salsa made right at home in the blender! Refreshing, flavorful, and tastes similar to the ones you find at a Mexican restaurant.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
    Course: Appetizer, Sauce, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan
    Servings: 8 (1/2 cup servings)

    Ingredients

    • 28 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or regular)
    • 4 oz. can diced green chiles, mild (or fresh jalapeño)
    • 1-2 cloves garlic
    • 1/3 cup yellow onion (or red or white)
    • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro*
    • 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
    • 1/2 tsp. agave (or sweetener of choice)
    • 1/4 tsp. ground cumin (more to taste)
    • 1/2 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)

    Instructions

    • Dice onion and mince garlic. (Or simply place in food processor and pulse a few times.)
    • Place all ingredients in a large food processor or good blender. (I use my 9 cup food processor.) Blend for about 10 seconds to combine. Blend longer to achieve a smoother consistency, or shorter for chunkier salsa.
    • Taste and adjust flavors or add more salt if desired. Can serve right away, but tastes best after it chills for a couple hours or overnight (which also mellows the raw onion & garlic). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

    Notes

    Yield: Recipe makes about 4 cups salsa. (Cut in half if desired.)
    *Cilantro: The more, the better in my opinion. I often double or triple it.
    Green chiles: Feel free to omit the small can of green chiles. Or use diced tomatoes with green chiles included instead.
    Variations: Add jalapeño, roasted garlic, chipotle, serrano, etc.

    Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    26
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Potassium
     
    225
    mg
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    6
    g
    2
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    3
    g
    3
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    204
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    16
    mg
    19
    %
    Calcium
     
    40
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating or comment below!

    If you are enjoying this restaurant blender salsa recipe, also check out:

    • Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)
    • Black Bean and Corn Salsa
    • Cucumber Salad

    Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

    More Vegan Dip Recipes

    • Vegan Ranch Dressing (Oil-Free)
    • Chipotle Taco Hummus
    • Vegan French Onion Dip (Oil-Free!)
    • Vegan Big Mac Sauce (No Mayo!)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating:




    1. Katherine

      February 26, 2023 at 7:35 pm

      Could you can this salsa?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        March 04, 2023 at 10:38 am

        Hello Katherine! I don't have any experience canning salsa, so unfortunately I'm not sure if it would work.

        Reply
    2. Rebecca

      May 14, 2022 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      What an easy recipe to make and also very delicious! It came out exactly how I like too. Thank you for providing! My new go-to recipe!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        May 14, 2022 at 7:18 pm

        Fantastic to hear that, Rebecca! Thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Larry Vaught

      June 25, 2021 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      I loved this recipe!! Very quick and easy. Thanks so much!! Definitely a keeper.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        June 26, 2021 at 11:35 am

        Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    4. Jess

      May 12, 2021 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      Really good & easy!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        May 12, 2021 at 10:44 am

        Great to hear - thank you!

        Reply
    5. Jennifer

      March 07, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      Very easy, good flavor and fresh tasting. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        March 31, 2021 at 9:04 am

        Great to hear, Jennifer!

        Reply
    6. Teri

      July 19, 2020 at 8:00 am

      Have you ever canned this salsa? I haven't made salsa in years, but was planning on doing some salsa this summer now that all my jams are finished. I'm just wondering how the flavor holds up with canning?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        August 24, 2020 at 3:34 pm

        I haven't canned salsa before, so unfortunately I can't speak on how this one would turn out. (I'll be sure to update the recipe with instructions if I ever test it!) And I love that you can your own jams!

        Reply
    7. Susi

      July 10, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks, Kaitlin!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        July 10, 2020 at 4:15 pm

        Absolutely! Sorry I couldn't be more help. I know how important watching sodium can be, so I don't feel comfortable putting any specific numbers out there with so many variables to consider. Thanks for your understanding. Hope you enjoy this if you give it a try! (For this recipe, you could certainly seek out no-salt-added diced tomatoes and omit the 1/2 tsp. salt to help reduce the sodium.)

        Reply
    8. Susi

      July 08, 2020 at 11:10 am

      Your recipes look delicious, but what’s the sodium content? Many of us really need to watch that, and I’m leery of making any new recipe until I know that.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        July 10, 2020 at 9:19 am

        Hi Susi! I totally understand the concern with sodium, which is actually why I purposely omit stating the numbers on my site as I feel it's not nearly a precise enough calculation. Most of my recipes simply say "salt to taste" to let people cater directly to their own needs. Even with recipes that state an amount of salt (like this salsa) I still omit the sodium content as it can vary so significantly with other factors. (For example, differing sodium content between brands, using no-salt vs. salt-added canned tomatoes, etc.) So I always encourage people to calculate their own to achieve a much more precise reading based on their exact ingredients, brands, and amounts. Hope you understand. Take care. -Kaitlin

        Reply
    9. Sarah

      July 07, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      This was easy and fantastic!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        July 10, 2020 at 9:20 am

        Great to hear, Sarah!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    The Garden Grazer - Kaitlin profile photo

    Hi, I'm Kaitlin!
    I share vegan recipes that are easy & healthy. (Mostly whole food plant-based, oil-free, & gluten-free.) About Me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About
    Privacy Policy
    Contact

    Follow

    Subscribe
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Pinterest

    Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Oil Free Vegan Recipes
    Gluten Free Vegan Recipes

    Copyright © 2023 The Garden Grazer