Fiery Roasted Salsa
Last updated: August 15, 2021
Garden tomatoes, peppers, and onions roast in the oven for ultimate flavor and spice in this salsa canning recipe. It's very easy to make because you don't have to peel the tomatoes!
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Canning – a relaxing escape that gives me peace, enjoyment, and a feeling of accomplishment. Whether it’s Red Wine Fig Jam, or Hot Pepper Jelly, you’ll find me preserving something!
Canning may seem intimidating, but honestly, it just takes one or two times to get the hang of it. There’s no better time than now to embark on your first experience. Grab your favorite summer produce, find a canning recipe that appeals to you, and preserve the harvest one jar at a time like I did with this Fiery Roasted Salsa.
We’ve been blessed with a great tomato harvest this year in Minnesota. The vendors at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market are hauling them in by the bushel, waiting a person like me, who’s eyes are obviously bigger than their stomachs as they carry away 15 pounds of the bright red beauties.
I also bought tomatillos to make this canned Salsa Verde!
The first time I made homemade salsa about 3 years ago, I wasn’t wowed. I used a recipe from the Ball Canning Book and although the flavor was okay, it didn’t have the punchy, zest I craved. Additionally, the texture just wasn’t my favorite.
The perfect salsa to me: restaurant style that’s smooth but not runny, bold heat, and a background roasted, toasted flavor. I reached out to a friend, the preservation queen herself, One Tomato Two Tomato, had just the recipe that matched my requirements.
Tomatoes, chiles, and peppers are broiled until their skin is black which brings out their inherent sweetness and a dose of smokiness.
To put my own spin on her Salsa de Chile recipe, I adapted the dry spices used and threw in a twist – espresso powder.
(When adapting certified and tested canned tomato recipes, it’s very important to only adjust spices/herbs for safety because of their finicky ph/acid levels. Read more about that here.)
The idea sparked from thoughts of mole sauce and really great chili, which all use a bit of chocolate to deepen their flavor, but for safety reasons I didn’t want to add chocolate.
And what gives an additional layer of flavor to chocolate? Espresso powder. I couldn’t resist using it in this canned salsa. And it worked beautifully. It brings out the flavors of the ingredients and they sing in harmony. Of course it’s optional, but I really think it makes this salsa unique.
The result – well, let’s just say chips and salsa has been my dinner for the last two nights and breakfast quesadillas have been my jam!
Note: This is the water bath canner I use.
More Salsa Canning Recipes:
- Canning Salsa Verde, Made With Tomatillos
- Plum Habanero Salsa (canning recipe)
- Roasted Tomato Peach Salsa Canning Recipe
Yield: 6 pints
SCALE:
Ingredients
- 5 lbs tomatoes (1/2 heirloom/regular, 1/2 romas)
- 2 lbs peppers – a mix of red and green bell peppers plus 6 hot peppers like jalapenos or cayenne, in the mix (depending on how hot you like it), to equal the two pounds
- 1 lb white onions, diced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional, but really adds another layer of flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Turn the broiler of the oven on. Wash & dry tomatoes and peppers. Spread whole tomatoes and peppers on a sheet pan and roast them under the broiler until their skin is blistered. Flip the ingredients and roast on the other side until blistered.
- Core the tomatoes if necessary and remove the stems from the peppers. Leave the seeds and skin (this gives the salsa great flavor!)! Let them cool slightly, until you are able to dice the peppers, and set aside.
- Blend the roasted tomatoes, all the juices from the pan, garlic, and ½ of the diced onions, in a blender until fairly smooth. (Leaving the blistered skins on gives the salsa that great smoky flavor).
- Add blended mixture, diced peppers, remaining diced onions, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, espresso powder, black pepper, salt, and cilantro to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the salsa is simmering, prepare the hot water bath and heat the pint jars and lids. Ladle hot salsa into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1/2” headspace.
- Wipe rims and add the lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes at a full rolling boil. Remove jars from water and let fully cool on a kitchen towel for 24 hours before touching.
Notes
Recipe adapted from: Adapted from Salsa de Chile por Mis Amigos.
Did you make this?
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September 11, 2013
This was DELICIOUS and I’m not even a big salsa fan! I admittedly did not use the espresso powder just because I wanted to kids to have it, but it’s absolutely excellent.
