What Are the Best Tomatoes For Homemade Salsa? (2024)

Looking for the best tomatoes for your next batch of salsa? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s what you need to know:

Best Tomatoes For Salsa

What Are the Best Tomatoes For Homemade Salsa? (1)

When choosing tomatoes for salsa, opt for paste tomatoes. Paste tomatoes are fleshy and have less juice and fewer seeds than other types of tomatoes, which makes them the ideal choice for this particular endeavor.

Because they’re not very juicy, they also cook down quickly—this obviously isn’t important for salsa making, but it can be handy knowledge for the next time you’re preparing a tomato sauce.

Here are some of the most popular types of tomatoes for salsa:

  • Roma tomatoes: Roma is a type of plum tomato. Small, slender, and firm, they contain few seeds and are easy to cut without making a mess.

  • Little or Big Mama tomatoes: Little Mama tomatoes are miniature Roma tomatoes. Big Mama tomatoes, meanwhile, are some of the biggest paste tomatoes available. Both varieties are meaty and easy to work with.

  • Amish Paste tomatoes: Amish Paste tomatoes are similar to Roma tomatoes, but they have a slightly sweeter flavor.

No matter which type you choose, always look for fruits that look ripe and healthy—pass on the ones with bruising or browning.

Related: How to Make the Best Salsa of Your Life

Tomatoes to Avoid

What Are the Best Tomatoes For Homemade Salsa? (2)

Some types of tomatoes are better enjoyed sliced on a sandwich than in salsa. For instance, many varieties of large heirloom tomatoes are high in moisture and have lots of seeds. While those qualities certainly make for a tasty tomato, they’re not ideal for salsa-making.

That said, the actual best tomatoes for salsa are the ones you have on hand. If the only tomatoes in your kitchen are watery and seedy, you can totally work with that. Just slice them and scoop out the juice and seeds with a spoon or your fingers, chop the rest, then drain in a colander.

Related: End-of-Summer Tomato Salsa

Can You Use Canned Tomatoes For Salsa?

Sure. While salsa made from canned tomatoes may not be quite impressive, nuanced, or healthy as tomatoes made from fresh tomatoes, it’s still salsa (and there’s something to be said for convenience). If this is the route you take, opt for a can of the fire-roasted stuff and make sure to drain it really well before proceeding with your recipe.

Related: How to Make Canned Tomatoes Taste Fresh

What Are the Best Tomatoes For Homemade Salsa? (2024)

FAQs

What Are the Best Tomatoes For Homemade Salsa? ›

Roma Tomatoes are a popular choice for salsa-making due to their dense and meaty texture, small number of seeds, and full-of-flavor tanginess. Variations of this tomato are sometimes called “plum

plum
A plum tomato, also known as a processing tomato or paste tomato, is a type of tomato bred for sauce and packing purposes.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Plum_tomato
” or “paste” tomatoes. Red Beefsteak
Beefsteak
A beef tomato (British English) or beefsteak tomato (American English) is a large tomato. Grown on the plant Solanum lycopersicum, it is one of the largest varieties of cultivated tomatoes, regularly at 20 cm (6 in) in diameter with some weighing 450 g (1 lb) or more.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Beefsteak_tomato
Tomatoes are another favorite for those who favor a juicier tomato in their salsa.

What type of tomato is best for salsa? ›

Beefsteak tomatoes or another “slicing” tomato like heirloom tomatoes are ideal. You could also use roma or plum tomatoes, as they have little water and are therefore okay to use for a chunkier salsa.

Can you use regular tomatoes instead of Roma for salsa? ›

Homemade Salsa Recipe Ingredients

If you can't find Roma tomatoes, another variety of small plum tomatoes would work too. Onion and garlic – For sharp depth of flavor! Rinse the onion before adding it to the food processor to mellow its pungent taste. Lime juice and zest – They make this recipe zesty and bright.

What are the best tomatoes for saucing? ›

Though you could use any tomato, Roma and other paste tomatoes — with meaty texture with little to no seeds — are said to develop the best flavor when cooked down into a delicious sauce.

What are the best canned tomatoes for salsa? ›

When it comes to canned tomatoes, San Marzano is often hailed as the gold standard. These Italian plum tomatoes are renowned for their sweet and rich flavor profile, making them an excellent choice for salsa.

