Fresh Salsa Cruda

Salsa Cruda in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Salsa is easy enough to buy at the grocery store, and you can even buy versions that are fresh, like this salsa cruda—you may also see it referred to as salsa fresca. But as with many things food-related, it often tastes much better if you make it yourself.

This tasty salsa can satisfy a snack craving with some tortilla chips, definitely, but it's an excellent choice to serve with tacos or burritos. Salsa makes a flavorful accompaniment alongside grilled chicken or fish. Salsa cruda is surprisingly easy to make and goes with the taste profile of many Tex-Mex and Southwestern foods. With a little chopping and dicing of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, you can always have salsa available as a snack or a side.

Ingredients

  • 3 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons red onion, diced

  • 2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, or serrano chile peppers, seeded and chopped finely

  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well to blend.

  3. Store in refrigerator for use within a day or two or puree in the blender and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

  4. Serve with grilled chicken or fish, or along with burritos, tacos, or other Mexican-style meals.

  5. Enjoy!

Tips

Salsa cruda is delicious with a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes or Tex Mex dishes, but you can also use leftover salsa mixed into rice, added into scrambled eggs or an omelet, or topped on tortilla chips with melted cheese for quick nachos.

Variations

  • Skip the cilantro if you don't like it.
  • Seeding the peppers removes some of their heat, but feel free to either leave the seeds in or use more (or spicier) peppers if you want to increase the heat.
  • Add another garlic clove if you like your salsa to be garlicky.

How to Store and Freeze Salsa Cruda

  • You can keep this salsa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It may become a little more watery as it sits but it will still be good.
  • Leftover salsa cruda can also be pureed and frozen for a couple of weeks. You can use it as a flavorful base for soups or as a sauce for a skillet dish.

Is pico de gallo a salsa?

Salsa can get confusing. Pico de gallo is like salsa fresca or salsa cruda, but it's chopped more finely, almost as in a relish. Salsa's ingredients can vary, but pico de gallo almost always contains the same fresh ingredients, similar to the ones in this recipe for salsa cruda.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
14 Calories
0g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 14
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 92mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 141mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)