Easy Blender Salsa — My Mama’s Basic Homemade Salsa Recipe

4.88 from 16 votes
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This Easy Blender Salsa is probably the best salsa you’ll ever make. It’s incredibly delicious (and addictive) and perfect for quick and easy weeknight dinners or parties! It’s been in my family for decades, so it’s tried and true!

The best part is it comes together in less than 5 minutes!

Bowl of Easy Homemade Blender Salsa
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My mom’s cooking has inspired several posts here on the blog; including her Green Chili Turkey (my favorite ever!), her Basic Red Chili Sauce (perfect for enchiladas), several other of her salsas, and many more.

My mom loves cooking and sharing her love for people through food. Incidentally, the recipe she’s probably best known for (aside from her Green Chili Turkey) is the easiest recipe of all – this blender salsa.

This salsa has been a family favorite since before I was born! There’s a reason it’s still her #1 requested recipe after all these years.

Dipping into a bowl of homemade salsa

Secret Ingredient

Mom makes dozens of different types of salsas. The woman can make a homemade salsa out of practically anything! But the one that is requested the most, and also my very favorite, is the easiest salsa recipe of all. And you’ll never guess what the secret ingredient is?

Ingredients-for-My-Mama's-Basic-Blender-Salsa

Canned stewed tomatoes. Well that, and a generous amount of cilantro.

The stewed tomatoes and lots of cilantro give this salsa its signature sweet and herbal flavors and the jalapeño gives it just the right amount of heat. You’ll want to make a double batch because it will go quickly! I’m not kidding.

How to Make Blender Salsa

There’s very little chopping involved in this Blender Salsa. I do like to roughly chop/dice the green onions, garlic, and jalapeños. It doesn’t have to be perfect since it will all be blended anyway. Now throw everything in the blender and pulse a few times. Don’t leave the blender on for too long, however. This is not a purée (hence the pre-chop).  It’s a salsa, and I like small chunks. Just pulse a couple times to break down the tomatoes and cilantro.

Blender Salsa and Chips

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How to Store Blender Salsa

Once you make the salsa it will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

One of my favorite things to do when making a large batch is put it in a mason jar and give it to a loved one or neighbor. Combine it with your favorite tortilla chips and a 6-pack of Mexican beer for a great gift!

Jar of Homemade Salsa

More Family Favorite Recipes

I love you, Mama! And I love learning your secrets in the kitchen. Keep them coming.

Mom-and-Me

*This recipe for my Mama’s Blender Salsa was originally published in May 2014, and updated in March 2016 with new photos. The recipe has been the same since the beginning of time!


About Vindulge

Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes. 

Bowl of Easy Homemade Blender Salsa
4.88 from 16 votes

My Mama’s Basic Blender Salsa Recipe

An easy basic homemade salsa made in the blender. This is a family recipe that has been around for decades and is made in less than 5 minutes.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
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Ingredients 

  • 1 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes,, any flavor will do, I usually select one with Mexican spices or just plain. Try to avoid the “Italian” versions.
  • 1 4 ounce can can diced green chilies
  • 1 bunch green onions, roughly diced , Use all the white part and about 2 inches of the green, the rest of the green portion you can save for scallions for another dish
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly diced
  • 1 small jalapeño, diced (see note below on jalapeños)
  • 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped , Lots and lots of cilantro is one of the keys to this recipe so don’t be shy with it
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients into the blender. Pulse just a couple of times. Be very careful not to purée (I didn’t say this was a soup).
  • Pour into your preferred dish and serve with your favorite chips. 
  • Nobody will ever know how simple it is. And you can keep the canned tomato thing a secret.

Video

Notes

Not all jalapeños are created equal! If you don’t like it spicy add half the jalapeño, then give it a taste, and add more later to achieve your desired level of heat. You can also remove the seeds and ribs if you’re not a fan of heat. This should eliminate most the heat of the jalapeño.
Also, I like to pre-chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeño just to get them started. It makes for less time in the blender. Like I said, it’s not a purée. I still like to see some small chunks. So the pre-chopping makes for less time spent in the blender.

Nutrition

Calories: 3kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 3
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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About Mary


I'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, founder of Vindulge, and author of Fire + Wine cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!

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12 Comments

    1. We do not recommend freezing. We don’t add vinegar to preserve it and the structure of the salsa will fall apart as it thaws.

  1. 5 stars
    Mary!! I made this last night for the first time and it was a huge hit!!! I didn’t happen to have a jalapeno on hand but it was spicy enough with all the green chilis — though the kids would’ve loved it with the jalapenos in it. And, yes, it’s the cilantro that gives it that extra punch.
    Every time I hit the pulse on the blender, I kept thinking, “Remember this isn’t a puree!” ;D ;D
    Thank your Mama for me please!
    XO

  2. 5 stars
    This is amazing! Iโ€™m a total lightweight when it comes to heat so I used 1/2 a jalapeรฑo and most of the diced green chilies but not all.
    I made it this morning and put some on my scrambled eggs, wow, so delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    I think you brought this salsa the first time I met you. The flavor and the simplicity made it a favorite. We’re having friends over for tacos tomorrow so I’m getting ready to make yet another batch!

    1. Yeah!!! I’m so glad you made it! We made it twice last week for two different friends who came over :). And yes, I’m sure we made it the first time we met you. It’s how we win people over and get the to be our friends ๐Ÿ˜‰

  4. I LOVE this recipe!! I have made it several times now…since it only lasts 2 days at my house! This recipe is terrific as is..but also to add your own touch. I use the basic recipe but add a couple of good squeezes of lemon or lime and a healthy dash of Tabasco. I have also subbed white onion for the green and thrown in leftover fresh tomato to use up. Delicious every time! I have found it does taste better if chilled for about an hour before serving. ..if you can wait! Thanks for sharing! Will Never Buy Salsa Again!!!

    1. So awesome! I’m so happy you’re loving the recipe and tweaking it to add your own personal touches! I’m actually making a batch today for a gathering with friends ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Who knew canned stewed tomatoes could do such magical and delicious things? Great recipe and I love the picture of you with your mom!