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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Published: May 26, 2023 · Modified: Sep 6, 2023 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

The Best Smoked Salsa

Jump to Recipe
A white bowl of the smoked salsa on a brown serving tray with chips and salt all around it and text overlay on top of the image.
A white bowl of the smoked salsa on a brown serving tray with chips and salt all around it and text overlay on top of the image.

For the ultimate summer appetizer for any occasion, you’ll turn to this homemade smoked salsa over and over again! Made with only a handful of fresh ingredients, this smoky salsa is perfect for dipping or serving with your favorite Mexican dishes. You only need about 20 minutes of hands-on preparation time, and the process couldn’t be easier, no matter your skill level. Let’s show you how to make your new go-to tomato salsa.

A white bowl of the smoked salsa on a brown serving tray with chips and salt all around it and cilantro sprigs and a jalapeño to the side.
Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Ingredients
  • Favorite Ways to Use Salsa
  • How to Store
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Variations and Substitutions
  • Expert Tips
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Get More Salsa Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

That touch of smoky flavor: After just an hour, the fresh vegetables absorb those smoky notes to make a homemade salsa with the most incredible depth of flavor. You’ll never want to make salsa any other way.

No expert BBQ skills required: If you just bought your smoker, this is a great recipe for first-timers. As long as you can chop, you can master this salsa.

Only calls for simple ingredients: No need for a trip to a specialty store here. You can find everything you need in your most basic grocery store. 

Make ahead of party time: Whether you’d like to simplify your hosting duties or need a dish to take to a potluck, this salsa is here for you with a convenient make-ahead preparation option.

Related: For more taco night appetizers, you'll also love these jerk pork nachos and tropical pico de gallo.

Ingredients

The salsa ingredients on a brown wooden surface with black and white labels by the various items.

Tomatoes: We want to use Roma tomatoes. They’re my favorite variety for making salsa, and the proportions in this recipe are designed for Roma tomatoes. 

Jalapeños: No pickled jalapeños here. We want fresh, whole jalapeños. 

Onion: For a more gentle flavor, try a red onion or yellow onion. If you prefer a sharper flavor, a white onion works well. 

Garlic: We first peel a few garlic cloves and then let them smoke whole. I don't recommend substituting garlic powder.

Lime juice: Only freshly squeezed lime juice will do. That bottled juice is not nearly as citrusy. You can’t beat fresh.

Cilantro: Like the lime juice, we want fresh cilantro. Dried cilantro is not a good option.

Step-by-Step Ingredients

Step 1: Our first step is to toss the fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and cloves of garlic with olive oil, salt and black pepper until the vegetables are well-coated (photo1). You’ll notice the tomatoes, jalapeños and onions are cut into pieces. That’s so we get a better smoke infusion. 

A hand pouring a small bowl of olive oil over the vegetables in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 2: Now we spread the vegetables on a sheet pan with a wire rack, place it in a 225-degree F smoker and close the lid (photo 2). When the vegetables are done, the tomatoes will look like so (photo 3). I like to taste the liquid in the tomatoes, and if it’s smoky to my liking, I go ahead and pull the vegetables.

The vegetables on a gold sheet pan with a wire rack inside the smoker before closing the lid and cooking.
The vegetables on a gold sheet pan with a wire rack after they've been removed from the smoker.

Tip: While you can technically put the vegetables directly on the grill grates, a sheet pan makes it much easier to transport, and you don’t have to worry about the garlic falling off the grates. If you don't have a smoker-friendly sheet pan, a disposable aluminum pan works too.

Step 3: To make the base of our salsa, we add the tomatoes to a food processor and blend until we get our desired consistency (photo 4). I like a chunky salsa, but you can process it longer if you prefer a smoother salsa.

The smoked tomatoes in a food processor after they've been blended to a chunky consistency.

Step 4: Now we transfer the tomato base to a large bowl. We finely chop the garlic, jalapeños, onion and cilantro and stir those into the salsa along with some fresh lime juice and salt (photo 5). 

A brown wooden spoon stirring together the smoked tomatoes with the remaining ingredients in a large glass bowl.

Wasn’t that easy? Make sure you keep this smoked salsa recipe handy because you’ll want to put it on repeat all summer. 

Note: This recipe was tested using a vertical pellet grill. However, you can use it with any type of smoker. 

