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Easy Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe

bowl full of restaurant style salsa with chips and cilantro

You know the type of salsa we’re talking about here, right? The restaurant style salsa you just can’t stop eating — willpower absolutely out the window. I promise you⁠, this quick and easy recipe is going to become an immediate favorite, in part because of one secret ingredient.

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bowl of restaurant style salsa with steak tacos

What Is Restaurant Style Salsa?

You’ve been there; you sit down at your favorite Mexican restaurant, hungry as a hostage, with grandiose plans of putting down the 3 enchilada, 2 taco with beans and rice dinner.

You order your food along with and a marg or cold beer, and out come those warm salty chips and that amazing restaurant style salsa.

Two bowls of chips and three bowls of that fresh restaurant style salsa later and you’re full as a tick. Sadly your entrée hasn’t even come out yet. This salsa is just that dang good.

So what makes this restaurant style salsa? The texture and the freshness! It’s not at all chunky like jarred salsa, or pico de Gallo.

The ingredients are pulverized into a minced consistency that allows the flavors to come together nicely.

restaurant style salsa mixed in a food processor

Ingredients For Restaurant Style Salsa

Being more of a homemade type of guy, like with my homemade enchilada sauce and street tacos, I’m almost ashamed that this recipe comes almost entirely from canned items.

raw ingredients for restaurant style salsa on a cutting board

The upside, however, is that often times the ingredients can be found on sale at the local grocery store for next to nothing. Because they are canned, they keep a long while, definitely a plus if you’re watching your grocery budget.

Can I Store Homemade Salsa?

In short, yes. This super easy restaurant style salsa recipe can be stored in an airtight container for a couple days in the fridge. I would just say it is best served at room temperature so keep that in mind as you eat it.

Past two days and you’ll find it gets really watery and just isn’t as good, so plan accordingly when you’re making this amazing salsa.

I tend to use a glass jar for storage just because the tomatoes tend to stain anything plastic. You can go out and buy mason jars or just reuse old pasta sauce jars like I do.

Restaurant style salsa stored in a glass jar.

What’s the Secret to Making Great Salsa?

The secret ingredient I mentioned earlier, and what makes this salsa better than any other salsa you’ve had, is chicken bouillon. An odd ingredient for salsa, right?

Trust me on this one. The savory aspect that chicken bouillon brings to this salsa is what elevates it to the next level.

It’s what has you finishing two bowls of the stuff at the restaurant before your meal arrives, and it’s what will have your friends and family demanding you make this salsa on the regular.

How To Make Easy Restaurant Style Salsa

Serves: 10 | Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 can Rotel hot diced tomatoes, mild if you don’t like the heat
1 can Rotel chipotle diced tomatoes
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Juice from one lime
1/2 large yellow or white onion, cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup cilantro, washed

Step 1: Drain all three cans of tomatoes.

Step 2: Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse several times until you get the desired consistency.

Step 3: Serve with warm chips, and definitely don’t forget this one with the street tacos.

restaurant style salsa in a bowl next to street tacos and limes
full bowl of restaurant style salsa with a chip and some limes on the countertop

Restaurant Style Salsa

3.90 from 10 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz can Rotel Diced Tomatoes Hot or Mild
  • 1 10 oz can Rotel Chipotle roasted Tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • 2 tsp sea salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp chicken bouillon
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ large yellow onion cut into quarters
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro washed
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice usually one lime

Instructions

  • Drain all three cans of tomatoes.
  • Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse several times until you get the desired consistency.
  • Serve with warm chips, and definitely don’t forget this one with the street tacos.

Tried This Recipe?

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2 thoughts on “Easy Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe”

  1. Take this from me. I am a Mexican food junkie. I am from so cal and we have great Mexican food but this salsa needs to be distributed to every Mexican restaurant. It is hands down the absolute best. Full of flavor and spice. Make some handmade chips and call it a day!

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