Grilled Salsa

Grilled Salsa is on repeat all summer long when produce is at its peak. Use your fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, bell peppers, poblanos, and onions – and grill until charred and softened. You’ll want to keep this salsa on hand for all the Tex-Mex things!

We love trying different salsa recipes, which is why you should try this one PLUS my Pineapple Salsa Recipe, Homemade Salsa Verde, and my classic Easy Homemade Salsa. So many choices, so little time to try them all!

Reasons to love Grilled Salsa

• It’s a great way to use garden produce. If you have a garden or are lucky to have access to a farmer’s market, grilling your veggies for salsa is a great way to use all that produce. Even if there are some blemishes in the veggies, they will work perfectly for salsa.
• Summertime grilling makes it easy. As long as you’re lighting your grill for some juicy meat, light a little bit earlier and whip a batch of this salsa first. It only takes about 25-30 minutes and while it’s cooling off, you can throw your main course on the grill. So simple!
• Most importantly, the FLAVOR is amazing! Getting a nice char on your salsa produce is key to the flavor of this recipe. You’ll want to rotate the ingredients as they darken, and grill the tomatoes so that the are softened throughout. We like to add a few smoky wood chips on top of the charcoal so we get an extra smoky flavor!

Ingredients Used

• Tomatoes – For this batch, I used three medium to large tomatoes. We found them at the local Farmer’s Market and they were perfectly ripe.
• Peppers – You’ll need one poblano pepper, one red bell pepper, and two jalapeño peppers. I removed the seeds of the poblano and bell pepper, but included the seeds of the jalapeños. Just the right amount of spicy in my opinion, but you could remove some of the seeds if desired.
• Onion – I went with one yellow onion (my go-to) for this salsa.
• Olive Oil – Drizzle all the veggies (that you’re grilling) with olive oil.
• Garlic – Just two large cloves of garlic is what I used, but if you like a more intense garlic flavor, go for more.
• Cilantro – Cilantro is a key ingredient for salsa, and I used about 1/2 cup, packed.
• Lime – One lime, freshly squeezed, was just the right amount.
• Salt – A big pinch of kosher salt is the finishing touch to great salsa.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1 – Add olive oil to the veggies before grilling – the tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, and jalapeño peppers.

Step 5 – Add veggies to a food processor, along with the garlic, cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Step 6 – Add a pinch of salt and pulse until smooth but some chunks remain. You’ll want to be careful to NOT over-process the salsa.

Step 7 – Add the finished salsa to mason jars and store in the refrigerator, or serve immediately.

Expert Tips

• Adjusting ratios. If you need to use less tomatoes (for example), then you’ll probably want to use a little bit less jalapeño or other veggies. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but if you change one part of the recipe, you’ll want to consider adjusting the others too.
• Control the temperature. When grilling the vegetables, you should have the grill at around 350 degrees (or slightly lower). You want to get a nice char and avoid burning.
• Remove seeds and stems. After gilling, remove the stem of the tomatoes and pepper. Then remove the seeds of the poblano pepper and red bell pepper. I used all the seeds of the jalapeño peppers for heat, but if you want to use less, you can do that too.
• Let cool slightly. Before adding veggies to food processor, let them cool slightly. Never process super hot foods if you can help it.
• Refrigerate. Refrigerate leftover salsa.

Storing – This salsa will stay fresh in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

• Food Processor – or use a blender
• Stainless-Steel Grill Tongs 17-inch