Homemade Fire Roasted Salsa

What Is Fire Roasted Salsa?

This homemade salsa recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, habanero, lime juice, and salt for authentic Mexican flavor. It’s spicy, savory, and tastes super fresh with a hint of char from roasting the vegetables.

While true “fire roasted” salsa is made by actually roasting the vegetables over an open flame, this easy homemade version is made by charring the vegetables on a super hot cast iron pan to give them that smoky, almost-burnt flavor you’d get from fire roasting. Since we’re not using an open flame, anyone can make this recipe at home, whether you have a gas or electric stove! All you need is a cast iron pan and a blender.

What Is Roasted Salsa Made Of?

You can make this easy homemade fire roasted salsa recipe with just 7 ingredients:

• Roma tomatoes
• White onion
• Jalapeno
• Garlic
• Habanero pepper
• Lime juice
• Salt

Since salsa is so fresh and simple, the quality of your ingredients really matters! You’ll want to pick out the freshest produce for this recipe. If you can get everything from a local farmer’s market, we always recommend shopping local. Not only is it a great way to support your community, but it’s also the best way to get great flavor out of your ingredients! As we learned from Alice Waters, the closer you are to the source of your food, the better it tastes.

Note that produce sizes can vary greatly, so take care when choosing your ingredients that the proportions are balanced properly. For example, while the recipe calls for 3 medium tomatoes, you may need one or two more tomatoes if they’re quite small – or a few less if they’re extra large!

How To Make Homemade Fire Roasted Salsa

To make a restaurant style roasted tomato salsa at home, you’ll simply char the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic on a hot cast iron pan, add them to a blender with habanero, lime juice, and salt, and blend until chunky! It’s really that easy.

Here’s a full step-by-step breakdown on how to make fire roasted tomato salsa in your very own kitchen:

1. First, prep the veggies. Leave the tomatoes, jalapeno, and garlic cloves whole for roasting. Peel the onion and cut it into quarters, so you have plenty of surface area for charring against the pan. Finally, de-stem and de-seed the habanero pepper, and toss it right into the blender (and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling it!).
2. Next, preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s piping hot, carefully place the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and garlic cloves on the pan. Roast them for a few minutes on each side, rotating them carefully during cooking, until all sides are charred. Note: Don’t cook the habanero pepper – this should go into the blender raw.
3. Transfer the tomatoes and jalapeno to a cutting board, and transfer the onion and garlic cloves to a blender. Carefully cut off and discard the tops of the tomatoes and jalapeno, then add them to the blender.
4. Add the lime juice and salt to the blender and blend until slightly chunky, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer to a jar or bowl and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or serving.

While roasting the vegetables, there are 2 things to note:

• You can use a pair of metal tongs to help hold the veggies in place while they char (especially the tomatoes – they like to roll all over the place!)
• Pay attention to each of the vegetables as they cook and don’t be afraid to flip them or take them off the pan at different times. For example, jalapenos have thicker skin than tomatoes and tend to take a little longer to char.

Storing Homemade Fire Roasted Salsa

To store your homemade salsa, we recommend using an air-tight jar like these Mason jars. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and enjoy a spicy snack of chips & salsa whenever the craving hits!

Homemade Roasted Salsa Serving Suggestions

If you ask us, the best way to serve this fire roasted salsa recipe is with corn tortilla chips! Dip them to your heart’s content and enjoy the spicy flavors of this roasted tomato salsa.

This salsa is the perfect appetizer or snack for any party or occasion, including:

• Cinco de Mayo
• Taco Tuesday
• Game day potlucks
• Super Bowl parties
• Family cookouts