Fast Smoked Salsa

Whether you’re searching for a gameday dip or want to add some flavor and spice to taco night, this homemade smoked salsa is the recipe for you.

Homemade salsa is much superior than store-bought, and roasting your vegetables over the smoker adds an additional layer of flavor that will blow your mind.

Homemade Smoked Salsa

This homemade salsa is created with just 8 basic ingredients and takes approximately an hour to prepare.

Simply cut your vegetables and set them on the smoker for about an hour to soak up a wonderful, smokey flavor and a little char.

Then, in a food processor, mix them until your salsa has the right consistency.

Ingredients required

Fresh tomatoes of any kind will work well in this dish.

I like huge Beefsteak tomatoes since they are exceptionally juicy and tasty. Roma tomatoes, Campari tomatoes, or San Marzano tomatoes may also be used.

Onions, red For this dish, I like the sharpness and acidity of red onions, but you may also use white or yellow onions.

Red onions will give you the most kick, so if you want to tone it down a little, choose a milder onion.

Any salsa recipe would be incomplete without a blast of flavor from fresh cilantro.

If you can’t locate fresh cilantro, you may use cilantro paste instead, but I suggest double the quantity to achieve the perfect amount of cilantro taste.

Jalapeo pepper jalapeo is an excellent method to spice up your salsa. This recipe asks for one huge jalapeo, but you may increase the heat by adding another.

Simply cut the jalapeo in half if you want to reduce the heat.

Poblano chili Poblano peppers are not hot, yet they are very flavorful. The taste of the poblano in this recipe adds an added layer of flavor to the salsa.

If you prefer, replace the poblano with a bell pepper or Anaheim pepper, or leave it out entirely for a more typical salsa taste.

Garlic Fresh garlic gives this dish a taste boost and helps to smooth out the flavors of the tomatoes and peppers.

If you don’t like garlic, simply decrease the quantity in half.

Lime juice (fresh) Fresh lime juice provides the last burst of acid in this dish.

I suggest squeezing your lime juice fresh, but if you like, you may use store-bought lime juice instead. Just make sure your lime juice isn’t concentrated otherwise your salsa will have too much citrus taste.

Kosher salt is kosher salt. The addition of salt to your salsa will help balance out the acidity in the other components.

I like to use kosher salt, although sea salt or flaky salt may also be used.

Tools required

• Smoker (or grill)
• Wood (or charcoal)
• Tongs
• Food processor (or blender)
• Mason jar (or storage container)
• Citrus juicer

How to make Smoked Salsa

1. Chop your vegetables

To begin, cut your veggies and remove any stems. You may cut your tomatoes into half or quarters, but keeping them whole with the stems removed will also work.

Remove the peel off your onions and cut them in half.

You may leave the peppers whole and only cut off the stems at the top. You may also remove the seeds from the insides of the peppers to minimize the amount of heat in your salsa.

You may leave the garlic cloves whole since you won’t be adding them until the veggies are blended.

Simply remove the stems and give the cilantro a rough chop.

2. Fire up your smoker

This salsa may be cooked on any kind of smoker or charcoal grill that can maintain a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

I used my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro with Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ pellets for this recipe.

You may use almost any kind of wood or charcoal for this recipe, but keep in mind that harder woods like hickory or mesquite will provide a stronger smoke taste than gentler alternatives like pecan, oak, or cherry.

If you don’t have a smoker or want to cook this on the grill, you may use a gas grill.

You won’t get the same smokey taste, but you’ll still get a lovely char on your vegetables.

If you decide to use a grill in lieu of a smoker, I recommend a higher temperature of about 350F and cut the time down to about 20 minutes on the grill.

3. Smoke your vegetables

Place your tomatoes, onions, and peppers straight on the smoker’s grates. They’ll be smoking for approximately an hour, and you should turn them halfway through.

If you prefer a lighter smokey taste in your salsa, only smoke the tomatoes and set the other veggies aside until you’re ready to combine your salsa.

4. Blend your salsa

After approximately an hour on the smoker, take the tomatoes, onions, and peppers from the grill and place them on a platter to cool.

They don’t have to cool completely to room temperature, but you should let them set for around 20 minutes.

Once the veggies have cooled, combine them in a food processor (or blender) with the cilantro, fresh lime juice, kosher salt, and garlic cloves.

You may modify the thickness of the salsa to your liking by mixing it differently.

If you like a thicker, heartier salsa, just use your food processor’s pulse function and give it 3 to 4 pulses at a time until you get the desired consistency.

If you want a thinner salsa, add half a cup of water before blending the veggies for 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed. The water will aid in the creation of a thinner, restaurant-style salsa.

5. Serving

This salsa is delicious right out of the food processor, but you can also transfer it to a mason jar (or other similar storage container) and chill it for a few hours before serving.

It will keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Salsa isn’t just for corn chips you know

Here are some dishes that go beautifully with our homemade smoked salsa:

• Grilled carne asada
• Smoked picanha
• Smoked beef birria tacos
• Smoked beef shank for tacos
• Smoked beef cheeks (Barbacoa)