Name: Easy Roasted Tomato Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 450 g ripe tomatoes (cherry, grape, roma); 1 medium red onion, cut into 8ths; ½ large red capsicum (bell pepper), chopped into chunks; 2 large cloves garlic, peeled; 1 long red chilli, stem & seeds removed; ¼ cup finely chopped parsley or coriander (cilantro); 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 ½ teaspoons sugar; ½ teaspoon salt

By roasting tomatoes, garlic, onion, chilli and capsicum (bell pepper), this easy roasted tomato salsa is a flavourful way to top everything from nachos to grilled meats or just for dipping corn chips. So much better than store-bought, roasting vegetables gives this salsa a wonderful flavour.

You may also love this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and this Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce.

Top down view of a dish of tomato salsa.

Why you’ll love it

This roasted tomato salsa will take your main dish to the next level. I’ve used this in so many ways, including as an appetiser with tortilla chips, for making salsa chicken and as a dip for my pulled pork empanadas. It works in so many ways.

Roasting vegetables does wonderful things to their flavours. Everything sweetens just slightly, the flavour of tomatoes intensifies, garlic and onion mellow and the slightest char gives everything a touch of smokiness. All of that flavour is blended into this quick tomato salsa.

The difference between this and store-bought salsas is that we roast the vegetables. This one little step takes all of 10 minutes and very little effort but adds so much flavour.

If you love these flavours, you’ll love this baked feta and tomatoes too.

Ingredients you’ll need

It’s amazing what 9 simple ingredients can do.

Ingredients for roasted tomato salsa on a marble worktop.

Detailed quantities and directions are in the recipe card below.

Tomatoes: I use cherry tomatoes in this recipe. Since they’re small, the roast and char quickly. You can use any you like (grape, cherry, mini romas) but in season, fresh tomatoes are what you need. I often use different coloured tomatoes too.
Capsicum / bell pepper: I like red capsicum but you can use orange or yellow too. I wouldn’t recommend green as they can be quite bitter.
Chilli: I use a long red chilli. Serrano peppers and jalapeno work well too. While I like just a little spice, you can add more for a bigger spicy hit if you prefer.
Onion: I use red onion since that’s what we keep on hand. Shallots work beautifully too. Brown onion will add a much stronger onion flavour.
Garlic: Whole fresh garlic cloves are what you need. When these roast, they get sweeter and milder and soften right up.
Fresh herbs: I use fresh parsley in my salsa but fresh cilantro / coriander is very common in salsa. Feel free to use either or a combination of both.
Sugar and salt: These are added to balance out all the flavours.
White wine vinegar: This mild vinegar adds a little tang to the salsa. Lime juice is often used, so feel free to swap for the same amount.

These ingredients make up the perfect combination of sweetness, spiciness and sourness and is just what you need next to rich meat dishes.

How to make it

With only about 10 minutes of effort and a little oven time, you’ll have this delicious salsa ready to serve.

A collage of 2 images showing how to make tomato salsa.

Detailed directions are in the recipe card below.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and preheat the ovens overhead grill / broiler.
Peel the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the onion roughly. Remove the seeds from the chilli if you don’t want them.
Place the vegetables on the tray and place them under the grill / broiler. Roast for 8-10 minutes turning often until you start see blistering and char marks.
Tip all the veggies with any juices into a blender or food processor and add the sugar, salt and vinegar.
Blend to your desired consistency. Let it cool if it’s still warm and pour it into a small bowl to serve. Feel free to drizzle a little olive oil over the top too and add a few sprinkles of fresh herbs.

Try this roasted salsa recipe. Immediately you’ll have the perfect start to an appetiser or meal.

I make a baked salsa chicken with this salsa. Just brown a little chicken seasoned with taco seasoning, add the salsa and some cheese and bake for 20 minutes. It’s amazing, quick and easy.

It’s great for enchiladas too.

How to serve it

You can eat this salsa warm, at room temperature or chilled. You can serve it immediately or place it in an airtight container in the fridge for the flavours to develop more overnight.

This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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A bowl of salsa with a spoon taking some out.

So, if you’re having a Mexican fiesta, grill night or just need a good chip dip, this easy roasted tomato salsa is the only one you need.

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