I grew up in New Mexico and Arizona, so I have a life-long connection to Mexican food. It's my favorite food. I like it spicy. It's the first kind of food I ever learned to cook. When we were very young (still in elementary school), my sister Nelda and I could prepare an entire Mexican meal of enchiladas and taquitos. It was kind of our sister specialty. Nelda made taquitos the last time we were together--a delicious comfort food from the past.

Today I'm sharing a salsa recipe that has amazing, deep roasted flavor; yet it can be thrown together in under 10 minutes. Salsa is a condiment that must accompany any Mexican meal. Plus, it's great for snacking. Hard to find a better or easier snack than salsa and chips. My sister and I like to dunk our taquitos in this salsa. Yum.

The recipe I'm sharing today is a simplified version of a roasted salsa that I normally make the "long" way--firing up the grill and roasting the chiles, and oven roasting fresh tomatoes, garlic and onions. When tomatoes and chiles are abundant in the farmer's markets in the summer, I can enough salsa to get us through the fall and winter. If you're interested in making roasted salsa from scratch with all fresh ingredients, here's that recipe. That post and recipe include canning instructions, too.

Today's post, however, is an easier version of my roasted salsa recipe that can be made in a fraction of the time by using good quality canned fire roasted green chiles and tomatoes. That way you get the fire roasted flavor and skip the time it takes to do your own roasting and peeling. Everything gets chopped in the food processor or blender, so it goes together really quickly.

Here's a short video that shows you how easy it is to make this salsa:

Step-by-step photos for making
Easy Fire Roasted Salsa

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients:

• garlic
• onion
• fresh jalapenos
• canned fire roasted green chiles (Ortega or Hatch brands recommended, if available--way better than other brands I've tried)
• canned diced fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen organic brand recommended, if available),
• cilantro
• oregano (Mexican oregano preferred, if available)
• cumin
• pepper & salt
• lime juice,
• cider vinegar
• crushed red pepper (optional). 

view on Amazon:  organic fire roasted tomatoes, fire roasted green chiles, Mexican oregano, organic cumin, organic crushed red pepper, organic apple cider vinegar

This salsa can be quickly made in either a food processor or blender. I'll show you how easy it is using both methods. So, take your pick.

Step 2. Add garlic to food processor. Process until minced.

view on Amazon: 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor (rated #1 by Cooks Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen)

Step 3. Quarter the onion, slice the jalapenos and add them to the food processor. For extra heat, include the jalapeno seeds and membrane; for less heat discard them before slicing. Process until minced.

Step 4. Measure a loosely packed cup of fresh cilantro leaves; add them to the food processor. Don't mix yet.

Step 5. Add the canned green chiles and tomatoes. Don't mix yet.

view on Amazon:  organic fire roasted tomatoes, fire roasted green chiles

Step 6. Add the lime juice and vinegar. Don't mix yet.

ABOUT THE VINEGAR: You can omit or reduce the vinegar, if you prefer. Me? I like the tangy flavor the vinegar contributes, but that's a personal preference. The strength of the vinegar taste will melow if you make and refrigerate the salsa 4-6 hours before serving. Overnight is even better. 

Another benefit of the vinegar is that it acts as a preservative. If you use the full amount in the recipe, it extends the shelf life of the salsa to up to 2 (or more) weeks in the fridge. Without the vinegar, it should be eaten within a few days.

view on Amazon: citrus juicer (makes it quick & easy to juice the limes), organic apple cider vinegar

Step 7. Add the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. (You can use regular oregano; but if you can find it, Mexican oregano is preferred.) Crushed red pepper flakes can be added if you want more heat.

Step 8. Now you can mix it. Pulse the mixture a few times until it's the chunkiness that you prefer. It doesn't take much, so use a light touch. I pulsed mine 5-6 times.

view on Amazon:  Mexican oregano, organic cumin, organic crushed red pepper

I like mine moderately chunky; but you can pulse it a few more times, if you like it smoother.

TASTE AND ADJUST THE SALT & HEAT: Give it a taste test and add some more salt if it needs it. If it doesn't have enough heat, add some red pepper flakes. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there. If I'm making salsa for a party, I usually divide the salsa in half and add some heat to some of it. That way I can serve a mild and hot version of the salsa.

Or, make it in a blender. It's just as fast and easy as using a food processor, so you can use whichever appliance you prefer. I usually use a blender for mine.

view on Amazon: my powerful 5-speed KitchenAid blender

Make ahead convenience. This is one of those recipes that tastes like it took a long time to prepare. But it is ready to eat, start to finish, in under 10 minutes. You can eat it right away, but it's even better the next day. So, make it ahead, if you like.

This recipe makes 5 cups. If that's more than you can eat, you freeze some of it. Or, it's easy to cut the recipe in half (1 can of tomatoes and green chiles instead of 2, etc.).

Serve this salsa with tortilla chips for an easy, crowd pleasing snack. 

Make it a Yummy day!
Monica 

Here are links to my other roasted salsa recipes; they are made from scratch using fresh ingredients and require more time:

• Roasted Salsa recipe (small batch)
• Roasted Salsa for Canning recipe (big batch)
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

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Easy Fire Roasted Salsa

By Monica              Servings: makes 5 cups

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh jalapeno slices (1-2 peppers)
• 2 (4 oz) cans diced fire roasted green chiles
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican preferred, if available)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar (optional, omit or reduce to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes (optional; add/adjust for a hotter salsa)

Directions

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD:
In food processor, add garlic and process until minced. Quarter the onion and add it with sliced jalapenos. Process until minced. Add green chiles, tomatoes, cilantro, oregano, cumin, pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, lime juice, and vinegar. Pulse 5-6 times until desired consistency is reached.

BLENDER METHOD:
Add to blender:  garlic, onion, jalapeno slices, cilantro, oregano, cumin, pepper, salt, lime juice, vinegar, and pepper flakes. Blend until evenly minced, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add canned tomoatoes and chiles; pulse until blended and desired consistency.

TASTE: Add more salt to taste, if needed. For more heat, add crushed pepper flakes to taste.

REFRIGERATE or FREEZE: May be eaten right away, but it's best to refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend and mellow. When full amount of vinegar is used, it can keep in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, maybe longer. Salsa may also be frozen.

FOR A THICKER SALSA: Drain out some of the liquid using a wire mesh strainer.

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This post was updated 5/3/14.