My quick and easy restaurant style salsa is perfect for any occasion, but with Cinco De Mayo coming up I figured there was no better time to share it.

I have to say, this recipe is so easy to make and is 100 times better than any salsa you can buy from a jar at the store.

Making fresh salsa at home, if you can get the right flavors, can be life changing. This recipe is exactly that. Everyone who has ever tried my salsa, has one of two things to say… “mmmmmm” and “oh man….this is good!”

What makes this recipe different or special compared to all the other restaurant style salsa recipes out there? Well let me tell you. Come closer… be quiet, I don’t want anyone to hear. This recipe has a secret ingredient! Shhhh!! Don’t get too excited. It’s not going to be a secret for long. I am hear to share all my salsa knowledge with you! 🙂

The secret ingredient is a dried pepper called chile de arbol.

You can find it by going on a 5 day hike to the highest peak in Mexico or…. like me, down the Mexican Foods isle at most stores. They look like this.

I take the peppers and roast them in an oven for about 5-7 minutes, remove the stems, then I toss them into my food processor to make a powder. This chile de arbol powder is what makes this salsa. The powder should last you a long time for future salsa making and it really gives the salsa a more authentic flavor that you just can’t resist.

Quick and Easy Restaurant Style Salsa

Name: Quick and Easy Restaurant Style Salsa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 package of chile de arbol peppers; 28 oz canned crushed or diced tomatoes; 1 clove minced garlic; juice of 1-2 limes; 1/4 - 1/2 tsp homemade chile de arbol powder; 1-2 jalapenos; handful of fresh cilantro; 4 green onions; salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients:

1 package of Dried Chile De Arbol Peppers
1 large 28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 clove of minced garlic
juice of 1-2 limes
1/4 – 1/2 tsp homemade chile de arbol powder
1-2 jalepenos
handful of fresh cilantro
4 green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chile de arbol peppers from the bag and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. When the oven is ready, bake peppers for about 5-7 minutes or until chilies are hot to the touch and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove and discard stems, they should be easy to pull off. Throw peppers into a food possessor and pulse a few times until you get a coarse powder. Place this into a jar for all your future salsa making days.

Finely chop 1-2 jalapenos, 1 bunch of cilantro and 4 green onions. Set aside. Add tomatoes and garlic to a blender and pulse a few times. This will create a thicker salsa. Remove tomato mixture to a bowl and add the cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, the juice of 1-2 limes, chile de arbol powder, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon. Taste and adjust salt to your likings. Store in a air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note- This salsa is even better the next day. Be careful not to add too much chile de arbol powder. The longer it sits the spicier it gets.