Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa has a delicious fresh and smoky flavor. It's fantastic with chips, tacos, burritos, or to top meats, chicken and fish.
Inspiration for Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa
Many moons ago, my friends and I used to frequent a Santa Monica restaurant called Carlos & Pepe's.
The main reason we loved it was because of the incredibly delicious chips and salsa (I guess that's two reasons).
The Carlos & Pepe's salsa recipe was fresh, spicy, smoky, slightly sweet, and a bit crunchy. The chips were light, warm, and perfectly salted.
The combination was incredible.
My friend Aimée found out the "secret" to the Carlos & Pepe's salsa recipe.
The answer: almost all of the ingredients were roasted. Brilliant. So that's exactly what I did with the ingredients in my Tomato Poblano Salsa.
What's in this amazing salsa recipe?
- olive oil
- tomatoes
- onion
- garlic
- poblanos
- jalapeños
- cilantro
- lime juice
Now imagine all of that, roasted, chopped, and in one delicious bite.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- If you want extra heat, leave some of the seeds in the peppers.
- If you're tomatoes are not as sweet as you'd like, add a pinch or two of sugar when you season the salsa.
- While the recipe calls for specific measurements that work very well, when it comes to salsa, generally more or less of any of the ingredients is okay. Feel free to adjust it to suit your taste.
What to serve with Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa
There's really no end to the possibilities here . . .
- with warm, salted tortilla chips
- mixed into guacamole
- on top of grilled chicken, fish or meat
- drizzled over grilled vegetables
- mixed into salads
- with your tacos, burritos, tostadas
This is one of my all time favorite things to serve for a casual summer get together.
This only takes a little more time than a raw salsa, and it's totally worth it.
However you serve this amazing, smoky and delicious salsa, I hope enjoy every last bite!
More recipes with Poblano peppers:
- Roasted Poblano Guacamole
- Chicken Poblano Pasta
- Potato Poblano Soup
- Poblano Rice Pilaf
- Poblano Omelet
- Poblano Mac and Cheese
More delicious summer salsa recipes:
- Grape and Plum Salsa
- Mango Avocado Chipotle Salsa
- Strawberry Avocado Salsa
- Watermelon Cucumber Salsa
Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa Recipe
The smoky flavor and fresh ingredients make this roasted salsa superb for chips, tacos, burritos, or to top meats, chicken and fish.
*Makes about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds tomatoes
- 5 small cloves (about 2½ tablespoons) garlic, (peeled, smashed and root ends trimmed)
- ½ pound poblano chili pepper (about 2 medium-sized peppers)
- ¼ pound jalapeño pepper (1 to 2 small peppers)
- ¾ cup yellow onion, (finely chopped)
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, (washed and dried, finely chopped)
- 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 small lime)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 500°F and lightly coat a baking sheet with the olive oil. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and set aside.
Roast the tomatoes and garlic: Use a paring knife to remove the cores from the tomatoes and cut them in half horizontally. Cut an "X" on the round side of each half -- just enough of a slit to break the skin. Place the tomatoes flat side down on the baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves to an empty space on the baking sheet. Place in the preheated 500°F oven until the garlic is golden and the tomatoes are sizzling and the skin is beginning to pull away from the "X," about 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the tomatoes cool for at least 5 minutes.
Turn on the broiler.
Once the tomatoes are cool enough to touch, you can use your hands or the dull side of a paring knife to remove the skin. As you do this, add the skins to a small strainer over a large mixing bowl. Finely chop the tomatoes and mince the garlic. Add both to the bowl. Use a metal spatula to scrape any brown bits of tomato, and any remaining olive oil from the baking sheet and add it to the bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press down on the tomato skins to get any excess juice into the bowl.
Roast the poblano and jalapeño peppers: Cut them in half, remove the seeds and pith, and place them round side up on a baking sheet. Place them directly under the broiler until the skin is fairly evenly charred and blistered, about 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from under the broiler and let the peppers cool for a few minutes. Use your hands or the dull side of a paring knife to remove the skin. Finely chop them and add them to the bowl with the tomatoes and garlic.
Add the onion, cilantro and lime juice to the bowl and mix everything together. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. If the tomatoes aren't especially sweet, add a pinch or two of sugar. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
Laura Diamond
YUMMMY!! What time will the salsa be served? 😉
I love the look, style, writing and content of your blog. Great job, Valentina.
valentina
thank you, Laura!! 😀
Sarah
This looks delicious!! I'm always on the lookout for salsa recipes. I am a self proclaimed Mexican food nut! My family loves it to. Which is strange because we're Irish! We always joke that we're part black Irish (which comes from the soldiers from the Spanish Armada washed ashore then married and whatnot) and thats why we love it so very much!! I love fresh salsa and can't ever seem to find the "right" one! LOL!! I look forward to making this and trying it out!
valentina
Thanks, Sarah. Hope this salsa is the "one." 🙂
mary jo
I have found homemade salsa far superior to any premade salsa. I like adding a little chopped chipotle chili for a smoky taste. And the best chips????
valentina
Mary Jo -- I LOVE chipotles, too! Yum! My favorite chips are Marilyn's. I haven't seen then for a while, but they are usually at Whole Foods and Gelson's. 🙂
Aimee
Valen I love you for creating this - I can't wait to try it!
