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Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Salsa~Salsa » Restaurant-Style Salsa-Easy Tomato Jalapeño Salsa

Restaurant-Style Salsa-Easy Tomato Jalapeño Salsa

June 25, 201730 Comments

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This semi-homemade, Restaurant-Style Salsa(Easy Tomato Jalapeño Salsa) was inspired by a trip to San Antonio, Texas. Many times the restaurants(not all of them) will use canned tomatoes to prepare their table salsa. And even though I do prefer salsa’s prepared with fresh ingredients, this salsa was good! It was kind of addicting.

 After experimenting with the ingredients and the ratio’s, I think I finally was happy with the results of restaurant-style salsa. I served this salsa every Friday at a Mexican lunch I served at the local kitchen store. It especially came in handy during the winter when fresh tomatoes are very expensive in central New York. People really seemed to enjoy the salsa.  It even won me a first place trophy a few years back in a salsa contest, lol! Crazy, right? 

Restaurant-Style Salsa

El Video! I just added two bonus salsa recipes with video at the end of the post! Please go and check it out! Ingredients listed in the notes section.

Restaurant-Style Salsa
Restaurant-Style Salsa
Sauté onions in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3 minutes. Adding raw onions may be to strong, but if you prefer that flavor, that’s ok too.
Restaurant-Style Salsa

One of my nice followers messaged me to tell me she prepared this recipe. She canned it and sent it all the way to Saudi Arabia! Her daughter, who was in the military there, loved it!  The moral of the story is that sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we may need to adapt. My entire life in central New York has been about adapting. Adapting to different situations in a way that makes for a happier life. And whether it’s the most authentic salsa or a semi-homemade, Tex-Mex version, make it the best dang salsa that it can be! #foodieforlife #salsarecipes 

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa #2

This variation of the recipe is prepared with all fresh ingredients, minus the tomato sauce and pickled jalapeños! It taste so fresh with the tang from the pickled jalapeños and lime juice. It’s addicting! The tomato sauce gives the salsa some body and perfect for dipping chips.

restaurant style salsa #2 close up

Grilled Restaurant Style Salsa #3

When I find myself with too much produce or salsa ingredients, I will typically prepare a grilled or roasted salsa. Not only is it delicious for a quick chips n salsa snack, but many times I will use it in my guisados like picadillo or carne con papas.

grilled salsa on a chip close up
Restaurant-Style Salsa

Restaurant-Style Salsa. Easy Tomato Jalapeño Salsa

Easy restaurant-style salsa in minutes!
4.86 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salsa/Sauces
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 Cups

Ingredients

  • 1 large cans 28 oz. of Hunt’s whole tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup of “La Costena” pickled jalapenos sliced, plus 1/4 cup of the brine from jalapeños (The brine from the jalapeños is the key to this tasty and easy salsa recipe)
  • 1/2-3/4 cup of sauteed or grilled white onions diced fine
  • Juice of 1 large lime or 3 key limes, I do prefer the flavor of key limes
  • 2 cloves of fresh garlic or 1 tsp. of granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper
  • salt to taste
  • medium handful of cilantro

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in the blender, minus the cilantro. Pulse to blend until desired consistency. Add the cilantro and pulse a few more times. Taste for salt. The flavors will improve in a day!

Notes

Tips~ The original version Salsa #1,  I prepared had  2 teaspoons of onion powder. For the contest I entered we sautéed onions and added them. It was tasty! The salsa will taste better the next day.
 
Fresh Salsa #2
6 roma tomatoes
1 c onion
3 large fresh jalapeños
8 0z tomato sauce
3 small pickled jalapeños
1/2 c brine from pickled jalapeños
juice of 2 limes
Cilantro, to taste
Salt, to taste
 
Grilled Salsa #3
Ingredients were previously grilled
7 small-medium vine ripe tomatoes or Roma tomatoes
4-6 serrano peppers
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
3 pickled jalapeños 1/3 c brine from pickled jalapeños
Some of the pickled carrots, optional
1/2 c cold water
Cilantro, to taste
Salt, to taste
3 green onions
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
Restaurant-Style Salsa
Restaurant-Style Salsa-Easy Tomato Jal
Restaurant-Style Salsa

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Filed Under: Salsa Recipes, Salsa~Salsa, Tex Mex Tagged With: Easy Recipes, New Post, Restaurant-Style Salsa, Tex Mex, Tomato Jalapeño Salsa

Previous Post: « Spicy Taqueria-Style Salsa
Next Post: How To Prepare Homemade Chamoy! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. alberttrotter

    July 1, 2017 at 11:29 am

    the salsa was a thick but overall the taste was so yummy and the flavors were so balanced

    Reply
    • Sonia

      July 2, 2017 at 4:33 pm

      The salsa is usually on the thick side. So happy you liked it. Thanks so much for your feedback!

      Reply
  2. Zachary Evans

    September 22, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    The lime juice was too much for me, next time I will half it or leave it out completely. Great taste and texture, I won’t be buying salsa again.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 23, 2017 at 7:51 am

      Yes, I know the lime juice can be a bit much for some. Sometimes it’s just tasty to be able to taste all of the fresh ingredients on their own. Thanks so much for the feedback.

      Reply
  3. Scott

    February 4, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    This was so good. Wife and my youngest said it was the best they ever had and we live in Phoenix where there is a lot of salsa

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 5, 2018 at 11:21 am

      Oh, good Scott! I love to hear this! I was surprised on how much I loved it with all the other authentic sala’s that I prepare, lol!

