Joe Vera’s Style Salsa

There is a single menu item that has followed us home from our favorite Mexican restaurant, Joe Vera’s, and it is their salsa. This is the bright red bowl that lands on the table before you even order, loaded with finely chopped jalapeños, white onion, green onion, and cilantro swimming in a river of canned tomatoes.

The secret is not fresh tomatoes at all, but canned tomatoes (lately we like these ones: https://amzn.to/49HxcHh )that were packaged the moment they tasted the best, with all their juices left in; when you blitz those with puréed jalapeños and a splash of jalapeño brine, you get that smooth but still chunky restaurant texture with a gentle, lingering heat. Fresh white onion and green onion are stirred in at the end so they stay crisp and sharp, and a simple hit of salt ties everything together. It is the kind of salsa that tastes even better after a short chill in the fridge, but there is a catch: the onion flavor grows stronger every day, which is why we usually make a big batch, keep some in the fridge for immediate chip duty, and freeze the rest in small containers so the flavor stays locked right where we like it.

Thaw a bowl whenever taco night or a last minute party appears, and you have Joe Vera’s style salsa on demand, just like sitting down in the booth before the baskets of warm tortilla chips arrive.

Print Recipe

Joe Vera’s Style Salsa (Copycat)

This bright, punchy salsa brings serious heat and fresh garden flavor. Packed with jalapeños, onions, and the signature tang of preserved tomatoes, it’s a bold and addictive dip that holds up beautifully in the freezer — if it lasts that long.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Condiment, Snack

Cuisine: Homestyle, Mexican-American, Tex-Mex

Keyword: homeade salsa, jalapeno salsa, party dip, salsa, spicy dip

Servings: 10 cups

Cost: $3–5

Equipment

• Hand-held immersion blender
• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Measuring spoons
• Storage containers or freezer-safe bowls

Ingredients

• 5 whole jalapeños from a jar finely chopped, if using sliced guess about 5 jalapeños worth
• 2 Tbsp jalapeño brine from the jar
• 4 28-oz cans petite diced tomatoes (with juice) pre-cut, blended a little if desired
• 1 medium white onion finely chopped
• 3 green onions finely chopped
• 10 sprigs cilantro minced
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the chopped jalapeños and jalapeño juice together in a large mixing bowl until smooth and well-blended.
• Add the diced tomatoes with their juice to the bowl. Lightly blend — just enough to break up the larger chunks while still leaving texture in the tomatoes.
• Stir in the chopped white onion, green onions, minced cilantro, and salt. Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Chill the salsa for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold with tortilla chips.

Notes

Always use canned tomatoes — the preservation process gives the salsa a unique depth of flavor that fresh tomatoes can’t replicate.

The salsa gets stronger each day, especially the onion flavor, so enjoy it fresh or freeze small portions to maintain peak taste. Frozen salsa thaws beautifully and retains its brightness, making it a great make-ahead option for parties or daily snacking.