Hi,
The weight of the tomatoes and the peppers, is this after they are roasted or prior to roasting?
hello! the weight is prior to roasting.
I was searching for a roasted salsa recipe as my tomatoes, sweet peppers, and hot peppers did exceptionally well this year. This recipe is excellent! I did modify it slightly by using 1/2 regular vinegar and half apple cider vinegar, and I also added coriander and smoked paprika (roughly a teaspoon of each). I used a mix of all my tomatoes, and then the ancho poblano, jalapeño, and Serrano peppers we’d also grown. So glad I found this.
So glad you liked the salsa, Sandra! Sounds like an excellent harvest for you.
2 pounds of peppers PLUS 6 hot peppers? The hot ones are in addition to the 2 pounds previously stated? Or 2 pounds total for all the peppers? Thanks!
2 pounds total for all peppers!
I would love to can in quart jars besides pints are we able too with your recipe?
Hi Corrina! I have done some research on canning salsa in quarts and it seems this isn’t safely approved in a water bath canner because it can be difficult for the larger jars to reach the internal temps needed, in the middle of the jars. This is a good q&a on canning salsa safely.
I have made some great salsas but this is the best one yet AND it is so easy to make. I added some smoked paprika and based on a comment about red wine vinegar, I used that instead of Apple cider vinegar. I will never go back! This is my fav “forever” salsa! Thank you for this beautiful and rich bodied recipe!
Cindy
Yay! So glad to hear this is now a favorite in your house. I will add the note about the option to use red wine vinegar, thank you!
I just made this simple salsa. Such an easy recipe to make and super delicious.
Fabulous, love hearing your success!
You mentioned to another commenter that the hot peppers are not roasted . Why not? Are they roasted separately or not roasted at all? P.ease update the recipe to reflect this. Thanks.
Hi Laurie! Over the years I have updated the recipe with my preference to roast all of the peppers, as the recipe instructs.
Excellent salsa. Adding 4 ghost (or reapers) peppers makes it hotter than most store salsas but still tolerable for non pepper heads. This is a staple recipe for me, thanks!
Totally agree! I added my Carolina Reapers to this recipe. We like hot & sweet Salsas so we added sugar and this turned out AWESOME!!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
so glad you liked the recipe, Dan!
Best salsa!!! Spices really make it awesome!
Been roasting tomatoes,peppers,garlic and onions for salsa for about fifty years.would not make it any other way
What is the shelf life of these jars of salsa? They probably won’t last long enough to worry about it but just in case.
Hello! Shelf life is 12-18 months. But you’re right, I doubt you won’t go through it in that time! ;)
Can you use instant espresso coffee instead of espresso powder?
yes, you certainly can use that instead!
Hi there, can i substitute regular white vinegar or red wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar? or should i substitute with lemon/lime juice instead?
Thanks so much! The salsa turned out great!
Hello! You can use lemon or lime juice to replace the vinegar, but it MUST be BOTTLED lime or lemon juice, where the acidity is controlled and tested, at 5%. Juicing your own lemons or limes to use in canning is not advised because their acidity can vary.
I have read you can safely replace vinegar with either lemon or lime as long acidity is 5%. Would this work?
Hello! You can use lemon or lime juice to replace the vinegar, but it MUST be BOTTLED lime or lemon juice, where the acidity is controlled and tested, at 5%. Juicing your own lemons or limes to use in canning is not advised because their acidity can vary.
Excellent recipe! The only tweek I do is roast all the onions, garlic, peppers and tomatoes on an open mesquite fire. The smoky flavor of the wood adds even more flavor to the end results. Thanks for sharing!
I was very impressed the first time I made it, but I’m curious, can I safely use tomatillos instead of tomatoes if I roast them and weigh out 5 pounds? I like the amount of peppers used in this recipe but NONE of the canned roasted green salsa recipes I find have enough peppers in them. This one would make an amazing green salsa if I could safely do that…
hi jason! have you tried this roasted salsa verde canning recipe of mine? it sounds like it might be just what you’re looking for!
Can I use ANY type of vinegar as long as the acidity is 4 percent or more? I want a vinegar with a less strong taste next time. I substituted both pounds of bell peppers with poblanos and Anaheims and Shishitos. The results are delicious but the apple cider vinegar tastes too strong…
yes, you can use a different type of vinegar!
