Slow Cooker Salsa
57 CommentsUpdated Aug 20, 2025
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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, onions, garlic, and jalapenos – everything for a good salsa worth sharing!
Featured Comment
THIS RECIPE IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!! MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! I USED BLACK GARLIC WHEN I MADE MINE. SEEDED THE JALAPENO. DEFINITELY MY SALSA RECIPE FOR LIFE!!!!
– rick
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. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftovers in plastic containers for later use. If you love homemade salsa, this is one to try.
Key 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.
How to Make Slow Cooker Salsa
- Let the slow cooker work its magic by softening the tomatoes, peppers, and aromatics.
- Blend everything with fresh cilantro until you reach your perfect salsa texture.
- Brighten the flavor with lime juice, salt, and crisp green onions.
- Chill to let the flavors mingle, then serve and enjoy.
Tips & Variations
- Chunky: If you want to make a chunkier salsa, don’t blend the salsa so much; you can actually let the vegetables cool down and chop them by hand.
- 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 or a habanero.
- Mild Salsa: For a milder salsa, use green bell peppers instead of hot peppers.
- Adding Vinegar: 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.
How To Store Homemade Salsa
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.
Can I pressure can this slow cooker salsa recipe?
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.
Slow Cooker Salsa Recipe
How to Video
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
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
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 the best salsa on Pinterest
Recipes to Use the Salsa in:
This slow cooker salsa isn’t just for dipping with chips—it’s a versatile ingredient that adds flavor to so many meals. Try it in recipes like Beef Salsa Fajitas, Queso Chicken, Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup, Taco Stuffed Peppers, or even Salsa Meatloaf. We also love it in Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken or Steak Burritos.
Could regular tomatoes e used and could I freeze the salsa instead of canning?
Yes, regular tomatoes would work fine, just weigh out about a pound of them. I freeze this salsa myself, works great!
Can fresh plum tomatoes be used instead of the can??
Yes that would work fine!
Love, love, love this salsa recipe. Taste just the the Mexican restaurant salsa that we enjoy so much. Thanks for sharing Sarah.
Do you have to remove the skin on the Roma tomatoes?
Nope, the skins get blended up. 🙂
Can you add extra veggies, like bell peppers?
Yes, bell peppers would be great in this salsa!
i have done some canning tomatoes do not need to be pressure canned.
they are ok in a water bath. have made lots of salsa. just take finished product and put in jars leavings head space and water bath about 30 minuites. that will seal them and yu can store them
my husband loves this recipe, hes eaten this salsa everyday since I made it ty, I love it because its so easy.
I am making this right now but i replaced half of the can tomatoes with Fire Roasted tomatoes. I hope it turns out ok!
I never even thought of using the slow cooker! Brilliant!
Re: canning, there’s a lot of discussion about that on the original post, but bottom line seems to be pressure canning would be okay, water bath canning would not.
Erin, I was so skeptical about the salsa in the slow cooker, because your original recipe is amazing. But it worked great! Thanks for the canning info 🙂
Tomatoes can be water bath canned or pressure canned. I usually pressure can only because most tomatoes varieties grown today have a low ph. Adding lemon juice, which you don’t really taste in the finished the product, makes sure it’s safe to water bath.
I used to can salsa all the time. A water bath is fine.
This sounds amazing! Yum! I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for posting the recipe 🙂
I love salsa and love the use of the crockpot in making this one. Do you think you could can the salsa instead of freezing it?
I’m not a canning expert, but think there has to be a perfect ratio of acid in it, like lemon juice. If anyone know how to convert a recipe to a canning recipe, please comment! 🙂
I have canned salsa for years. There is enough acid in tomatoes that no other is needed. I just put it in my jars and do a water bath for 20 minutes. I always have mine eaten in 6 months to a year. Ready for the next year’s tomatoes to come off in the garden. However, I have never used to canned tomatoes to make my salsa only fresh. Could that be the lemon juice difference?
I have canned crockpot salsa for several years and do not do the hot water bath. There is acid in the tomatoes and also vinegar added. Has anyone besides me done this before. It is so fresh tasting and easy to make. No preservatives at all, just garden fresh produce.
I can tomatoes every year and I have never done the water bath. I am VERY careful to boil the jars and lids(and bands) for about 10 minutes before pouring salsa or tomatoes in the jars. Have had only one come unsealed in years and no problems about bacteria.
Unless you are using green ones and then you need to salt them and leave them overnight to get enough acid.
It is OK to can tomatoes, but salsa is not acidic enough in a waterbath without adding a lot of vinegar or lemon juice. There are recipes for canning salsa but I have never found one I like–too acidic. It is OK to can it with a pressure canner. I did a lot of research on it a couple of years ago because I always canned salsa assuming it was OK. I never had a problem, but I guess botulism is a problem you only have once!