Favorite Ways to Use Salsa

Obviously, you can simply grab some crispy tortilla chips and start snacking. But you can also serve this salsa in so many other ways. Here are a few ideas to get the most out of this salsa.

  • Stir it into some smoked queso. 
  • Serve with these smoked pork carnitas, beef enchiladas, pork quesadillas or chorizo tacos. 
  • Use as a burger topping with my smoked burgers or venison burgers.
  • Spoon over grilled chicken or fish.
  • Add to a taco pasta or taco salad.
  • Stir it into a black bean dip or guacamole.
  • Top it on this cheesy taco skillet.

Tip: When serving, you can absolutely serve it warm or chilled. If you've never had warm salsa, it might sound funny, but Pappasito's, my absolute favorite Tex-Mex restaurant from my Texas days, does this, and it's wonderful.

How to Store

Once we finish preparing the salsa, we can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. With proper storage, it should last up to five days, which makes it great for preparing ahead of time. 

When it comes to freezing, I find salsa is at its best fresh, not frozen. Salsa has a tendency to get a bit watery when it thaws. If your heart is set on freezing the salsa, you might want to drain any excess liquid off first and use it within three months.

Recipe FAQs

What are the best tomatoes for salsa?

Roma tomatoes are perfect for making salsa. This variety is nice and meaty without too much water. I specifically designed this recipe to go with Roma tomatoes, so if you substitute them for, say, beefsteak tomatoes, the recipe proportions won't be quite right, and you may have to do some adjusting.

How long do you smoke vegetables for salsa?

Anywhere between 60-90 minutes is perfect for smoking our salsa vegetables. That said, I rarely need more than 60 minutes. That’s usually plenty of time to get that smoky flavor, so definitely check it at the 60-minute mark to see if they’re good and ready.

What’s the best type of wood for smoking salsa?

If you like a bigger smoke flavor like me, go with hickory. I find hickory gives the salsa a bold, deep smoky flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. If you prefer a lighter touch of smoke, you can try pecan wood, apple wood or cherry wood. 

How spicy is this salsa?

With the caveat that spice is subjective, I consider this a medium salsa. You can taste the kick, but most people can handle the heat level just fine.

Can this salsa undergo canning?

This salsa has not been tested for canning, which requires a specific pH level to safely consume.

An aerial view of a white bowl filled with the smoked salsa with sprigs of cilantro and a jalapeño pepper to the left and chips scattered around it.

Variations and Substitutions

If you ask me, this recipe is perfect as is. But it’s still fun to play around with different variations. And now for a few ideas for you.

  • Stir in some grilled corn, cubed avocado or black beans. 
  • Smoke some bell peppers with the rest of the ingredients and use those as well for an extra crunch.
  • Substitute the jalapeño peppers for serrano or habanero peppers for extra heat.
  • Turn it into a milder salsa and use only one jalapeño with the seeds and membrane removed or try a more mild option, such as a poblano pepper or Anaheim pepper.
  • Make it a salsa verde and use tomatillos instead of tomatoes or even a combination of the two.
  • Add a dash of ground cumin or coriander.

Expert Tips

Wear kitchen gloves: This protects your skin when handling the jalapeños. Trust me — you do not want to get those pepper oils on your fingertips and then touch your eye. 

Use the pulse function: When blending the tomatoes, use the pulse function to ensure you don’t overwork the tomatoes. 

Try a smoke box: No smoker? That’s not a problem. You can turn your grill into a smoker with a smoke box. 

Don’t blend the onions, garlic and jalapeños in the food processor: We want these three chopped uniformly, and the food processor is not good at that. Plus, you’ll likely end up with overworked tomatoes if you blend them together at once. Take a few minutes to chop for best results.

Perfect Pairing

With this smoky salsa, you’ll love a crisp pilsner. It’s not overly hoppy, which can intensify the heat, and it has a malty touch to add a slightly sweet contrast. Plus, it’s ultra bubbly, making it your perfect palate refresher. 

For a wine option, a dry riesling is your ultimate drink partner. This acidic wine brings out the fresh lime notes, and it helps liven up those smoked tomatoes. 

And we certainly can’t forget the margaritas. This Cadillac margarita is lovely. For this margarita, we use a reposado tequila, which is aged in oak barrels to pair nicely with those smoky flavors. 