Do you roast the hot chiles with the tomatoesand green peppers? (Jalapeno, habernero)
Hi Lori! The hot chiles are not roasted with the others.
I love this recipe and loved reading through all the comments. I do have a question: I have lots of anaheim green peppers from my garden, could I sub those (or some) instead of bell peppers? Looking to make salsa extra spicy!
Hi Kelly! Yes, if you want to sub in some anaheim green peppers, that will work just fine! Will depend on how spicy you like, and you can adjust accordingly.
Hi Amada,
I’m from Texas so when I stumbled across your salsa recipe I was delighted. Made it exactly according to recipe. But the apple cider vinegar really threw the taste for me. It was there in every bite. Next time, I will use same base recipe but substitute fresh lemon juice along with two to three tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Those ingredients were listed on all the jars of my favorite salsas. I LOVED the base recipe, has all the flavors I love. Thanks.
What is the amt in cups after roasting the tomatoes? I roasted and froze my garden fresh tomatoes earlier in the season. Would love to use them. Thank you.
Hello! You’ll want to use the weight of the tomatoes after they unthaw, to ensure proper ratios for safe canning.
Can you use lemon juice instead of lime juice? Do you have to roast the aneheim peppers?
yes, you can use lemon juice instead of lime. i think the best flavor and texture comes out from roasting the peppers.
I used the white vinager and roasted aneheim peppers. Thank you tasted great.
I have tried many salsa recipes and this one is by far my favorite!!! We blew friends and family away when we shared our precious jars. Thanks for an amazing recipe – I recommend it all the time!
Thank you for the comment, Sarah! I’m so glad this recipe has become a favorite for your family. :)
Can I use peppers and tomatoes smoked I stead of roasted in the oven?
Hi! I don’t think it would be good to use smoked peppers and tomatoes because their acidity is different than roasted, which would affect the ph and thus, canning safety.
This is a terrific recipe! Love the peppery, onion flavor with the nice texture & “secret” spice ingredient of espresso powder. In the past, I’ve made another roasted tomato salsa recipe. This one is so much better! Way easier since there is no need to halve the tomatoes & peppers before roasting nor waiting for them to cool or peel. (Except for the bell peppers.) so the processing time is much shorter. Yay!
Mine turned out to be medium spicy, and has a zippy bite to it. I used 2 very large sweet green bell peppers & subbed in some large medium heat green chile peppers for the remaining bell peppers. I used 2 red jalapeños, 2 green jalapeños, and 3 mild chiles – a green, red & yellow. For a milder heat, I would leave out the red jalapeños & use all bell peppers.
My beau wants me to keep it all this year rather than giving away some of the pints to salsa-loving family members. This is my new “keeper” salsa recipe, for sure!
wonderful, i’m so glad you liked the recipe!!
Hi there! I just made 4 batches of this salsa! I have 25 pints. Thanks for sharing.
An interesting tip you shared- wiping the rim w vinegar- awesome!
I think we will b set for the winter months! Just love opening jars of summer!
Can this be made with cherry or grape tomatoes. My plants went crazy.
That would work, however you’d have quite a bit of skins in the salsa. If you don’t mind that, I so go for it!
Thank you. I will give it a try.
This sounds amazing!! Can’t wait to try it out 😊 I do have a question though (I’m new to canning… As in I’ve never canned a thing, but I do have all of the equipment now… I’ve been researching & stocking up, lol)
I love the flavour of caramelized onions… Is it possible to use that instead of raw onions? Or maybe a mixture of both? Not sure if it would affect the PH. I love raw onions, but thought I’d try the caramelized in the 2nd batch (let’s just see how well I do on the 1st batch 😉)
Thanks in advance! I’m so hungry now…
The caramelized batch will not have the same PH, thus would not be safe for canning. Even though the onions are raw, they cook so long in the mixture that they don’t have the sharp bite you’re probably thinking of.
Thank you for the information! Good to know, especially because I’m SO new to canning… There’s a lot of info out there. I personally love raw onions in my salsa, salads, burgers etc. (red onions are my favourite), but my husband is a wee bit picky. I guess that’s means more for me 😊
Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your day!
