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Roasted Tomato Salsa

This Roasted Tomato Salsa is packed with flavor from roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeños. Blend with cilantro and salt for fresh, deep flavor of ripe veggies. Use as a topping for your favorite protein or as an appetizer with tortilla chips. This roasted salsa recipe is easy and freezer-friendly.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 40 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex
Calories: 16
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 lbs medium tomatoes about 15-18 count, halved
  • 5-10 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers*, halved and seeded
  • 1 red or green bell pepper cut into quarters and seeded, optional
  • 2 medium yellow onions peeled and quartered
  • 1 head of garlic about 10 whole cloves, peeled
  • 1 medium bunch of cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp fine sea salt

Method
 

  1. Prep – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange your tomatoes cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the jalapenos, bell pepper, onions, and garlic on a second rimmed baking sheet (I prefer an extra-large baking sheet for the tomatoes).
  2. Bake Vegetables – Bake at 375˚F for 25 minutes, or until tomatoes and onions start to soften.
  3. Broil – Move the rack to the highest position in the oven, set the oven to broil, and broil each baking sheet for an additional 2-5 minutes. I start broiling the onion baking sheet first, and then take it out while broiling the tomatoes so that they don't burn. The tops of the peppers should start to look charred (check on the veggies a couple of times to make sure they don't burn). Remove the baking sheets from the oven, being careful not to spill any of the accumulated tomato juices.
  4. Cool and Blend – Let vegetables cool slightly. For the full recipe, I process the salsa in 2 batches in a 14-cup food processor. Add half of the roasted vegetables, cilantro, salt, and some of the pan juices. Pulse until the salsa is mostly smooth with a little texture remaining, stopping before it becomes completely pureed. It should be thick and scoopable, not watery. Add more pan juices as needed to reach your desired consistency, then repeat with the second batch. Add more salt to taste if needed.

Notes

Serrano peppers will produce a spicier salsa.

Storage Tips

  • To Refrigerate – let salsa cool to room temperature, then pour it into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • To Freeze – Pack the salsa into a freezer-safe zip-top bag (for faster thawing) or container, leaving room for expansion. Squeeze out excess air from the bag to prevent freezer burn, and then lay flat and freeze for up to 4 months.
  • To thaw – Place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, or to thaw faster, set in a bowl of cool water for about 2 hours, flipping the bag a couple times.