Chili’s Salsa
This super simple copycat Chili’s Salsa whips up in five minutes. Tomatoes, onions, a special blend of seasonings and a touch of jalapeño are all you need to get that favorite restaurant salsa at home!
A RESTAURANT FAVORITE APPETIZER
This salsa is so easy to make and whips up quickly. Chili’s Salsa has a nice, smooth flavor and consistency that doesn’t drown out the flavor of whatever other food you eat it with. I think this salsa tastes a lot, if not better, than the salsa they serve at Chili’s restaurants.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No. It does not need to be. If you are using fresh tomatoes, you will want to par-boil the tomatoes to remove the skins. Then you will want to gently cook them until they turn soft to make for a nice, smooth salsa.
If you are going to can salsa or you purchased jarred salsa, you will notice there is some sort of additional acid added like vinegar. This is to prevent any type of dangerous bacteria from growing. But for fresh salsa that you will be eating right away, it is not necessary.
The basic traditional salsa is simply made with tomatoes, onion, chili peppers and spices. That is the salsa base recipe and other ingredients can be added from there to suit your tastes.
If you like it really hot, add more jalapeño and include the seeds. The heat from a jalapeño comes from the seeds and the veins/pith.
It is a really small amount of sugar and you don’t taste it. It is just there to cut the strong acidity from the tomatoes.
Leftover salsa should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will last up to a week. If you are going to can this salsa, you will need to add about a tablespoon of lime juice or vinegar before following proper canning procedures.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- can of Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
- can of whole peeled tomatoes
- jalapeno
- yellow onion
- garlic
- garlic salt
- kosher salt
- ground cumin
- sugar
HOW TO MAKE CHILI’S SALSA:
This is easiest in a food processor but you can use a blender too. Place jalapeño and onion in the food processor.
Process it for a few seconds.
Add in the rest of the ingredients.
Process all ingredients for just a few more seconds, keeping it slightly chunky (not a puree.)
Put into a bowl with a lid (I like to put mine in mason jars). Chill for several hours (overnight is best). This step is really important because this is a salsa that just gets so much better over time. After a few hours, the flavors really blend and the flavor is enhanced. Trust me, it makes a big difference in the taste.
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Originally published: April 2011
Updated photos & republished: December 2021
Chili’s Salsa (+Video)
Ingredients
- ½ jalapeño, cut into chunks (you can remove veins and seeds for less spice)
- ½ yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 15 ounce can tomatoes and green chiles (like Rotel)
- 15 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Place 1/2 jalapeño, cut into chunks and 1/2 yellow onion, cut into chunks into food processor. Process it for a few seconds.
- Add 15 ounce can tomatoes and green chiles, 15 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, do not drain, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon sugar and process all ingredients for just a few more seconds, keeping it slightly chunky (not a puree).
- Put into a bowl with a lid (I like to use a large mason jar) and chill in the fridge for AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS (overnight is even better).
- Then serve with tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
- Please do not eat right away. YOU MUST let this marinate for several hours (overnight is best.) Trust me, this makes a HUGE difference.
- Add fresh cilantro if you enjoy the taste.
- A blender can be used in place of a food processor.
- For less heat, remove the veins/pith and seeds from the jalapeño after slicing.
- You don’t taste the sugar, it just helps cut some of the strong acidity from the tomatoes.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Delicious and so easy
Really liked this! I’ve been trying to find a fresh salsa that I really like, and this one has been my favorite so far. I’m not sure that it necessarily taste like chilies, but it’s really good. I would probably do half the salt that it calls for because I feel like it was a little salty. But overall, it was really good
So happy you love it! It’s so funny you mention the salt because my husband always tells me to add more than what I have here in the recipe. Salt is totally subjective for sure! Thanks SO much for commenting!!
I also like it more salty, thanks so much for the recipe, definitly helps my chilis salsa craving and so easy
LOVE this recipe! My brother loves it so much he requested lots of it, as a Christmas gift. But I’m scared to try canning it bc I don’t want to change the taste at all. Any update on if freezing it works?
Can this recipe be canned?if so should the salsa be cooked before canning or can you can it fresh
I answer that question in the frequently asked questions section 🙂
Going to make this on the weekend. Has anyone used fresh tomatoes?
Best Salsa recipe! Just like Chili’s. Thanks for the recipe!
Woo hoo!!! Thanks so much Tammy!
Can this be made and put in canning water bath to keep for a season?
Absolutely!
This was so easy and delicious but a bit salty for our tastes. I will switch to garlic powder next time and half the amount of Kosher salt. I love the lime juice suggestion too!
This recipe is perfect! This was my first time ever making salsa and it was so good!! I used 1 whole jalapeño and will not be making that mistake again. I will try 1/2 jalapeño next time.
I am supersensitive to spice so I can completely understand that. Plus, some jalapeños are larger than others or spicier than others. If you remove the seeds, that really helps cut down on the heat as well. 🙂 So happy you enjoyed it!
How long does this salsa last? I made it on Tuesday, is it still good? This salsa is delicious!!