This Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa recipe is so easy to make and loaded with flavor! It is the perfect alternative to traditional salsa and is great for chips, tacos, burritos and more. Make this spicy salsa recipe for your next party or Taco Tuesday, everyone will love it.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Fresh ingredients. This homemade flavorful salsa recipe uses tomatoes and peppers and is so much better than store-bought salsa.
- Quick and easy. This roasted habanero salsa recipe can be made quickly by using a food processor or blender to combine the ingredients.
- Customizable. You can easily adjust the heat of this recipe by using more or less spice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tomatoes- I recommend beefsteak tomatoes, plum tomatoes or Roma tomatoes. Check out this article for the best tomatoes to use for every recipe.
- Bell peppers- red or green bell peppers will work for this recipe.
- Onion- I use a yellow onion in tomato habanero salsa but a sweet onion or red onion will also be great.
- Habanero peppers- these are tiny peppers but they are very spicy! If you can't find them, you can also use jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers.
- Cilantro- you need fresh cilantro however, you can use parsley if you don't like the taste of cilantro.
- Lime juice- use juice from fresh limes.
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
Variations
- Change up the spice. Instead of using a habanero pepper, you can use hot sauce, a poblano pepper or even just some cayenne pepper.
- Add different flavors. Make this into a mango habanero salsa recipe by adding some diced mango.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast the vegetables in the oven until they are blistered and have charred skin.
Step 2: Blend in a blender or food processor until salsa has reached your desired consistency.
Step 3: Pulse less for chunky salsa and more for smoother salsa.
Step 4: Add to a large bowl and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!
Recipe FAQs
Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and squeeze out the extra liquid before blending. You can also squeeze the salsa through a cheesecloth after blending if you find there is too much liquid.
The spiciness of the salsa completely depends on your tastebuds and the heat level you can endure.
For a spicier salsa: use more habanero and keep the membranes intact when blending.
For a milder salsa: use a smaller pepper or just a ¼ of a habanero. You will also want to remove the seeds and the membranes.
Habanero peppers range between 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making them one of the hottest peppers in the world.
While I recommend fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes in a pinch or even canned fire-roasted tomatoes. Just add them to the food processor blender with the other ingredients.
Chef Tips
- Habanero peppers are very spicy. Avoid getting the juices on your skin or in your eyes. I recommend that you wear gloves when handling hot peppers and avoid touching your face.
- Adjust the level of heat to your liking. You can add a smaller or large amount of habanero to the salsa depending on your tolerance to spice.
- Blend to desired consistency. If you prefer a chunky salsa, pulse the ingredients for less time. For a smoother salsa, blend longer.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Serving
There are so many different ways to serve this salsa:
- Dip for tortilla chips
- Nacho topping
- Use leftover salsa for topping for my Flank Steak Fajitas, Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos or Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas
- Sauce for rice or burrito bowls
- Pairs well with fish or other seafood
- Add fresh mango to make a mango habanero salsa
More Dip Recipes
- Crab and Spinach Dip (No Mayo)35 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa
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See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
- 2 beefsteak or vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup cilantro
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut tomatoes, peppers and onion in half, place on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until slightly charred.
- Allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes then add to a blender or food processor with remaining ingredients.
- Pulse a few times until salsa has reached desired consistency, pulse less for chunky salsa and more for a smoother salsa.
- Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Habanero peppers are very spicy. Avoid getting the juices on your skin or in your eyes. I recommend that you wear gloves when handling hot peppers and avoid touching your face.
- Adjust the level of heat to your liking. You can add a smaller or large amount of habanero to the salsa depending on your tolerance to spice.
- Blend to desired consistency. If you prefer a chunky salsa, pulse the ingredients for less time. For a smoother salsa, blend longer.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Kiran says
Very well taste after all. Best part was smoky flavor. Goes well with chips, guacamole and beer. Finished eating in 2 days. Thanks Sarah
Sarah Holt says
Hi Kiran, you are very welcome! Very happy you enjoyed it
Heffy says
Works so nice with the olive oil drizzle ands to the Smokey roasted flavors maybe less garlic lol
Sarah Holt says
Hi Jeffrey, glad you enjoyed the salsa. Always feel free to adjust the garlic to your liking!