This is, hands down, one of the tastiest salsa recipes I’ve canned. Thank you so much! I’ll be making this again! The addition of espresso was brilliant. I added a splash of lime juice to my batch (I figured you can’t go wrong adding more acid). Simply delicious! I ended up with 6.5 pints and ate the half pint while the 6 full pints were in the water bath.
Wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Will be a tasty winter when you open a can!
What kind of Chile Powder do you use?
I use Penzy’s Chili Powder or Simply Organic!
Can I sub more tomatoes for bell pepper poundage? Running low on peppers but have plenty of toms- not sure if that throws the acid out of whack though- thanks.
Hi Marina! I am not sure about this, as canning is so specific when it comes to acid. Sorry I can’t help more.
Oh, this stuff is gooood! I don’t like raw onions so I threw them in the broiler and blended them with the tomatoes. Didn’t have instant espresso but put in some trader joes instant coffee. Nice and spicy hot. Will also make a good enchilada sauce.
Just made this salsa with fresh tomatoes and peppers from the garden – absolutely delicious!!!
so happy to hear this Sarah, thanks for leaving a note!
I can’t eat onions. Do you think I can omit them and still can this? It’s my understanding that onions are not acidic so it will still be fine for water bath canning.
Hi! Although onions are low in acid, they do still contribute to the overall PH level. Because of this, I would add an additional 1 pound of bell peppers to replace the one pound of onions.
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the recipe
2 questions
– Instead of canning the prepared salsa, can the product be frozen in portions until needed
– can i eat the salsa immediately after production?
Thsnks
Hi! Freezing the salsa would definitely change its texture, so I don’t recommend that. But you can definitely eat it immediately after production, once it is cooled.
Just a quick question. Is the “t” for tablespoon or teaspoon? Used to seeing T or tsp. Thanks!
hello! the t is for teaspoon, capital T for tablespoon.
Do You Core ThE Tomatoes And de-seed The Peppers After Roasting?
Nope, I leave it as is! You won’t have much core left after the roasting period.
hey Amanda how many pint jars do you need?
hi Tracy! you’ll see right underneath the title that it makes 6-7 pints. enjoy!
hi! I have an abundance of heirloom tomatoes in my garden (half Brandywine and half Moskvich). Could I use all heirlooms or do I need romas for some reason? Thanks!
The reason it calls for half romas is because larger tomatoes have a lot more water, thus affected the “runniness” of the salsa. If you can get your hands on some romas, I would, otherwise I would roast the tomatoes on a separate pan and drain some of the juices from then. Hope that helps!
This looks great! Do you cut the tomatoes and peppers in half before roasting or leave them whole?
Hi Kristin! I left them whole, it works great and is faster than cutting them all in half. Enjoy!
you talked about adding lemon juice to make it safe for canning. But I don’t see that in this recipe! Is it still safe to can if it was not added? Sorry new at canning! Thanks!
Hi Traci! I’m not seeing any mention of lemon juice? In this recipe, the apple cider vinegar is the acid that will make it safe for canning. As long as you added that you are good to go.
Ok Great!!!!! I clicked on the read more here, about the ph balance! Thank you so much for the info!! I am new at canning so I don’t know much! I made this recipe! My husband and I LOVE it!!!! Thanks again for the info!!!
Oh great – so glad you enjoyed the salsa!
I’ve never canned a single thing in my life (other than nut butter and that doesn’t count!). 1. I need a garden 2. I need to can. ASAP.
I would love a garden too Lee! But for now I’ll just invade the farmer’s market every weekend :) You should totally try canning, it’s much easier than you’d think. We could even do it together!
Made this today. . . so so so good! Sweet and spicy and a wonderful way to use all my tomatoes! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Gwen, I’m so glad you made the salsa! I love getting feedback and knowing that it worked for others. Canning takes time, but it’s so worth it!
Espresso powder in salsa is, in a word, brilliant. Want to taste. Gorgeous and vibrant, too.
Jacqui, I will save a jar of this for you! Do you know when you’ll be visiting again?
Hmmm… I’ve never made salsa, but between you and Laurie, I’m getting a huge itch to do so. This looks perfect!
Kate, I really think you should. It’s so nice to have around come wintertime! Plus what I like about this recipe is that you don’t have to peel all the tomatoes. You keep the blistered skins on them and puree so you get a wonderful smokiness.