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Home » Recipe Type » Snacks
4.9 from 43 reviews

Canned Salsa Recipe

5 minutes
cilantrogreen peppersoniontomato
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:11/10/22
Updated:4/23/25
Jump to Recipe

FAST and EASY Canned Salsa made with canned diced tomatoes! Just add green peppers and onions to this simple recipe, and you’ll have a delicious chunky salsa ready to serve in minutes!

closeup of chunky salsa in orange bowl.

Canned Salsa Recipe

Sure, you can get canned salsa at the grocery store, but making your own with this perfect salsa recipe using canned diced tomatoes and fresh ingredients will make each bite that much better. It will be just as good (if not better) as restaurant-style salsa! Serve this with tortilla chips, on top of breakfast tacos or (the easiest) chicken nachos, or even with huevos rancheros. 

This easy salsa recipe is a go-to during the garden off season because it uses canned tomatoes — no fresh tomatoes needed! If your pantry is stocked with canned diced tomatoes, you’re just minutes away from a flavorful homemade salsa.

It’s a great recipe for beginners, but even seasoned salsa makers will appreciate how quick and convenient it is. Feeding a crowd? Just double the batch and you’re set!

cans of diced tomatoes

The Best Canned Salsa Recipe 

One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s as simple as placing all of your salsa ingredients into a food processor, and that’s it. No need to make a mess and dirty dishes by chopping up fresh tomatoes on the chopping block. All you need are canned tomatoes to drop in the food processor and you’re good to go! 

This is the best homemade salsa because it’s super delicious with notes of lime, garlic, and fresh cilantro. A touch of black pepper and red pepper flakes along with the onions take this salsa to the next level.

spoon lifting salsa out of food processor.

How to Make Canned Salsa 

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor.

ingredients in food processor.

Start with three pulses and then check to see if it’s a consistency you’re happy with. If not, pulse more. Pulsing more will make it very smooth and less will make it a thicker chunky salsa.

blended diced tomatoes and ingredients in food processor.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

hand scooping salsa on tortilla chip out of bowl.

Storing Leftovers 

Store any leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 4 to 6 days. For the best flavor and texture, try to enjoy it within the first few days.

Can I make this recipe with fresh tomatoes?

Absolutely. Just swap the 2 cans of diced tomatoes with 2 pounds of tomatoes. You should also check out my favorite fresh tomato salsa we make with our garden tomatoes in the Summer!

tortilla chips surrounding bowl of salsa in bowl in the middle.

How can I make this salsa spicier?

If you are a fan of extra spicy salsa, there are a few options you can add to kick up the heat.

  • Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper or 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a mild kick. Increase to 1/2 teaspoon if you want it extra bold.
  • Stir in 2 tablespoons of diced green chiles for a smoky heat.
  • Finely chop and add 1/2 to 1 small jalapeño pepper, depending on how spicy you like it. For even more heat, leave in the seeds.
wooden spoon lifting salsa out of food processor.

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FAST and EASY Canned Salsa made with canned diced tomatoes! Just add green peppers and onions to this simple recipe, and you’ll have a delicious chunky salsa ready to serve in minutes!
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4.89 from 43 reviews

Canned Diced Tomato Salsa

Print
FAST and EASY Canned Salsa made with canned diced tomatoes! Just add green peppers and onions to this simple recipe, and you’ll have a delicious chunky salsa ready to serve in minutes!
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time 5 minutes minutes
serves 12

Ingredients

  • 2 (14.5 ounce cans) diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup onion finely diced
  • 1/4 cup green pepper finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Place all of the ingredients into the food processor and pulse a few times. Start out with 3 pulses and then decide what consistency you want from there. Pulse more for a very smooth salsa, pulse less for a chunky salsa. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Video:

Notes

Makes 32 oz of salsa.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: canned diced tomato salsa
Vegetarian Summer
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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4.89 from 43 votes (28 ratings without comment)

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  1. Cherie Johnston says

    February 15, 2025 at 12:50 pm

    This recipe is delicious! The answer will probably be no, but I thought I’d ask anyways. Is there any possibility of freezing a couple of quart bags of this? I don’t know if we can eat all of the salsa so quickly otherwise

    Reply
  2. Emilia says

    January 21, 2025 at 3:02 pm

    This was so good and easy. Ashamed as a Texan that’s it’s taken me this long to blend my own salsa. Next time I’ll move beyond canned. But this was so good maybe I won’t even bother.

