The Best Smoked Salsa Recipe
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.
How to Make the Best The Best Smoked Salsa
This homemade smoked salsa is the ultimate summer appetizer that brings bold, smoky flavors to any gathering. With just a handful of fresh ingredients—Roma tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, and onion—you can create a restaurant-quality salsa that far surpasses any store-bought option. The magic happens when you smoke these vegetables, infusing them with a deep, complex flavor that’s impossible to replicate any other way.
What makes this recipe so special is its simplicity combined with impressive results. You only need about 20 minutes of hands-on preparation time, and the smoking process does most of the work for you. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, bringing an appetizer to a potluck, or simply looking for a flavorful dip for your favorite tortilla chips, this smoked salsa is sure to become your new go-to recipe.
The combination of lime juice, fresh cilantro, and a touch of salt at the end brings everything together perfectly, creating a salsa that’s smoky, fresh, and absolutely addictive. Make a batch and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days—though it rarely lasts that long!
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.
Ingredients
Smoked Vegetables
Final Seasoning
Instructions
Smoking the Vegetables
- 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.
Finishing the Salsa
- 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.
Notes
- Total hands-on preparation time is about 20 minutes
- Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Perfect for serving with tortilla chips or alongside Mexican dishes