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Author:
Tracy Nawara
It is so easy to buy salsa from a jar at the grocery store, but making your own can unlock flavors you didn’t know you could create at home! A few easy-to-find ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, and onion combine to make several flavorful salsa recipes. It’s so simple to assemble!
For a charred, roasted flavor, try this incredible Spicy Roasted Jalapeno Salsa Recipe! Most ingredients are roasted in a very hot oven so that they develop a smoky vibrant flavor. After roasting, all ingredients are diced and made into salsa with tart fresh lime juice and herby cilantro.
To make this salsa recipe, you will need to first roast your vegetables. The tomatoes are roasted first, which caramelizes the sugars naturally found in them. Whole peeled garlic is also roasted alongside the tomatoes to char and sweeten alongside the tomatoes. The tomatoes are then peeled and the garlic is smashed before adding to the salsa.
The star of the whole dish is the roasted charred jalapeno. The skins are blistered and blackened in the oven, making it super easy to peel them from the pepper. The secret is to trap steam after cooking by using foil. This helps to loosen the skin from the jalapeno, which is discarded while the jalapenos are chopped and added to the tomatoes.
Good salsa recipes always call for freshly diced onion for that contrast between charred vegetables and fresh ones. The balance between the two is enhanced further using freshly chopped cilantro and piquant lime juice. The classic salsa flavors meet this charred smoky flavor, creating the freshest, most mouth-watering salsa ever.
Serve this salsa during your next gathering. Guests will think you catered this salsa from a fancy restaurant, it’s that good! Serve with tortilla chips, freshly cut veggies, or your favorite salsa accouterment. It is even great on tacos and quesadillas!
Preheat the broiler to 500 degrees F. On a baking sheet, add the olive oil and use your fingers to distribute it across the surface of the sheet.
Halve your tomatoes and place them cut-side-down on the oiled baking sheet. Lay the peeled garlic cloves in between the tomatoes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes are charred and their skin is separating from the tomato flesh.
Remove the tomatoes and garlic from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Remove the tomato skins and discard them. Dice the tomatoes and finely mince the garlic and add them both to a mixing bowl. Scrape off any browned tomato bits from the baking sheet into the bowl with the tomatoes and garlic.
Rinse the baking sheet and dry it well. Add the whole jalapenos and place under the broiler for 2 minutes and flip. Remove from the oven when the pepper’s skin is blistering and charred.
Remove the pan from the oven and cover the baking sheet with foil to trap steam. This will help the peppers peel better. Allow them to sit covered for 5-10 minutes.
Peel the skin from the jalapeno peppers. Then give them a chop, sized similar to the tomatoes. Add them to the bowl with the tomatoes and garlic. Leave the seeds in or take them out for a less spicy salsa.
Finally, add the diced sweet onion, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and a final sprinkling of salt and pepper to the tomatoes and peppers. Stir together well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving with your favorite tortilla chips. This allows the flavors to blend and become one cohesive salsa. If the tomatoes are not very sweet, you can also add a small pinch of sugar to bring out all the flavors.
