Restaurant Style Salsa is a surprisingly easy and fresh tasting homemade salsa made with Rotel tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno. Perfect when fresh tomatoes are out of season or out of your pantry!
This post was originally published on February 22, 2010. In December 2020 it was updated with new photos and additional commentary.
I've recently rediscovered the Pioneer Woman. This may sound a little strange, but I went to her blog off and on several years ago. For some reason, it was really confusing to me. This was before my Google Reader days, and all those different forums - photography, cooking, etc. - were just overwhelming, so much to the point that I didn't visit very often. After all the buzz about her cookbook tour this past Fall, I added her to my Google Reader and have been pleasantly surprised. I see why so many people love her blog. I know it will be a great resource for me when I finally take the plunge and get a DSLR camera too!
Recently PW posted this Restaurant Style Salsa. Now, I have two favorite salsa recipes already (here and here), but her pictures looked so good and I figured it couldn't hurt to try another, so I made it for Super Bowl.
The problem is that I now have 3 favorite salsas! I can't decide among them! The black bean(less) salsa is an entirely different beast in my mind, but PW's is very similar to this one, yet I love them both. Maybe someday I will make them side by side, but I have a feeling I will just keep going back and forth between them 🙂 Plus, each batch makes a LOT of salsa!
PW's salsa is exceptionally fresh tasting, despite not having any fresh tomatoes. It's really delicious. With how quick and simple it is to whip up a batch of fresh salsa, it makes me think twice about buying it from the store (Unless Rick Bayless's Frontera salsa is on sale of course!) As of now, I plan to keep making all of these salsas, and often 🙂
Recipe Details
This recipe couldn't be easier. All of the ingredients are combined in the bowl of a food processor and then pulsed to achieve a consistency of your choice.
This is a very important step. Using a tortilla chip, test the salsa for salt. It likely will need salt, you'll just have to add small amounts and keep testing. It's a rough job, I know.
These are the original photos from the post published on February 22, 2010.
LOOKING FOR MORE SALSA RECIPES?
Check out my favorite salsa recipes:
Fresh Homemade Salsa
Best Corn and Tomato Salsa
Mango Salsa
And you might enjoy my Salsa Recipe Showdown where the Restaurant Style Salsa goes head to head with 2 other recipes!
📖 Recipe
Restaurant Style Salsa
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (10 ounces)
- 1 can mild Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles (10 ounces)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 whole jalapeno (quartered and sliced thin, with or without rib and seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup cilantro (more to taste)
- juice from ½ lime
Instructions
- Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you the salsa to the consistency you prefer (around 10 to 15 pulses).28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juice, 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, 1 can mild Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 whole jalapeno, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ cup cilantro, juice from ½ lime
- Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust salt and seasoning as needed.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican fare.
CaSaundraLeigh says
I actually saw the pioneer woman in Minneapolis when she was on her book tour--she does have some amazing recipes and I have never tried making homemade salsa, so I may have to try this one! It looks delish!
Melissa says
That looks so good and easy. I'm from Texas, so to me chips and salsa is comfort food!
Bob says
Looks great! Yeah, Ree is the bomb. Heh.
Kathleen says
I made it for the Super Bowl as well (along with her hot wings and cheese dip) and it was a hit!! Doesn't she have such wonderful recipes?
Maria says
Looks easy and tasty and you can't go wrong with Ree:)
Reeni says
I can see by the rich color how delicious it is! And I love that you don't need fresh tomatoes. So convenient.
Unknown says
What a great recipe! We've been snacking on nachos this week, and I really wish I had this salsa instead of the jarred stuff I've been eating. It looks so much fresher and brighter, and from those ingredients, it must have great flavor!
La Bella Cooks says
HI Meghan, hope you are doing good. This salsa looks amazing and the color is incredible. What a fun recipe.
Unknown says
My variation uses hot Rotel (or sometimes the Mexican variety) and fire-roasted tomatoes. We really like it.
Kerstin says
I've been meaning to make this - it does look yummy! Super cute picture of it in the tortilla chip too 🙂