An easy recipe for copycat Chipotle Tomato Salsa (Pico de gallo). Mild in flavor (or make it spicier to taste!), it only takes 5 ingredients to make this delicious, fresh tomato salsa at home.
Tomato salsa is a super quick, ultra fresh, healthy/vegan/gluten-free/paleo/anyone-can-eat-this salsa.
It’s great on the side of any/all the Mexican food in your life, and it’s also fantastic in unexpected places (such as added to tuna salad on a sandwich).
Chipotle’s version is made with 5 ingredients (plus salt) and it’s ready in just a few minutes. You’re officially out of excuses not to make it!
How does Chipotle make their salsa?
To have the best fresh tomato salsa, you need to start with the best, ripest tomatoes.
For me, this usually means the vine-ripened tomatoes at my local grocery store. However, if it’s the right season and you have access to a garden or your local farmer’s market, even better!
To make this a true copycat recipe, use red onions.
But if you just want a hearty fresh tomato salsa, white or yellow onions are fine.
Same on the peppers: Chipotle uses jalapeños, but I’m a huge fan of Serrano peppers. If you don’t like spiciness at all, sub in a green bell pepper.
As a cilantro fanatic, I fully endorse this herb. If you think cilantro tastes like soap, feel free to substitute fresh parsley.
A squeeze of real lime juice and a dash of salt and we’re done.
What can you do with salsa?
Add chips (and maybe guacamole!), add it to your favorite burrito bowl, pour it on tacos, eat it with grilled chicken, eat it with a spoon.
One of my favorite ways to eat tomato salsa is to mix it in with tuna salad and eat it on a sandwich. AMAZING.
Chipotle Tomato Salsa Recipe (Copycat)
- 1 pound tomatoes cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 jalapeno peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt to taste
- Chips for serving
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.
- Let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature to blend flavors. Serve with chips.
I made this recipe and your cilantro rice. They were just perfect. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, I love them, too!
Oh yes! Thank you for sharing…I could eat there every single day!
I don’t know chipotle, but I bet it’s good! I certainly trust your interpretation of a pretty darn good salsa, Meggan! Pinning this one for the future!
I love salsa, but I can’t stand most store bought out of a jar. Fresh is definitely the way to go! This will be great condiment all summer long!
Chipotle is the only fast food restaurant I go to. I like a the fresh tomato salsa on my dish with medium salsa with chips. Can you make that salsa recipe for me? :)