Easy Homemade Salsa with Pantry Ingredients

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An easy, Homemade Salsa recipe, using pantry ingredients you may already have on hand. And it only takes about 1 minute to whip up.

Homemade Salsa with slices of lime in a blue and white bowl

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How often have you thought you had salsa in the pantry, only to find it empty? Me too, so many times I can’t even count them all.

Or, the store bought salsa jar sitting in the refrigerator with a “use within 7 days of opening” label — and that was… when?

Of course, it does always happen on game day, an impromptu gathering, Taco Tuesday, or simply when you’re craving chips and salsa.

Enter… homemade salsa.

It’s incredibly easy to make, utterly delicious with fresh flavors, and completely adaptable to heat and spice preferences.

The best part is that the salsa ingredients may likely be in your pantry right now.

Here’s what you need to make homemade salsa.

Homemade Salsa Ingredients

Specific ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a summary of the ingredients.

Can of tomatoes
Small can of green chilis (or jalapenos)
Garlic
Red onion
Cilantro (dried or fresh)
Fresh parsley (optional but too good not to!)
Salt, cumin, chili powder, and a dash of sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime

Equipment Needed to Make Homemade Salsa

This homemade salsa comes together quickly. All you need is a food processor or blender. I prefer a food processor or mini processor to a blender, but that works, too. Be careful not to overprocess. You want it a bit on the chunky side.

Side view of Homemade Salsa in a blue bowl with tortilla chips

How to Make Homemade Salsa

Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times until you achieve the desired consistency.

I like salsa chunkier, so, I pulse in 1-second increments until the ingredients are roughly the same size. If you have about 10 minutes, you might love our fresh salsa recipe which uses fresh tomatoes and other ingredients.

How to Add Heat to Salsa

If you like salsa on the spicy side, switch the canned chili peppers to canned jalapenos, or even fresh jalapenos with their seeds. Or add a drop of hot sauce or sriracha to taste.

FAQs: Homemade Salsa

How long does homemade salsa last?

This homemade salsa will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. I like to refrigerate in a lidded glass jar.

What kind of canned tomatoes do you use in Homemade Salsa?

Any kind of canned tomatoes works well. Fire-roasted tomatoes are incredible, canned tomatoes with green chilis also work, as does diced tomatoes. If you can find salsa-style canned tomatoes, they are especially delicious.

Can you add fresh peppers to this salsa?

Absolutely! Add 1/2 of a roughly chopped bell pepper. Other options are a poblano, Anaheim, Hatch, or serrano for extra heat.

Can you freeze Homemade Salsa?

You can absolutely freeze homemade salsa. The fresh ingredients, like herbs, onion, and garlic won’t be as crisp, but the flavors will develop deliciously! If you have leftover salsa, consider freezing it for up to 4 months.

Homemade Salsa in a Mason Jar — Yes — I reuse my glass pasta jars!

Recipes that use Salsa

Having a jar of fresh salsa in the refrigerator is a delicious way to enhance recipes. Here are a few I use frequently:

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