This mouth-watering red salsa recipe comes together quick! Completely adjustable to taste, make it mild, medium or hot, then share this Easy Mexican Chipotle Salsa as a dip and with all your favorite Mexican food! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Why Homemade Salsa
I started making homemade Mexican red salsa when my cousin shared this mouth-watering chipotle salsa with me so many years ago. I had a habit of simply buying red salsa from the store. But after she showed me how easy it is to make homemade, and also, when I tasted it, I knew I had to start making my own.
With a rough outline of the ingredients, I started playing with the proportions of jalapeños, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and onions to see what I preferred, and to tone it down a bit when needed. I’m reminded that some prefer a mild red salsa over a fiery chipotle hot salsa recipe.
Ingredients for Mexican Chipotle Salsa
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are the star of this red salsa recipe. They are smoky, spicy and have a unique flavor that makes them so delicious in Mexican food recipes. Find them in a small can on the Mexican food aisle of your local grocery store. You will need:
- Canned fire roasted tomatoes
- Onion, red or white
- Green bell pepper
- Ground cumin
- Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
- Pickled jalapeños
- Garlic
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Salt
Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce freeze with ease. After opening a new can, pop the leftovers in a lidded glass jar and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze the chilis for up to two months.
How to Make Mexican Chipotle Salsa
This is such a simple recipe. All you need is a blender and the ingredients.
- First, layer the ingredients into a blender: tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, cumin, chipotles and adobo sauce, jalapeños, garlic, lime, cilantro and salt.
- Next, pulse until desired consistency. For a chunkier salsa, pulse only a few times. For a looser with smaller chunk salsa, pulse longer.
- Last, taste for salt adjustment then pour into a lidded storage container. Refrigerate for at least an hour before sharing to let the flavors marry.
As written, the recipe makes a mediumish Mexican chipotle salsa. For a hot chipotle salsa recipe, increase the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and jalapeños. For a mild salsa recipe, reduce the chipotle, adobo sauce and jalapeños. I’ve included further details in the recipe.
How Long does Homemade Salsa Last?
Mexican Chipotle Salsa lasts for about four days in the refrigerator. Store it longer and it starts to sour. I find this recipe isn’t freezer friendly, so make it fresh and enjoy it!
A Few Mexican Chipotle Salsa Notes
- The beauty of homemade salsa is you can completely adjust it to taste. Start out with a mild, medium or hot salsa, see options in the recipe, and take it from there. Take the heat up by adding more jalapeños or chipotles. Need more smoky flavor? Add a bit more adobo. More freshness? Add a few more sprigs of cilantro! Too acidic? Add a pinch of sugar.
- Freezer friendly? I prefer this salsa made fresh and only stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. After that it begins to sour.
- Can I double this Chipotle Salsa recipe? Absolutely! I do this quite a bit when making a Mexican food feast.
Vegetarian Mexican Food to Share This Salsa with
- Chipotle Inspired Sofritas Burrito Bowls
- Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos
- Chipotle-Spiced Sweet Potato Tacos – by Kitchen Confidante
- Skillet Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas Verde
- Cilantro-Lime Corn on the Cob – by Floating Kitchen
- Mexican Black Beans
Mexican Chipotle Salsa
Ingredients
Medium(ish) Salsa:
- 14.5 oz (411g) Fire Roasted Tomatoes canned* see note
- 1 C (105g) White or Red Onion large dice, about 1/2 an onion** see note
- 3/4 C (100g) Green Bell Pepper large dice, about 1/2 a bell pepper
- 1/4 tsp Cumin ground
- 1 Chipotle Chili from a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Look for gluten free if needed.
- 2 tsp Adobo Sauce from a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Look for gluten free if needed.
- 4-5 Pickled jalapeño Pepper Rings
- 2 Large Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Tbs Lime Juice from about 1/2 a large lime
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- Fist Full of Fresh Cilantro stems and leaves*** see note
Instructions
For Medium Salsa:
- In the pitcher of a blender, layer in the ingredients: tomatoes and all their juices, onion, bell pepper, cumin, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, jalapeños, garlic, lime, salt and cilantro. For chunky salsa, pulse only a few times. For a thinner sauce, pulse longer. Pulse until desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt to taste.
- Pour into a lidded storage container. Refrigerate for at least an hour before sharing to let the flavors marry. Refrigerate for up to four days.
For Hot Salsa:
- Prepare recipe as written, but add an additional 1/2-1 Chipotle pepper and 3 tsp of adobo sauce. Add a few more jalapeño pepper rings to taste.
For Mild Salsa:
- Prepare the recipe as written, but use only 1/2 a chipotle pepper, 1 tsp of adobo sauce and 0-2 pickled jalapeño pepper rings.
Chipotle salsa is my favorite! Can’t wait to try this! :)
I have not had a lot of luck with blender salsa in the past, Traci. It always comes out kind of watery and a bit bubbly from the air that gets mixed in. I think I may be adding too much liquid or blending it too long. Will try you recipe – because yours looks like it has the perfect texture. And I like that you are giving two versions – I’m a mild salsa fan!
Just checked: even have blue chips at hand :-) So into this one :-)
Hooray for blue chips! I hope you’ll give it a go!
Oh god, it looks amazing! Well, you made me try to cook this salsa. :) Wish me luck, I’m gonna do it tomorrow. :)
I hope you enjoyed the salsa, Arthur!
I cannot wait to make this for Tom! I think he could live on chips and salsa alone Traci! And he’s quite the taste tester. He’s always up for a new verion. I’ll keep you posted!
Ohhhh.. I hope he likes it Mare! It’s such a great snack.
This salsa looks absolutely delicious, Traci! My fiancé and I are growing some tomato plants for our garden, and making a homemade salsa will be at the top of our list once the tomatoes are grown :)
Hi Sarah! That’s so fantastic you’re growing your own. Making salsa with fresh tomatoes is my favorite, of course. Like you, I can’t wait for summer tomatoes! But when they’re out of season, this is my go-to!
Oh my goodness! My son Nick will love me for this!! These are the flavors that he goes for every time!! Delicious, my friend!
I hope you and Nick love the recipe, Annie!
I think once you make homemade salsa, you can never go back. It’s so good and easy! I love the adobo sauce in here. I always have that on hand. Definitely will try that next time!
I couldn’t agree more, Liz! Adobo truly elevates salsa… IMHO! Hope you enjoy it Liz!