Break out the tortilla chips! This homemade salsa recipe is zesty, fresh, and super easy to make. Enjoy it as a dip, or pile it onto tacos, nachos, and more.

If I learned one thing from living in Austin, it’s that homemade salsa is infinitely better than any kind in a jar. I loved sampling salsas at restaurants and taco trucks. Each one was different—some were made with roasted ingredients, others got a smoky, spicy kick from dried chiles, and still others were nice and fresh.

This variety inspired me to start experimenting with making homemade salsa. I might pull out dried chiles in the winter, when good tomatoes are hard to find, or roast tomatillos if I see them at the farmers market. But on hot summer days, this fresh tomato salsa recipe is the one I crave. It’s super simple to make (no cooking required!), and it’s zesty, spicy, and bright. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, but around here, it never lasts that long. Set it out with your favorite tortilla chips, and it’ll disappear in a snap!

Homemade Salsa Recipe Ingredients

You only need a few fresh ingredients to make this easy salsa recipe:

• Fresh tomatoes, of course! I like to use roma tomatoes here because they’re meatier and less watery than salad tomatoes. If you can’t find them, another variety of small plum tomatoes would work too.
• Onion and garlic – For sharp depth of flavor! Rinse the onion before adding it to the food processor to mellow its pungent taste.
• Fresh lime juice and zest – They make this recipe zesty and bright.
• Jalapeño – For heat! If you’re sensitive to spice, make sure to remove the seeds.
• Cilantro – It adds fresh flavor and pretty flecks of green.
• Cumin – Its earthy flavor adds complexity to the zesty sauce.
• Sugar – Just a pinch! It really brings this recipe together, taming the sharp, acidic flavors of the other ingredients.
• Salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Salsa

Once you learn how to make salsa at home, you’ll never buy it in a jar again! Here’s what you need to do:

Start with the onion and garlic. Rinse the onion under cold running water, and add it to the food processor along with a garlic clove. Process until they’re well-chopped.

Next, add the other ingredients. Toss in the diced tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and zest, cumin, salt, and sugar. Pulse until everything is combined but not pureed. The texture should be chunky. Season to taste, and enjoy!

• No food processor? No problem. You can make this salsa recipe in a blender too. Just be careful not to over-process it so that it still retains some texture.

Fresh Salsa Recipe Tips

• Spice to your level. I like my salsa to have a spicy kick, so I use an entire jalapeño in this recipe. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with half a chile, and remove the seeds. Taste before serving. If you want it spicier, blend in more of the jalapeño to taste!
• Pulse the onion and garlic first. It’s easy to over-process homemade salsa. Then, instead of getting chunky salsa, you’ll end up with a gazpacho-like puree…not what we’re going for here! To help everything process evenly, pulse the onion and garlic in the food processor separately before adding the other ingredients. With the onion and garlic already chopped, you’ll only need to process the tomatoes for a little bit, so you can achieve a nice chunky texture.
• You might want to strain it. The consistency of this salsa varies depending on the water content of the tomatoes. If it’s too watery, strain half to remove some of the liquid. Combine the chunky strained mixture with the remaining salsa. If you still prefer a chunkier texture, strain out more of the liquid to reach your desired consistency.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up eating half your homemade salsa straight from the food processor. Served with tortilla chips, it’s an addictive dip! But of course, there are other delicious ways to enjoy it too. Here are a few of my favorites:

How do you like to enjoy homemade salsa? Let me know in the comments!

More Zesty Dips and Sauces

If you love this recipe, try one of these tasty dips or sauces next:

Homemade Salsa

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Serves 4

This fresh salsa recipe is super zesty and bright! Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, or pile it onto tacos, burritos, and more. Find more serving suggestions in the post above.

• ¼ white onion, rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 pound Roma or other small tomatoes, cut into large chunks
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (seeds removed, optional)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch sugar

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• In a food processor, combine the onion and garlic. Pulse until well chopped.

• Add the tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, salt, cumin, and sugar. Pulse until combined but still chunky.

• The consistency of this salsa varies depending on the water content of the tomatoes. If it’s too watery, strain half to remove some of the liquid. Combine the chunky strained mixture with the remaining salsa. If you still prefer a chunkier texture, strain out more of the liquid to reach your desired consistency.
  

This corn salsa recipe is easy to make with fresh corn, peppers, cilantro, and lime. Zesty, sweet, and spicy, it’s delicious on tacos, burritos, and more!

This corn salsa recipe is full of fresh summer flavor! Sweet, juicy corn kernels play off crisp bell peppers and red onion, spicy jalapeños, cilantro, and zesty lime. I love to serve it as a summer appetizer with tortilla chips, and it’s also great on burrito bowls, taco salads, and more. Think Chipotle’s corn salsa, but better.

Like many of my favorite summer recipes, this corn salsa is easy to make. Simply dice up the veggies, chop the corn kernels off the cob, and stir everything together.

If you’re doing the math, that means that I use raw corn in this salsa. I love its crisp texture and super-sweet flavor here, but if you prefer to use cooked corn, feel free. Boiled corn and grilled corn would both work great.

Corn Salsa Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this fresh corn salsa recipe:

• Fresh corn on the cob – You’ll need about 3 ears of corn to make this recipe. If you can’t find in-season fresh sweet corn, use thawed frozen corn instead.
• Red onion and garlic – For sharp depth of flavor.
• Red bell pepper – I love its brilliant red color against the pale yellow corn. It also adds a nice crunch!
• Finely chopped cilantro – It adds fresh flavor and pretty flecks of green.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice – For bright, zesty flavor.
• Jalapeño – It gives the salsa a spicy kick. Use pickled jalapeños instead of raw ones to make your salsa extra-tangy.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper to tie it all together!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

What to Serve with Corn Salsa

There are so many delicious ways to serve this corn salsa! Here are a few of my favorites:

What’s your favorite way to eat corn salsa? Let me know in the comments!

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

If you’re making this corn salsa recipe for a party or gathering, feel free to prep it up to 1 day ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. I think the flavors actually improve as the salsa sits!

If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days (though if your house is anything like ours, I doubt they’ll last that long).

More Favorite Salsa Recipes

If you love this recipe, try making one of these fresh salsas next:

Easy Corn Salsa

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

Serves 6

This corn salsa recipe is a fresh, easy summer appetizer! I like to make it with raw corn for crunch. You could also grill the corn to add smoky, charred flavor. Both versions are delicious!

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 3 ears of corn
• ¾ cup diced red onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and diced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

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• In a medium bowl, combine the corn, onion, cilantro, bell pepper, lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

• Chill until ready to use. Serve with chips for dipping or scoop onto tacos, burgers, or salads!