If you want the best salsa of your life, you've got to make this highly addictive fire grilled salsa! It's truly the best smoky summer salsa made from fresh vegetables for the most delicious snack or appetizer! (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free)
I think I could live off of chips and salsa. Seriously. If I wasn't a dietitian who knows I should probably have a little more variety than that in my diet, I'd straight up eat chips and salsa for dinner most nights.
The caveat is it has to be good salsa. Like, really good salsa. None of that shelf-stable store-bought nonsense. Only the fresh, homemade kind.
And honestly, the best homemade salsa you will ever have is grilled salsa. Fresh summer tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic all fire-roasted on the grill for that softly subdued flavor that is only enhanced by the beautiful smoky char, all blended with fresh cilantro and lime to a warm salsa perfection, perfect for scooping up on a crunchy, salty tortilla chip. So delicious and so addicting.
Why You'll Love This Grilled Salsa Recipe
Not only is this grilled salsa a great way to use up your bounty of fresh summer vegetables, but it's also very customizable to suit anyone's taste! If you're grill is already fired up for dinner, it's super easy to throw the vegetables on, then blend away for an easy appetizer that everyone will flip for. The consistency is the perfect balance between chunky and smooth, with little chunks of veggies and flecks of delicious char. To summarize, this salsa is:
- Perfect for using summer produce
- Customizable
- Easy
- The most delicious salsa you will ever eat
How To Make Grilled Salsa
It's very simple, really. Light the grill (medium low to medium heat), lightly oil fresh tomatoes, peppers (I use a mix of jalapeño and serrano peppers) and tomatoes, and chop just the top off of a bulb of garlic (to make it easier to squeeze the softened cloves out later).
Add your veggies to the grill and cook, turning every one in a while to get a nice even char on all sides, until they are nice and soft.
Then, simply remove the stems from the tomatoes and peppers, discard the pepper seeds, and pulse it all in the food processor with fresh cilantro leaves, fresh lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
Tips for Making Perfect Grilled Salsa
- Customize this salsa to suit your taste. I prefer a little more char for a more smoky flavor, but if you like less, either cook the veggies at a lower temperature so that they don't get as black, or simply remove the charred skin before blending (it should slip right off).
- If you're a wimp (admittedly like myself at times), use 4 tomatoes to tone down the spice. If you like more heat, leave the seeds in the peppers, or add an extra serrano (or try a spicier pepper for the really brave!).
- You want to pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped, but not a smooth puree. Use the pulse function on your food processor instead of keeping it on a continuous blend so you can stop as soon as it's the perfect texture. ( I use this food processor and it works great!)
- Taste after blending to see if it needs more lime, salt, cilantro, or spice, and adjust as needed.
What To Do With Grilled Salsa Leftovers
If you don't eat all of your grilled salsa on chips immediately, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. It can be reheated in the microwave (in a microwave-safe container) in 15-second intervals, or simply eaten again cold.
You can stir leftover grilled salsa into ground beef or shredded chicken to make tacos, or spoon on top of all of your Mexican food favorites to spice up burrito bowls, breakfast tacos, fajitas, or scrambled eggs!
More Mexican Inspired Dips You'll Love:
- Caramelized Onion Guacamole
- Green Chile Salsa Verde
- Grilled Pineapple Black Bean Salsa
- Slow-Cooker Green Chile Corn Dip
If you've got a summer garden overflowing with tomatoes and peppers, then you've got to make this grilled salsa!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintThe Best Grilled Salsa
This fire grilled salsa is truly the best smoky summer salsa made from fresh vegetables. It's highly addictive for eating as a snack or appetizer! (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free)
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups 1x
- Category: sauce
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1 small bulb garlic
- Handful cilantro leaves
- Juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Lightly oil tomatoes, onion and peppers. Cut top ¼ off of garlic bulb.
- Place tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic on the grill. Cook, turning every once in a while, until softened and charred on the outside. Watch the peppers to make sure they don't get burned and crispy, just lightly charred.
- Remove vegetables from the grill.
- Remove tomato stems, pepper stems, and seeds. Add to the bowl of a food processor with onion, garlic (the cloves should easily squeeze out of the top), cilantro, lime and salt. Pulse until finely chopped but not completely smooth.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
- If you like less char in your salsa, either cook the veggies at a lower temperature so that they don't get as black, or simply remove the charred skin before blending (it should slip right off).
- For less spice, use 4 tomatoes.
- If you like more spice, leave the seeds in the peppers, add an extra serrano, or try adding a habanero to really kick up the heat.
- You want to pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped, but not a smooth puree. Use the pulse function on your food processor instead of keeping it on a continuous blend so you can stop as soon as it's the perfect texture.
- Taste after blending to see if it needs more lime, salt, cilantro, or spice, and adjust as needed.
- Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave in 15-second intervals (in a microwave-safe container), or simply eaten again cold.
Keywords: grilled salsa recipe, salsa with fresh tomatoes, fire grilled salsa
Vicki says
Love the char!
★★★★★