Making Salsa with your fresh garden ingredients is delicious. But don’t fret if you need to purchase your ingredients from the local grocery store or farmers market. You will LOVE this Spicy Red Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe that you can control the heat!

In my family my son likes it hot, the spicier the better! Then there is me, I prefer to taste my food and enjoy the spices without all the heat. The great news is this salsa recipe you can control the heat to what you prefer.
Make a large batch or small, you will love dipping chips or serving this salsa with your favorite meal, on tacos, nachos, or even with Homemade Refried Beans!
Roasted Tomatoes
To begin you will need to roast your veggies. Now, this can be done ahead of time if needed. I like to roast my veggies in the evening and then make the salsa the next day. That way the ingredients have time to cool naturally.
Roasting veggies in simple, don’t overthink this process. On a cookie sheet place tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and brush with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. I like to quarter the onions. Onions are heavy and dense and this helps them roast all the way through.
Now that the veggies are roasted let’s get onto making salsa. The process is quick and so easy. Using a molcajete is ideal and preferred. You could use a food processor if you choose. I’ll be honest though, it’s fun to go through the process of grinding the ingredients together on your own. But you can choose what is best for you!
What is a Molcajete?
A molcajete is a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle used to blend and grind ingredients.
Start by grinding garlic until it’s mashed then add the onion and continue mashing. Now it’s time to add the tomatoes and peppers. Remember that Jalapeno Chili Peppers will be spicier than Serrano Chili Peppers, both will add a nice flavor. The more you add of either will increase the heat and don’t forget to remove the seeds.
Add a few drops of lime juice, a pinch of cilantro and a little salt. Continue mashing until well blended and enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is you really can’t go wrong! It’s fun to make Salsa with a garden full of tomatoes to enjoy all year long. But it can be as simple as making enough to enjoy with dinner too.
How to Store Salsa
Storing Roasted Tomato Salsa is easy. Salsa can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 7 days or frozen for up to 1 year. Of course you can also process in mason jars too.
How hot are Peppers?
The Schoville Scale measures the heat from varieties of Peppers. There are of course ranges in the scale to be aware of but it's a great measure of which Pepper is best for you in a recipe.
Pepper Type | Scoville Heat Scale |
---|---|
Bell Pepper | 0 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Pepperoncini Pepper | 100 – 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Anaheim Pepper | 500 – 2,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Jalapeno Pepper | 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Serrano Pepper | 10,000 – 23,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) |
Substitute your favorite Pepper to reach a spicy hot salsa or a salsa with less heat.
What Tomato is Best?
There are many varieties of tomatoes. In this Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe, I use Roma Tomatoes. I've always found the best tomatoes to use are the ones you have! Keep this recipe simple and use the tomatoes you like.

Celebrate Taco Tuesday with these Recipes
- Guacamole
- Salsa Verde
- Instant Pot Steak Fajitas
- Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Enchiladas
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 Roma Tomato
- ¼ White Onion
- 1-3 Garlic Clove
- ½-2 Jalapeno Pepper
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Lime Juice
- Pinch Cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
- Place Tomatoes, Jalapeno Peppers, Onion, and Garlic on Baking Sheet. Brush with Olive Oil and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Allow to cool for up to 30 minutes
- Using a Molcajete or Food Proccessor, blend ingredients together. Make sure to remove seeds from Jalapeno.
- Add a Pinch of Salt, Cilantro and a few drops of lime juice. Season to taste.
- Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
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