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.
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.