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This Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa recipe is the best! Get those tortilla chips ready because this easy homemade salsa made with canned tomatoes can be made in about 5 minutes.
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I swear that my family can go through a gallon of salsa in a month. We usually have one or two jarred varieties in our refrigerator at any given time, but homemade salsa is a must in our house when we have Mexican food, or when we have get-togethers or parties. Two of our four kids will literally beg me to make homemade salsa and I swear they are as excited about my salsa as they are about cake for dessert (ok, maybe that’s stretching it).
David devours this salsa too and we both gave it the name “restaurant-style” because it’s a similar consistency to many of our favorite Mexican restaurants. While this recipe is with chipotle peppers, I often make this same recipe, but substitute the chipotle peppers with a 1/2 or whole fresh jalapeno that has had the stem removed.
Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa Recipe Ingredients
To make this homemade salsa recipe, you will only need a few ingredients: one big can of whole tomatoes, 1 small onion, 1 clove garlic (or 1/2 minced garlic), cilantro, chipotle peppers, lime juice, and salt and pepper.
For the tomatoes, you can use any brand you prefer. I usually buy whatever is cheapest at my grocery store. If your store has fire-roasted whole peeled tomatoes, they are a great choice.
TIP: If you prefer not to use chipotle peppers, you can also make this same exact recipe with a fresh jalapeno or two.
Cooking Equipment Needed for Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa:
Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa Recipe Instructions
The good thing about this chipotle salsa is that it is SO easy and you can literally blend up a batch in about 5 minutes or less. If you don’t like chopping vegetables or messing with fresh jalapenos, you’ll like this one too as there is almost no chopping needed.
One item you will need is a food processor. If you don’t have one, you could use a blender instead. You’ll start your Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa by adding the can of drained whole peeled tomatoes into the bowl.
Then you’ll add all the other ingredients. When it comes to adding the chipotle peppers, scoop out a good size one and throw it in there. I usually use two of them, but if you are serving this to anyone who may be sensitive to a spicier salsa, I would recommend using just one chipotle pepper at the beginning. After everything is blended up, you can taste the salsa and add another pepper or two, if desired.
With all of the homemade salsa ingredients in your food processor, you are ready to blend it up. I usually hit the pulse button a bunch of times until the chipotle salsa everything is chopped up and combined.
Once you are done blending up your salsa, give it a taste. At this point, you’ll want to adjust your seasonings, if needed. You can add more salt, pepper, or even another chipotle pepper if you want it spicier.
This restaurant-style salsa is best if you refrigerate it for at least an hour or more before serving. I can’t say that we always do that though…most of the time it’s enjoyed right away!
Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa Recipe
Here’s the full recipe, ready for you to print. If you aren’t ready to make it yet, be sure to save it to one of your boards on Pinterest.
Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsa
- Author: Brandie Valenzuela
- Yield: Approximately 20 ounces of salsa 1x
Description
This Restaurant-Style Chipotle Salsarecipe couldn’t be easier! Get those tortilla chips ready because you’ll be dipping& scooping in no time!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes (drained)
- 1 small onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (mostly leaves, discard thick stems, but thin stems are ok)
- 1–2 chipotle peppers (from can)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into food processor or blender and blend until desired consistency. Taste salsa and, if necessary, adjust seasonings or ingredients. Serve as a condiment or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Notes
–I often make this same recipe, but without chipotle peppers. Simply substitute the chipotle peppers with a fresh jalapeno that has been cut in half with the stem removed. If you like you salsa less spicy, you may want to remove part of the seeds and membrane.
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
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Originally Published January 22, 2014. Revised and Republished April 20, 2019.
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