      Reply
  4. Curtis

    August 31, 2019 at 8:41 am

    Spot on to El Vaquero restaurant salsa (Columbus, OH). 15 years ago my friends had pried the “secret ingredient” out of a waiter, the pickled jalapeños, but not the brine! Used a clove of fresh garlic instead of powder, and half the jalapeños and brine (theirs is mild, and my kids have sensitive palettes). Fantastic salsa! (PS: I did not drain my can of whole peeled tomatoes, maybe the commenter above did?)

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 9, 2019 at 6:46 am

      Thank you Curtis. I sometimes like to use garlic powder when it’s good quality. My mom used to say that adding fresh garlic to the salsa would cause it to spoil faster, so that’s where the powder comes into play.

      Reply
  5. Elizabeth

    October 12, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    The salsa tasted amazing! Thank you. We could not stop eating it.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      October 12, 2019 at 11:17 pm

      Hi Elizabeth! I am so happy you tried the recipe. I was just talking to my husband about how I wanted to experiment with a tomatillo version of this salsa! maybe tomorrow. It’s a delicious and quick recipe that is perfect for a big bowl of chips!

      Reply
  6. Patty

    March 25, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    Hello Sonia, I’m wondering if I can use fresh tomatoes instead? I don’t have any canned ones and really trying not to go out rn. Excited to try this salsa. Thanks 🙏🏼 you’re amazing!!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 25, 2020 at 8:03 pm

      Hi Patty, well of you can use fresh, but the idea for this recipe was to use pantry ingredients when fresh was not available. If you use fresh tomatoes, I would suggest cooking the salsa afterwards, otherwise it’s going to spoil fast.

      Reply
  7. Agustin

    December 6, 2020 at 8:24 am

    Greetings from Chile!! And thank you very much for sharing this recipe. You couldn’t imagine how happy you made our family and guests yesterday with your salsa recipe. In my country it’s not easy to find many ingredients from the Mexican cuisine, but I found by chance a couple cans of La Costeña pickled jalapenos, abandoned in a dusty aisle in my local supermarket … but then I had to manage what to do with them, and that’s how I found your magic recipe searching the net… maybe it was just destiny!. The warmest regards from a happy family from Chile!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 6, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      Agustin, I am sooo happy you stumbled upon some jalapenos from La Costena! Yay!! They really are my favorite brand! I prepare all kinds of salsa from scratch and when I had to used canned tomatoes, I didn’t think it was going to work. I was pleasantly surprised how tasty it was. It’s my go to salsa when I need a salsa in a hurry. Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  8. Andrew

    April 25, 2021 at 3:14 am

    Thanks so much for this easy and great recipe. I am a Californian currently living in Scotland and have been craving real salsa for ages – now making this simple salsa every week! Keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 26, 2021 at 9:40 am

      Hi Andrew! I am so happy you enjoyed the salsa recipe. It saved me when fresh tomatoes were way too expensive in upstate New York. People really enjoyed it!

      Reply
  9. Beau

    September 11, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    Best salsa I have ever had!! Exactly like a favorite local restaurant of mine that closed down. I used to bring in a huge container for them to fill every week. I was so sad to see them go and I also lost my favorite ever salsa. Until now! You have no idea how happy you made me. Thanks for bringing some joy back into my life. Only difference is I used green onions, little canola oil, and a pinch of fresh garlic. Thanks again!!!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 11, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      Hi Beau! This makes me very happy too! Awesome!!

      Reply
  10. charlene payne

    September 14, 2022 at 3:30 pm

    how do i can this?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 14, 2022 at 4:42 pm

      Hi Charlene! Honestly, I have never canned salsa before. Followers who experienced in this have written to me and told me they have canned the salsa. I know there are many, many easy to follow canning videos on YouTube. I myself would love to learn how to can salsa.

      Reply
  11. Daniel Gonzales

    March 9, 2023 at 3:51 pm

    Greetings, did you include the juice from the canned tomatoes or drain it off and discard?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      March 10, 2023 at 7:22 am

      I add the whole can including any juice.

      Reply
  12. Ken Woods

    May 20, 2023 at 7:13 am

    Sonia, I have been making different salsa recipes for years. I knew as soon as I read the ingredients to your recipe that this was going to be amazing. And it did not disappoint. Everyone who tried it wanted the recipe. Which I was happy to share. I have cooked many of your recipes and I have loved every dish.
    Thanks for sharing your super power.
    Regards, Ken

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 20, 2023 at 3:02 pm

      Thank you Ken! I sometimes wish more people would give this easy salsa recipe a chance. I think most people shy away from it because it’s prepared with canned whole tomatoes. I think people enjoy it more than they would imagine once they try it.

      Reply
  13. Rene

    September 12, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    Can I can this recipe?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      September 12, 2023 at 1:05 pm

      Rene, honestly, I am not familiar with canning salsa, but I have had followers tell me that they have canned this salsa. It does have some vinegar from the jalapeños, so I believe that is good for canning.

      Reply
  14. Erin

    February 24, 2024 at 8:27 am

    This salsa is AMAZING. Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 24, 2024 at 7:31 pm

      Oh! Wonderful! I am so happy you liked the salsa recipe Erin!

      Reply
  15. Curtis

    April 11, 2024 at 9:34 am

    Just like our favorite Mexican restaurant salsa (El Vaquero). A bit spicier, so reduce the amount of pickled jalapeño for the kids.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tomato Salsa Recipes. Salsa de Mesa- Table Salsa - La Piña en la Cocina says:
    December 8, 2019 at 10:56 pm

    […] https://pinaenlacocina.com/salsa-picante-cooked-tomato-salsa/Restaurant-Style Salsa https://pinaenlacocina.com/restaurant-style-salsa-easy-tomato-jalapeno-salsa/Chiltomate Salsa https://pinaenlacocina.com/salsas-cooked-dry-roasted-and-fresh/Dry […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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