If you’re more of a fruity margarita person, my pineapple-coconut margarita, passion fruit margarita or blackberry margarita are nice options. You can also check out this guide to fruity margaritas for more sipping inspiration.

When your next patio night comes calling, whip up this smoked salsa and enjoy with your favorite chips on the side. You’ll love every smoky, spicy bite.

Cheers!

A hand dipping a tortilla chip into a white bowl of the smoked salsa with a jalapeño to the bottom left.

Get More Salsa Recipes

  • The tomato-chipotle salsa in a bowl with chips and cilantro surrounding it.
    Tomato-Chipotle Salsa
  • A bowl of mango-habanero salsa surrounded by chips and cilantro.
    Easy Mango-Habanero Salsa
  • A bowl of jerk salsa on a white plate with cilantro around it.
    Jamaican Jerk Salsa
  • A close-up shot of the pineapple pico de gallo in a pineapple bowl on a blue surface with cilantro around it.
    Pineapple Pico De Gallo

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

A white bowl of the smoked salsa on a brown serving tray with chips and salt all around it and cilantro sprigs and a jalapeño to the side.

The Best Smoked Salsa

For the ultimate summer appetizer for any occasion, you’ll turn to this homemade smoked salsa over and over again! Made with only a handful of fresh ingredients, this smoky salsa is perfect for dipping or serving with your favorite Mexican dishes. You only need about 20 minutes of hands-on preparation time, and the process couldn’t be easier, no matter your skill level. Let’s show you how to make your new go-to tomato salsa.
5 from 107 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • Wood pellets or wood chips hickory recommended
  • Sheet pan or disposable aluminum pan

Ingredients

  • 8 Roma tomatoes halved vertically
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapeños stemmed, halved vertically, seeds left intact
  • ½ yellow onion peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lime juiced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Heat the smoker to 225 degrees F and add a water pan to the smoker. Place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, jalapeños and onion in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
  • Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves, jalapeños and onion half on a wire rack on top of a sheet pan. Make sure the tomatoes and jalapeños are cut-side up. Place the sheet pan in the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for an hour to an hour and a half. You can taste test the juice from the tomatoes to determine if it's absorbed enough smoke for your liking.
  • In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes until they reach your desired consistency. Finely chop the garlic, jalapeños and onion and measure the chopped onion so that you have ¾ cup.
  • Spoon the processed tomatoes into a large mixing bowl with the chopped garlic, jalapeños and onion. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro and salt. For a hot salsa, serve right away or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days. Enjoy!

Notes

  • This recipe yields about 3 cups.
  • Wear kitchen gloves when handling the peppers to protect your skin.
  • Don't place the jalapeños, garlic and onion in the food processor with the tomatoes. Food processors aren't good at uniformly chopping, which is what we want, and you may end up overworking the tomatoes.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  •  

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 372IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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Comments

    5 from 107 votes (102 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lindsey says

    June 06, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    This salsa was amazing! I used roma tomatoes like you suggested and it was perfect.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 06, 2023 at 4:14 pm

      Thanks for sharing, Lindsey! Happy to hear you loved it.

      Reply
  2. Rebecca says

    June 06, 2023 at 11:09 am

    5 stars
    I made this salsa yesterday to serve with tacos and it was so good we ended up breaking out a bag of tortilla chips and eating more chips and salsa than tacos! I will be making this salsa all summer long!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 06, 2023 at 4:14 pm

      You and me both! Definitely will be on our summer menu a lot.

      Reply
  3. Greta says

    June 06, 2023 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    I loved this. It was perfect with my tortillas. Thanks for this amazing salsa recipe.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 06, 2023 at 4:14 pm

      You're very welcome, Greta!

      Reply
  4. Darcey says

    June 06, 2023 at 10:44 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious!! Just when you think salsa couldn't be more flavorful!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 06, 2023 at 4:13 pm

      It's amazing what the smoking process does!

      Reply
  5. Shelby says

    June 06, 2023 at 10:19 am

    5 stars
    This salsa turned out delicious. I had never thought to put it on the smoker, but I wish I had. Love the flavor it added.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 06, 2023 at 4:13 pm

      At least you get to make it this way from now on!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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