Sheet Pan Roasted Tomato Salsa
This easy, warm, roasted salsa recipe fills your mouth with smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors with every bite, thanks to caramelized tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and garlic. The vegetables roast together on a sheet pan, and you can make this salsa as smooth or chunky as desired with your food processor or blender.
Once you taste this Mexican restaurant-style salsa, you’ll never buy another jar of the prepared stuff again. Try it with some of my Mexican pickled vegetables for taco Tuesday!
Dietitian tip: Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant associated with lower cancer risk. Roasting tomatoes with olive oil, as in this recipe, can increase the amount of lycopene your body absorbs by up to 82%!
Recipe At-A-Glance
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 20-30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 10
DIFFICULTY: easy
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS: Warm, roasted, Mexican restaurant-style salsa that’s so much better than jarred
FEATURED INGREDIENTS: Roma tomatoes, jalapeńos, onions, garlic, and spices
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients needed to make this homemade roasted salsa . Substitutions and variations are listed in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Tomatoes – I highly recommend Roma tomatoes for this recipe because they’re meaty and have less water than other varieties, which makes for a better roasting experience. If you don’t have Romas, my next choice would be grape tomatoes.
Onion – Use a large sweet onion for that touch of sweet, caramelized flavor.
Jalapeno peppers – For a medium-hot salsa, I use two medium to large sized peppers and remove the seeds and most of the membrane. Add more or less to your taste.
Cilantro – This adds a lovely, bright flavor and some crispness when added in at the end.
Lime – a bit of zest and a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds more freshness to the finished salsa.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vary the spices – I like the smokiness cumin adds, but you can skip it, or swap chipotle or regular chile powder. Fresh or dried oregano also adds a pop of flavor.
- Make it smooth or chunky – For me, the sweet spot is about 25 pulses in the food processor for a slightly chunky salsa. I’ve also made it nearly smooth and drizzled in additional olive oil. It’s delicious anyway you prepare it.
- Add tomatillos – These add more citrusy flavor. Prep them as you would the tomatoes.
- Add grilled corn – If it’s it’s corn-on-the-cob season, roast a piece, cut the kernels off, and toss them in at the end for an interesting texture and sweetness.
How to Make Roasted Salsa
1. Prep the vegetables. Cut the tomatoes and peppers in half lengthwise. Quarter the onion, and separate the garlic cloves, but don’t peel them.
2. Oil and salt the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, toss everything in olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
3. Lay the vegetables on a sheet pan. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the vegetables out in a single layer. Roast at 425ºF for 20-30 minutes on the bottom rack, turning them after about 15 minutes to ensure even charring.
4. Remove the vegetables when they are soft and slightly blackened in spots. Let the vegetables cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the garlic skins from the garlic cloves. It should fall off easily, but you can also squeeze the garlic out.
5. Process the vegetables. Place the roasted vegetables in a food processor or blender with the cumin and pulse 20-30 times until everything is broken down.
6. Add the raw seasonings. Add cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice and pulse 4-5 more times. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
Choose quality ingredients. Since this roasted salsa has so few ingredients, freshness counts.
A food processor gives you more control over the salsa’s consistency. If you use a blender, keep a close eye on it and scrape down the sides after every few pulses, unless you like a smoother salsa.
If your tomatoes are very juicy, I recommend squeezing out some of the liquid before roasting. Otherwise, you’ll end up boiling your tomatoes in their juices, and they won’t caramelize. If you notice too much liquid in the pan while roasting, carefully remove the pan from the oven and discard the excess liquid.
I think this roasted salsa tastes best served immediately, but you can refrigerate or freeze leftovers. If refrigerated, warm the salsa in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. If frozen, let it thaw completely, then warm it before serving.
What to Serve With Homemade Roasted Salsa
This homemade tomato salsa isn’t just for dipping chips (although I wouldn’t blame you if you did!). You can also use it as a tasty condiment or ingredient in dips, soups, and more.
- Spoon it on top of grilled chicken or fish.
- Mix it with plain Greek yogurt for a creamy salsa dip.
- Stir it into sweet potato and black bean soup or chicken chili for a pop of fresh flavor.
- Add a scoop on top of mini chicken enchilada pies.
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Sheet Pan Roasted Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes
- 2 large jalapeños
- 1 large sweet onion
- 6-8 medium garlic cloves unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (packed), more or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and set the rack to the bottom position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Cut the tomatoes and peppers in half lengthwise. Cut away the brown stem part of the tomatoes and remove the seeds, and if desired for less heat, the jalapeńo pepper's membranes. Peel and quarter the onion. Leave the garlic cloves in their skin.
- Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over and toss well to combine. Sprinkle about half of the salt over the vegetables to season them.
- Spread the vegetables onto a lined sheet pan, in a single layer. Roast the vegetables for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to caramelize in spots. Turn them after about 15 minutes, so they cook evenly.
- When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes.
- When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the garlic, and place all of the vegetables into food processor, along with the cumin and remaining salt.
- Pulse several times or blend/process to almost desired consistency (about 20 pulses). Add the cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice and pulse 3-4 more times to incorporate.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve warm with chips or vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
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This sounds amazing. Cant wait to try. I’ve had store-bought roasted salsa and restaurant but I’m sure this is 100% better.
Thanks
I hope you like it Susan! It gets devoured instantly at my house! Thanks for visiting 🙂
This is my favorite way to make salsa! Can’t wait for my garden tomatoes to ripen.
Me too! and I wish I could grow tomatoes – too hot and sunny in Scottsdale to grown anything except cactus and agave 🙁
I’m not an empty nester but still consider salsa a meal some nights! This is fantastic, I’ve never thought about making salsa on a sheet pan but now I must try it!
Ha! I agree – chips and salsa plus a Margarita is sometimes the perfect dinner 🙂 Thanks for visiting Brynn!