This fresh tomato jalapeno salsa (Pico de Gallo) goes perfectly with a bag of tortilla chips! Made with a few simple ingredients this dip packs a lot of flavor in every bite.
To say that I enjoy Pico de Gallo would be an understatement. I am a HUGE fan of Pico de Gallo with jalapenos and with my mother-in-law's garden in full bloom, these are one of the only things not being attacked by the chickens, so I've got plenty to work with.
This homemade salsa with jalapenos is amongst my favorite uses for these fresh green things, besides Jalapeno Cheddar Beer Bread, that is.
If you have any leftover salsa don't forget that you can turn it into 4 Ingredient Guacamole. But it's totally okay if you don't have any Pico de Gallo left over because we never do!
Why This Recipe Works
- It's conveniently simple. Chop, stir, wait, eat. The steps for this recipe are so basic and simple that there really isn't much to it. Perfect for when you want some chunky jalapeno salsa but don't want to put in a lot of effort.
- Minimal ingredients. We don't need very much to make this salsa, just a small handful of ingredients like fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro.
- The salsa tastes even better the next day! I know not many foods fit into the "better as leftovers" category but this salsa really does. It's rare that we have leftovers but when we do, the flavors are better because they've had much longer to meld together.
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make tomato jalapeno salsa with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Add all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Toss together to combine. Taste and adjust as needed.
Cover the bowl and place it into the fridge to sit for at least 30 minutes. This will help the flavors to develop.
Serve with tortilla chips or as desired. Enjoy!
🧾 Substitutions
If you don't have lime juice you can use lemon juice but if you do, I highly recommend using a much smaller portion and adjusting to taste as a little lemon goes a long way and can alter the overall taste of the salsa.
📖 Fire Roasted Jalapeno Salsa Version
If you want your salsa cooked instead of fresh, it officially becomes "salsa" and no longer Pico de Gallo, but it's made with the same ingredients- just with more steps involved.
Oven Roasted Method
- Rinse and de-stem tomatoes, slice or quarter, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. You can add the jalapenos and even the peeled whole garlic cloves and onions to the baking sheet as well if desired.
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender or food processor and process until smooth or the consistency you want.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Prepare the veggies by peeling and quartering the onion, and tomatoes. Place them into a bowl. Add the garlic cloves (still in their peels).
- Slice the jalapenos in half and discard the seeds and membranes inside, or leave the seeds if you want it spicy.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over all of them and toss to coat.
- Place into your air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until all are charred.
- Remove from basket and place into a blender or food processor. Make sure to peel the garlic.
- Add in cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until your desired consistency.
🍴 Recipe Tips
How to Prepare Jalapenos
Prepping the jalapenos is easy, but there are a few things worth noting. For example, I highly recommend that you use gloved hands when handling the jalapenos.
This is because the inside of the jalapenos the oils inside can physically burn your skin and cause blisters or irritation that is difficult to remove. If you touch a jalapeno and then touch another sensitive spot on your body (like your eyes) you risk injuring your eyes by spreading these oils.
How to Seed a Jalapeno
With your gloved hands, use a sharp knife to cut the stem off of the top of the cleaned jalapeno pepper.
Slice the jalapeno lengthwise in half from tip to top and open it up to reveal the seeds inside.
Use a sharp paring knife to run along the inside of the jalapeno removing the seeds and membranes from inside. These are what contain the spicy heat, so if you want your salsa spicy, leave a few seeds in, but if you want your salsa mild, remove and wash off all of the seeds.
Now cut your jalapeno into long strips, before dicing it into smaller squares. Use these for your salsa or as desired and enjoy.
💭 FAQs
This salsa can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge. I recommend eating it within 2 or 3 days for the best tasting results.
No, unfortunately, this is not a recipe that should be used for canning purposes. This recipe has not been tested for proper food safety canning practices and is best made and served fresh.
We love to keep it simple with this recipe. Serving them with a nice side of tortilla chips, nachos, or over eggs on toast (with a little avocado) yum! Leftover Pico de Gallo can be turned into guacamole too!
More great appetizer recipes to check out soon
- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread
- 4 Ingredient Guacamole
- Mini Spinach Artichoke Dip Bread Bowls
- Southern Deviled Eggs
- Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip
- Guacamole Without Cilantro
📖 Recipe
Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 med tomatoes ($1.16)
- 1 onion, diced (1 cup) ($0.70)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced ($0.10)
- 2 jalapenos, seeds removed ($0.84
- ½ cup chopped cilantro ($0.22
- 1-2 tablespoon lime juice ($0.16)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.10)
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Toss together to combine. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Cover the bowl and place it into the fridge to sit for at least 30 minutes. This will help the flavors to develop.
- Serve with tortilla chips or as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions
- If you don't have lime juice you can use lemon juice but if you do, I highly recommend using a much smaller portion and adjusting to taste as a little lemon goes a long way and can alter the overall taste of the salsa.
Fire Roasted Jalapeno Salsa Version
- If you want your salsa cooked instead of fresh, it officially becomes "salsa" and no longer Pico de Gallo, but it's made with the same ingredients- just with more steps involved.
- Rinse and de-stem tomatoes, slice or quarter, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. You can add the jalapenos and even the peeled whole garlic cloves and onions to the baking sheet as well if desired. Add all of the ingredients to your blender or food processor and process until smooth or the consistency you want.
- Prepare the veggies by peeling and quartering the onion, and tomatoes. Place them into a bowl. Add the garlic cloves (still in their peels). Slice the jalapenos in half and discard the seeds and membranes inside, or leave the seeds if you want it spicy. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over all of them and toss to coat.
- Place into your air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until all are charred. Remove from basket and place into a blender or food processor. Make sure to peel the garlic. Add in cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until your desired consistency.
How to Prepare Jalapenos
- I highly recommend that you use gloved hands when handling the jalapenos. This is because the inside of the jalapenos the oils inside can physically burn your skin and cause blisters or irritation that is difficult to remove. If you touch a jalapeno and then touch another sensitive spot on your body (like your eyes) you risk injuring your eyes by spreading these oils.
- With your gloved hands, use a sharp knife to cut the stem off of the top of the cleaned jalapeno pepper. Slice the jalapeno lengthwise in half from tip to top and open it up to reveal the seeds inside. Use a sharp paring knife to run along the inside of the jalapeno removing the seeds and membranes from inside. These are what contain the spicy heat, so if you want your salsa spicy, leave a few seeds in, but if you want your salsa mild, remove and wash off all of the seeds. Now cut your jalapeno into long strips, before dicing it into smaller squares. Use these for your salsa or as desired and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- This salsa can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge. I recommend eating it within 2 or 3 days for the best tasting results.
- This is not a recipe that should be used for canning purposes. This recipe has not been tested for proper food safety canning practices and is best made and served fresh.
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