Slow Cooker Salsa
55 Comments Jan 05, 2023
Updated Jul 23, 2023
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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, 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.
Table of Contents
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
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
How to Video
Sarah’s 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
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!
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!
I made my first batch of salsa using this recipe today and I love it! I like a little more spice and a thicker salsa so I used 3 jalapeños and didn’t include the extra juice since the tomatoes give off so much juice in the food processor. It came out perfect! My husband doesn’t even eat much salsa and he was he kept coming back for more. Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Ho w many jars did you get? Anyone have any idea?
Wow! #2 recipe I’m going to try! I have tomatoes galore in my garden and they will be put to good use in this recipe. I just have to wait for the tomatoes to turn red!!!
Years ago a I made salsa (it was a 2 day recipe) and canned the salsa. I sterilized the canning jars first in a boiling water bath, filled the hot jars with the still hot cooked salsa, and then processed in a 15 minute water bath. The jars were suspended above the boiling water on a rack in one of those big enamel pots. When you removed the jars with the lifter to set out to cool, you’d hear the lids ‘click’ as they sealed tight. The salsa kept very well, and always tasted as good as the day it was made. I also make apple butter using the same canning method.
Salsa should be hot going into the jars? We are using the water bath.
Recipe looks great
Yes. If you put cooled down salsa into the hot sterilized jars you may risk cracking the glass. Hot cooked salsa into hot jars, then into the water bath. Be sure to suspend the jars off the floor of the pan. I’ve had the bottom of the canning jar completely break away. Always check jars for small cracks or imperfections before using.
Would a regular blender work for this project? I always feel my salsa gets too watery without a fancy food processor (which I don’t have). Any suggestions?
I used a regular blender, just pulse it slowly, being careful not to over blend. 🙂
I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice. What level of heat would you say this recipe has?
Thanks!
It depends on the jalapeño, on a scale of 1-10, ours turned out to be a 5. You can always blend up the salsa with one jalapeño at a time. 🙂