Sandy Miller
Valentina!!!!
Oh! how I remember many a lunchtime treat enjoying C & P's delicious salsa, you could make a meal of it!
Can't wait to try this recipe.
Sandy.
amee
beautiful and i can almost taste this right now. I wish i could 🙁
Cindy Hampton
Making it now!!!!
Smells delish!!!
valentina
Yay! That's awesome, Cindy. Hope you love it. 🙂
Elise
If I make this in bulk, do you think I can can it?
valentina
Yes, I do. Here's a link about canning salsa. https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Can-Homemade-Salsa/ Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Bo
Making tonight, can't wait. Are the skins from either the tomato or pablano used?
valentina
I peel both the tomatoes and the peppers. I prefer the texture this way, but you can try it with the skins to see how you like it. (Once you've charred the peppers though, you probably won't want to add all of that char to the recipe -- maybe a little.) Hope you enjoy!
Elise
I quadrupled the recipe, throwing in extra poblano and jalapeno peppers - canned per the instructions in your link. Turned out AWESOME!! The only adjustment I made was adding some cayenne to give it some extra kick. Thank you for this recipe - it's a keeper!
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing this, Elise! I'm so happy you love this salsa. (Me too!!!) Great you canned some to have in the coming weeks. 🙂 ~Valentina
Silvia
I tried it! It's excellent, I made a tripple batch for us at home and for the Football bowl gathering at my daughters, added extra Jalapenos and Poblanos chiles for extra texture and heat, I added 1 tsp of sugar and it was perfect. It was the hit of the party? thank you Valentina
valentina
Hi Silvia, I'm so happy this recipe worked well for you. It's my favorite salsa! I so appreciate you letting me know you liked it! 😀 ~Valentina
Georg Kalmar
Carlos & Pepe’
Carlos started a restaurant in Mexico City called Carlos and Charlie which made Neuvo Mexican food. It was great success. When one of his Chefs would leave him to open an eatery he would offer a partnership for a new Restaurant. He would put the cash up and they the labor and run it. These restaurants always had his name last and the chefs first next so you had a string of restaurants Called so and so and Chrlie.
valentina
Thanks so much, George, for all of this info. Love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
angiesrecipes
So fresh, delicious and moreish! I need to get some poblano to make a batch for the coming weekend too.
valentina
Thanks, Angie. I hope you love it, and have a lovely weekend! 🙂 ~Valentina
Frank Fariello
Sounds awesome, Valentina! I happen to have all the ingredients on hand, by happy coincidence, including some poblanos that I just roasted for another recipe, so I may give this a try!
valentina
Thanks so much, Frank. Happy to hear you've been roasting poblanos. Yum! 🙂 ~Valentina
Ron
Boy do I miss Mexican food and especially poblano peppers. The salsa sounds awsome, I can get Hungarian hot and sweet peppers so I give it a try using the hot ones. Thanks for sharing...
valentina
Hi Ron. I love idea of using the hot peppers! It will be fantastic. Enjoy and have a lovely weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
I could make an entire meal out of chips and salsa! And with the summer gardens starting to produce a bunch right now, the timing for this recipe is spot on. I love smoky flavors, and I'm totally putting this on the list soon! It sounds like a fun weekend project...and then we can enjoy chips and salsa (and a cold beer!) on the back porch. 🙂
valentina
Sounds like a lovely back porch idea, David. Thanks so much! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cheryl
I just bought some fresh poblano peppers from the market and wanted to use them roasted in a sauce. This looks perfect! Can't wait to try it!
valentina
Hi Cheryl. That's awesome -- I hope you love it! Thanks. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kim Lange
Nothing better than a homemade fresh salsa! This looks amazing!! Pinned!
valentina
Thank you, Kim. And for the pin, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kristy
How long do you think it would keep for in the fridge?
I've been making this, and it's becoming a hit for all my friends.
valentina
Hi Kristy. Thanks so much for writing in. The salsa should keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 4 days. (Probably longer, but it will be best up to that point.) I'm happy you and your friends are loving the recipe! 🙂 ~Valentina
Lynn
There was only one problem. I didn't make enough, my girls killed it. I barley had enough to put in the fridge.
valentina
I love this!!! Thanks for sharing, Lynn! 🙂 Enjoy! ~Valentina
Claudia
This roasted Poblano Salsa recipe sounds so good, can it be canned in a water bath.
Thank you for the recipe.
valentina
Hi Claudia, thanks so much for writing in. Yes, your can can this salsa. This is a good guide for canning salsas. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂 ~Valentina