Create a restaurant style salsa with simple prep and a short cooking time with this Slow Cooker Salsa recipe. It features fresh ingredients like Roma tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapenos – everything for a good salsa worth sharing!
Be sure to use this salsa in recipes, not just with chips! We love to use this salsa in recipes such as Salsa Chicken, Steak Burritos, and Salsa Meatloaf. If you want a green version of this salsa, try my Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa.
Why this recipe works
I love bringing salsa and chips to summer barbecues; everyone seems to go crazy for it. This recipe for slow cooker salsa makes about 2 quarts of salsa! This is plenty enough for a big crowd. Or, you could freeze the leftovers in plastic containers and have some for later. If you love homemade salsa, this is one to try.
Recipe Ingredients
- Tomatoes: This recipe calls for Roma tomatoes and fire-roasted canned tomatoes. These are the base of the salsa and give it its fantastic tomato flavor.
- Other Vegetables: Jalapenos provide a nice kick and amazing flavor, while white onion adds both flavor and a slight crunch.
- Seasonings: Garlic, cilantro, salt, and chopped green onion top off the traditional salsa flavors to create a salsa everyone will love.
Step One – Add the Roma tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and garlic to the slow cooker.
Step Two – Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Don’t be alarmed when you open the top, as the tomatoes will look like they have exploded. The vegetables will be primarily soft as well.
Step Three – Scoop the vegetables, seasonings, and juices from the slow cooker into a blender or food processor, and add the cilantro. Tear off the big chunk stems and discard them. Some stems are okay to keep.
Step Four – Pulse until the salsa is your desired consistency. Then, add salt to taste, the juice of fresh lime, and sliced green onion, and stir. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Variations
- Chunky: If you want to make a chunkier salsa, add diced bell peppers (green bell pepper is most commonly used), diced radish, or other fresh vegetables of your choice.
- Citrus: Give the salsa a more citrusy taste by adding extra lime juice and lemon juice.
- Spicy: Since this recipe already has jalapeno peppers, you can add more heat by including more jalapeno peppers.
- Charcuterie: Build a visually pleasing charcuterie board by placing the salsa in the center and surrounding it with tortilla chips.
- Mild Salsa: For a milder salsa, use green bell peppers instead of hot peppers.
Recipe FAQs
No. This recipe will keep well in mason jars for storage but only for a short amount of time (in the fridge or freezer). That’s why I do not include canning instructions. Canning recipes need special ingredients to make them safe.
Roma tomatoes work best for this recipe,e but if you don’t have these on hand, the next best type to use are little or big mama tomatoes or Amish paste tomatoes.
You can pour the crock pot salsa into a bowl or serve it in mason jars; however, it will need to be chilled for at least 3 hours prior.
This salsa should be poured into an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to one week. Or you can freeze for up to two months.
Are you wondering why I don’t add apple cider vinegar? I prefer no vinegar in fresh salsa; adding vinegar makes it tastes like store-bought jarred salsa.
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Slow Cooker Salsa
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 6-7 fresh Roma tomatoes about 1 pound no need to chop, or core, leave whole
- 30 oz. fire roasted tomatoes (two 15-oz. cans)
- 1 white onion peeled cut into 8 wedges
- 3 jalapeños tops cut off
- 4 whole garlic cloves peeled
Wait to add these items
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 lime
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt put in slowly, test it to taste
- 1 bunch green onions sliced (don't blend up, just stir these in)
Instructions:
- Put the Roma tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, onion, jalapeños and garlic in the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 hours, the tomatoes will look like they exploded, and the vegetables will be mostly soft.
- In 2 batches (or one if it fits) scoop the items and juices from the slow cooker into your blender or food processer, and add the cilantro (tear off the big chunk stems and discard, some stems are ok).
- Place the lid on. Pulse until salsa is the consistency you would like.
- Pour into a large serving bowl or whatever container you want to store the salsa in. Add the salt to taste, juice of the lime, and the sliced green onion, stir.
- Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips
Recipe Notes:
- You do not have to use exact measurements for this recipe, make it your own! Love garlic or jalapenos? Add a few more. Just add the salt to taste carefully at the end.
- This salsa should be poured into an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to one week. Or you can freeze for up to two months. This recipe as is, is not safe for canning.
- You can serve this salsa in more ways than just with chips! You can add it back to the slow cooker in recipes such as salsa chicken, Mexican beef or Velveeta dip.
- Are you wondering why I don’t add apple cider vinegar? I prefer no vinegar in fresh salsa; adding vinegar makes it tastes like store-bought jarred salsa.
- This recipe makes about 2 quarts, depending on the size of your vegetables.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Recipe adapted from One Particular Kitchen Salsa Roja – seriously best salsa on Pinterest!
We’ve tried dozens of salsa recipes and freezer salsa recipes. This one tops the list! And it hits two key “wants”…it’s super-tasty freshly made AND freezes well! Love it!
Great to hear Doug, we love it too!
I made this and it was so easy and delicious. We will never buy store bought again.
I’m so glad you tried it!
Why is this salsa not good for canning? I was going to pressure can this salsa!
You need the right amount of adicity to can things, I am not a canning expert.
Really good salsa we have been using this recipe to make fresh salsa. The salsa turns out so delicious. Instead of canned tomatoes we use fresh tomatoes. After we make a full pot of salsa we share the salsa with people we know. And everyone love the salsa. I give this recipe five stars
Has anyone ever canned this recipe? If so did you use vinager or lime juice? How much did you use?
Can you can this in a hot water bath canner?
No, this recipe is not safe for canning.
This has been my go-to for using tomatoes from my garden at the end of the season. This year, I realized I no longer have a crock pot. It broke and I got an instant pot, and it was all over from there. Anyway, made this in my instant pot. Twenty minutes on high pressure and it’s perfect. I’ve always loved how well this freezes!
I made this last year and froze it in little containers I could use for lunch. i added bell peppers and used basil instead of cilantro, it turned out great! I used my last batch from the freezer a month ago and now my tomatoes are ready for another batch. YUM! thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It sounds delicious.
This recipe is AWESOME!! So easy and tastes wonderful. The only thing I did different was used red jalapenos, a cayenne, and a dash of lime juice.
Love it!!!
Oh my goodness. This was so good! I made this today and I absolutely loved it! I will be making this a lot from now on. Thanks so much for sharing this!