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Chiliโs Salsa has always been a favorite, and this copycat recipe tastes just like it! Easy restaurant style salsa recipe made at home in just minutes!
Not gonna lie, even though itโs probably not cool to admitโฆI love Chiliโs chips and salsa! The chips are so thin and salty, the salsa is the perfect texture with exactly the right amount of spice.
Honestly, Chiliโs salsa is just irresistible, so it was only a matter of time before we shared a homemade version!
Not a fan of the smooth restaurant style salsa? Try our pico de gallo instead!
what we love about this recipe:
Not only does this salsa taste just like it came from Chiliโs, we always have the ingredients on hand since nearly everything comes from a can!
The result is a surprisingly fresh and flavor salsa that takes minutes to whip up and doesnโt require a trip to the store!
And donโt freak out about the can situation! I know a lot of people hear โsalsa recipeโ and instantly think of a ton of fresh produce. I am here to tell you that, in this instance (and possibly ONLY in this instance) homemade salsa from canned tomatoes just tastes better!
Ingredient Notes:
Tomato โ We buy whole peeled canned tomatoes.
Jalapeno โ We always have a jar of โtamedโ jalapeno slices in our pantry. Use fresh jalapenos for more of a spicy kick.
Cilantro โ This one is optional! Chiliโs doesnโt actually use cilantro, but itโs a must for me when I make it at home.
What Readers are Saying!
โMy favorite salsa to date! Will never buy store bought ever again. I make it extremely mild as I can not tolerate any heat, but even at that its still phenomenal! For anyone who wants to skip the cilantro, donโt do it! It pulls all of the flavors together and makes this salsa perfect! Thank you for another great recipe.โ โ Brandy H.
How To Make Salsa Recipe:
Blend: Youโll need a can of whole, peeled tomatoes, an onion, some jalapeno, garlic, cumin, lime, salt, and cilantro.
Add everything to a blender or food processor and process until the mixture is mostly smooth. And if you are feeling bad about using canned ingredients, try balancing it out by using a fresh squeezed lime for the juice! It makes a big difference!
I love how quick this homemade Mexican salsa comes together, with just a few whirs in the blender to get the perfect consistency.
Serve: Once itโs blended to your preferred consistency, feel free to adjust the spiciness by adding more or less jalapenos, but keep in mind that this gets spicier after itโs sat for awhile.
For the best flavor, pop this in the fridge for a couple of hours. As I mentioned, it does get spicier the longer it sits.
Thatโs about it! This is a super simple salsa recipe.
Use this recipe to top my Fried Tacos or as a dip for these easy Homemade Air Fryer Tortilla Chips.
FAQโs:
The texture is the main difference between the two salsas. Restaurant style salsa is much smoother and the ingredients are more finely chopped, thanks to a whirl in the blender or food processor. Chunky Salsa just has a chunkier texture.
You can absolutely skip the cilantro in this salsa recipe if itโs not a flavor you enjoy. You could also add in a small handful of parsley in place of the cilantro, if you still want some fresh herbs in your salsa.
Store your Chiliโs salsa in the fridge, tightly covered, for up 5 days.
MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Roasted Tomatilla Salsa โ If youโre looking for a way to use up some of your garden veggies, this is the best option! Everything gets roasted in the oven and then blended together for a super flavorful salsa verde.
Mexican Cornbread Skillet โ Cornbread and taco ingredients get combined into a tasty skillet dish!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice โ Low carb, healthy, and so flavorful!
Cream Cheese Salsa Dip โ If youโve never tried adding cream cheese to salsa, you should stop what youโre doing now and make it happen.
Taco Casserole โ Getting tired of traditional tacos? You might like my taco lasagna!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos โ one of our favorite recipes around here!
Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons diced canned jalapeno
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cilantro optional
Instructions
- Add everything to a blender or food processor and process until mostly smooth.
- Taste and add additional salt or lime juice as desired. Add additional jalapeno as desired, keeping in mind that the salsa will get spicier the longer it sits.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Natanja || Home Baked Bliss says
I totally know what you mean with โcanned sometimes tastes betterโ. Itโs definitely true for some recipes! Love the look of this salsa! I could just dive right in (with a tortilla chip in my hand).
leslie says
You know that โRestaurant is spelled incorrectly in the photoโฆ.but the salsa recipe is great!,
Adina says
We donโt know much about salsa here in Germany, I have only had the bottled one, which is not exactly impressive. Yours looks great and I am sure it is so much better than the bought one. I will keep this in mind for the next time we have tacos or tortillas.
Carissa Nelosn says
Iโm so excited this tastes better with canned tomatoes! Iโm just lazy, so I love that laziness is rewarded in this recipe! Canโt wait to try it!
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
This salsa looks so inviting! I just want to dive into the whole bowl! Gimmee!
Terrell says
My sister is a huge baby and wonโt eat a lot of things including mayonnaise, eggs, and chopped vegetables like onions, green peppers, etc. She will buy a jar of salsa, dip chips in them, and scrape the onions and such back into the jar. By the end of the jar, the โsalsaโ is a mess of dehydrated onions in a a thick paste of what used to be liquid. Gonna make this for her and see how she likes it. If this recipe is half as good as what your sense of humor seems to be, I think I can finally get her to stop with the irrational onion phobia.
Karly says
Haha! My husband is the same way. No chunks for him in his salsa! I donโt think he eats this one either, though so be warned. ๐
Alyssa says
i hate chunky salsa and Iโve had no luck finding a smooth store bought one. Gonna have to give this a try!
Karly says
@Alyssa,
Enjoy!
connie says
I have made this for a long time and I also love to put tiny pieces of avocado in it after it comes out of the blenderโฆyummy
kenneth says
Just made this salsa and mmmmmmmmmmmmm delicious. I just added 2 cans of tomatoes cause i love tomatoes. This recipe is GREAT.
Nancy says
I made this salsa today and itโs delicious. I used a seeded fresh jalapeno and definitely used cilantro. It looks just like the picture and itโs great straight from the food processor, so I canโt wait to taste it later.
Julie says
Wow, this is easy! I agree with โya gotta have the cilantroโ!
Erin @ One Particular Kitchen says
I LOOOOOOVE This kind of salsa! Looks awesome!
Kristi says
I always thought that I like pico de gallo, and that was about it, but this salsa looks so good. I need to give it a try!
jules says
looks perfectโฆpinned for next salsa making day
Joanne says
there is definitely a time and a place for smooth salsa! I mean, itโs just so much easier to get onto the chips!