What tomato has the most flavor? ›

Heirloom tomatoes are very flavorful; Brandywine and Cherokee Purple are both heirloom beefsteak tomatoes lauded for their sweetness, juiciness and flavor. Because they're so flavorful, heirloom tomatoes lend themselves to a variety of raw dishes.

Why does Mexican restaurant salsa taste so good? ›

While some restaurant-style salsas may be prepared in large batches to meet demand, the emphasis on using fresh, high-quality ingredients remains a constant, no matter the quantity. A unique blend of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice contributes to the vibrant, lively taste of restaurant-style salsa.

What type of onion is best for salsa? ›

White onion – you can also use a yellow or red onion, but white onion is what is traditionally used to make salsa. Fresh cilantro – I recommend cutting off any large, thick stems, but blending in some of the thin, smaller stems, along with the leaves is totally fine. Lime juice – fresh squeezed, always for this recipe!

Can you use beefsteak tomatoes for salsa? ›

Ingredients & substitutions

Large beefsteak tomatoes: This is the base for the recipe or you can use any other ripe tomato. You can also add some canned crushed tomatoes to the mix if you'd like. White onions and garlic: They are a must in this salsa recipe.

What tomatoes do chefs use? ›

The most common tomatoes for tomato-based sauces are San Marzano tomatoes. They work really well to be used for a base for a pasta sauce or for a pizza. San Marzano tomatoes are firm but meaty, with little water content and less seeds compared to other varieties.

What are beefsteak tomatoes good for? ›

Beefsteak tomatoes

They're perfect to slice up for sandwiches and hamburgers. They're also mild in taste and juicy, making them a good choice for canning or sauce-making.

What does adding butter to tomato sauce do? ›

Add butter

Yes, that's right. Toss in a few tablespoons of butter, and let it melt into the sauce. If you've never tried it before, it might seem strange, but a little butter makes tomato sauce rich and smooth, and also balances out too much acidity, which is common in jarred sauces.

What tomato makes the best salsa? ›

Roma Tomatoes are a popular choice for salsa-making due to their dense and meaty texture, small number of seeds, and full-of-flavor tanginess. Variations of this tomato are sometimes called “plum” or “paste” tomatoes. Red Beefsteak Tomatoes are another favorite for those who favor a juicier tomato in their salsa.

Is it necessary to peel tomatoes for canned salsa? ›

Can you leave skin on tomatoes when making salsa? You sure can! This is the easiest way to make salsa Making this food processor salsa for canning your tomatoes and peppers is the perfect way to save some time!

What are the best peppers for salsa? ›

For mild salsa, use banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, and/or canned diced green chile peppers. For medium salsa, add one finely chopped jalapeno to the mix. For hot salsa, add two finely chopped jalapeno peppers or the even hotter serrano peppers.

Should I use fresh or canned tomatoes for salsa? ›

Canned tomatoes – I like to use canned in addition to fresh because it gives the salsa a better consistency. Fresh cilantro – cilantro adds key flavor, don't omit this! Jalapeno – this adds a nice kick. If you don't like heat you can replace it with 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper, or omit.

Should I deseed Roma tomatoes for salsa? ›

After the salsa sits—more on that in a moment—the tomatoes will break down. If you didn't remove the seeds, they will make the salsa extra watery, with a pool of vaguely tomato-flavored liquid at the bottom of your bowl.

Are San Marzano tomatoes good for salsa? ›

The Best Salsa You Will Ever Eat

Note: Yes, it's critical that the tomatoes be of the super-sweet San Marzano variety Fortunately, they're now available at most Trader Joe's, Costco and major grocery stores for under $4 a can.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rob Wisoky

Last Updated:

Views: 6566

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rob Wisoky

Birthday: 1994-09-30

Address: 5789 Michel Vista, West Domenic, OR 80464-9452

Phone: +97313824072371

Job: Education Orchestrator

Hobby: Lockpicking, Crocheting, Baton twirling, Video gaming, Jogging, Whittling, Model building

Introduction: My name is Rob Wisoky, I am a smiling, helpful, encouraging, zealous, energetic, faithful, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.