    Reply
  3. Adana Fishback says

    January 9, 2025 at 1:10 pm

    Loved it! I substituted a large jalapeño pepper for the red pepper flakes, and added extra cilantro ( because you can never have to much cilantro!) Very yummy, and easy too!

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      January 13, 2025 at 9:20 am

      So happy you liked this salsa! And I agree, give me all that cilantro! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bea Kind says

    November 6, 2024 at 8:03 pm

    Looks super simple and delicious! Regarding your ingredients list, by green peppersl, so you mean green bell pepper?

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      November 6, 2024 at 8:22 pm

      Yup!

      Reply
  5. Charlene says

    August 4, 2024 at 5:36 am

    If I want to can this salsa what changes do I need to adjust

    Reply
  6. Adana Fishback says

    April 20, 2024 at 8:40 pm

    This is some of the best salsa that I’ve ever made! And I already had everything to make it except for the green pepper, but I did have a jalapeño pepper that I used instead. Will definitely be saving this recipe!

    Reply
  7. Kay klenner says

    October 3, 2023 at 11:42 pm

    First time making for me easy as and so tasty substituted lime for lemon as had no lime. Yummy

    Reply
  8. Mike says

    August 25, 2023 at 7:20 am

    Excellent! Love the smell from the lime juice and cilantro! Salsa has a great flavor and super easy to put together. I followed the recipe and only thing I’ll change next time is to saute the garlic and onion before adding. Just a personal preference. Thank You Pamela!

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      August 25, 2023 at 9:45 am

      I’m a lover of all things lime juice and cilantro too! So happy you liked the salsa Mike, thanks for stopping by and letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Dee Dee says

    July 15, 2023 at 11:59 pm

    I know that this is easyvenought that it can be made quickly but Ibwoukd like to make it and give it as gifts. How would I go about canning this salsa?

    Reply
  10. Karen Ritz says

    May 4, 2023 at 9:00 am

    I’m hosting a Cinco de Mayo fiesta and I’m using canned tomatoes. I’m making it a day ahead so the flavors meld. Thank you for the ideas!

    Reply
  11. Me says

    April 28, 2023 at 12:46 pm

    The recipes I’ve seen so far look yummy.

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      April 28, 2023 at 1:17 pm

      Thank you! Hope you try some more! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Sarah Bishop says

    February 24, 2023 at 2:17 pm

    What are the canning instructions to make this salsa shelf stable?

    Reply
  13. Dorothy says

    May 31, 2022 at 2:14 am

    can I can this kind of salsa so lasts longer please send answer to email thankyou

    Reply
  14. Patricia Kaylee Rea says

    May 29, 2021 at 10:28 pm

    I love this recipe

    Reply
  15. Don says

    May 10, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    I love salsa and this is the easiest and best salsa I have ever made! Add a jalapeno for a little heat!

    Reply
  16. Karin Warren says

    February 7, 2021 at 8:31 am

    Can this salsa be put in a water bath and canned for later use? Or does something else need to be added to the recipe if you are going to can it for storage?

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      June 24, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      Karin: Canning salsa is a little more complicated than canning plain tomatoes. Adding onion, garlic, and peppers decreases the acid level, and makes it unsafe for canning in a boiling water bath. You will need to can it in a pressure canner. Refer to Ball Blue Book, or the website for USDA Home Canning Methods. Since this recipe makes a small amount , using commercially canned tomatoes and other pantry items, it is easy to make a batch when you want it, so canning for long-term storage is not necessary.

      Reply
  17. Ashlee says

    November 2, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    Can this be done without the lime juice?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 2, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      Yes, you can skip the lime juice if you prefer.

      Reply
  18. Elizabeth says

    October 21, 2020 at 11:25 am

    Looks so good! How many days can this stay in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 21, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      I’d use it up within 5 days. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  19. Barb says

    October 13, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    Can jalapeños be added to this recipe ?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 13, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      Absolutely! Finely chop one up for some heat. 🙂

      Reply
  20. JP says

    August 6, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    Drain the tomatoes first… very good salsa

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      August 7, 2020 at 9:14 am

      Happy to hear you liked this salsa JP! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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