Easy Charred Cherry Tomato Salsa

Made with a handful of ingredients and requiring very little prep, this charred tomato salsa comes together in no time and tastes so fresh and flavorful: both sweet and spicy with a nice acidity, too. Your tacos, burritos, beans, and chips will never be so happy!

I started making this salsa last July. It’s a simplified version of this ​fresh enchilada sauce recipe​ , and when the tomatoes are at their peak, it is irresistible, the kind of sauce you want to spoon over everything.

And last summer and fall, as a family, we did: we spooned it over tacos, ​mostly these​ , but also over a variation made with grilled chicken (the recipe for which I will share soon as it’s so fast and delicious… see photo below). We drizzled it over rice and ​bean​ bowls. We dragged our scrambled eggs through it and, of course, we dipped tortilla chips in it.

The beauty of this salsa is that it requires very little chopping and very little prep overall: place cherry tomatoes, a roughly chopped onion and jalapeño, and a few garlic cloves on a sheet pan; toss with olive oil and salt; broil for 10 minutes; then purée with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

As noted, it is especially tasty when made at peak tomato season, which here in Upstate New York feels an eternity away. Craving it recently, I made it with two beefsteak tomatoes my sister had left at our house at Easter and the remains of a can of yellow tomatoes, and I was shocked by how good it tasted.

Inspired by this victory using subpar tomatoes, I made it again with grocery store cherry tomatoes on the vine — the ones labeled “sugar bombs” — and it was even better: sweet and spicy with a nice balance of acidity, just what our tacos have been missing all these months, just the salsa we need to bridge the very long gap till true tomato season arrives.

How to Make Charred Cherry Tomato Salsa, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime, salt, and olive oil.

Place the tomatoes, roughly chopped onion and jalapeño, and garlic on a small sheet pan and toss with olive oil and salt.

Broil for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are beginning to char.

Transfer the vegetables to a food processor and add fresh lime juice and a pinch more salt.

Purée until smooth. Taste and adjust with more salt and lime juice to taste.

Finally, add roughly chopped cilantro and purée until smooth. (If you hate cilantro, leave it out — it’s tasty on its own without it.)

Transfer to a storage jar and serve immediately or store in the fridge for 1 week.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Here are a few ways we eat this salsa…

… on grilled chicken tacos (recipe coming soon):

… on rice and bean bowls:

… with chips:

Description

Made with just a handful of fresh vegetables, this blistered tomato salsa is so fresh and flavorful and takes no time to blitz together. It’s a simplified version of this recipe for fresh enchilada sauce.

Notes:

• Tomatoes: This salsa is especially good when tomatoes are at their peak, but it works surprisingly well with subpar tomatoes, too. Cherry tomatoes make the prep very easy, but you can use any tomato you like — you need roughly 28 ounces total.

• 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 jalapeño, seeded if you are sensitive to heat, roughly chopped

• 28 ounces ( 5 heaping cups) cherry tomatoes, see notes above

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• kosher salt

• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• small bundle of cilantro (an ounce or less), optional, roughly chopped

1. Heat the broiler to high for at least 10 minutes.
2. Place the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and tomatoes on a small sheet pan. Toss with the oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand… use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt). Transfer to the oven and broil for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are nicely charred.
3. Transfer vegetables to a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (again Diamond Crystal brand or half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt) or salt to taste. Purée until smooth. Taste. Mixture should taste both sweet and spicy with a nice balance of acidity. Adjust with more lime juice to taste — I always use 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
4. Add the cilantro, if using, and purée one last time until smooth.
5. Use the salsa on your favorite taco recipe or serve with chips or store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Broiler, Food processor
• Cuisine: Mexican, American

Description

Made with just a handful of fresh vegetables, this blistered tomato salsa is so fresh and flavorful and takes no time to blitz together. It’s a simplified version of this recipe for fresh enchilada sauce.

Notes:

• Tomatoes: This salsa is especially good when tomatoes are at their peak, but it works surprisingly well with subpar tomatoes, too. Cherry tomatoes make the prep very easy, but you can use any tomato you like — you need roughly 28 ounces total.

• 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 jalapeño, seeded if you are sensitive to heat, roughly chopped

• 28 ounces ( 5 heaping cups) cherry tomatoes, see notes above

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• kosher salt

• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• small bundle of cilantro (an ounce or less), optional, roughly chopped

1. Heat the broiler to high for at least 10 minutes.
2. Place the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and tomatoes on a small sheet pan. Toss with the oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand… use half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt). Transfer to the oven and broil for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are nicely charred.
3. Transfer vegetables to a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (again Diamond Crystal brand or half as much if using Morton or fine sea salt) or salt to taste. Purée until smooth. Taste. Mixture should taste both sweet and spicy with a nice balance of acidity. Adjust with more lime juice to taste — I always use 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
4. Add the cilantro, if using, and purée one last time until smooth.
5. Use the salsa on your favorite taco recipe or serve with chips or store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Broiler, Food processor
• Cuisine: Mexican, American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2025/05/17/easy-charred-cherry-tomato-salsa/

No time? No problem. Marinating this chicken takes no more than five minutes, and it yields incredibly flavorful meat, delicious on its own or well suited for chopping up and throwing into salads, wraps, sandwiches, and more.

A few years ago, I shared my updated recipe for making tacos , a recipe that evolved considerably from its origins , one that called for a few packets of taco seasoning, an ingredient I never imagined purchasing. Today, I make a double batch of those tacos every other week, and every time I tear open one of those little packets, I am so grateful for their existence.

My latest favorite use for taco seasoning is this grilled chicken. Here’s my formula: 1 packet of chicken thighs (about 2 lbs.), 1 packet of taco seasoning, and a few tablespoons of olive oil. It takes no thought or time, and it produces perfectly seasoned meat, delicious on its own or great for chopping up and using in tacos, wraps, salads, sandwiches, etc. I usually marinate 2 packets of thighs at a time, and I use it over the course of two days.

When you find yourself pressed for time (or not) but want to make a flavorful meal for your friends or family, this is the recipe to reach for. Of course, its success relies on the quality of the taco seasoning, and I’ve included a few of my favorite brands as well as reader favorite brands in the recipe box below.

Three-Ingredient Grilled Chicken, Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: taco seasoning, chicken thighs, oil. You can use breasts, but I prefer thighs.

Place the chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle with taco seasoning: I use 1 packet of taco seasoning (about 3.5 tablespoons) per one package of thighs (roughly 2 lbs. of meat) and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Toss to coat:

Cover the bowl and let marinate in the fridge for as short as 1 hour and as long as 48 hours:

Preheat your grill. I preheat for roughly 20 minutes — you want it above 500ºF.

Clean your grates, then lay your chicken on them.

Close your grill… the temperature will have dropped. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the thighs…

… then flip, cover, and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes a side.

Transfer to a plate to cool for at least 5 minutes; then serve:

Description

Made with three ingredients — olive oil, taco seasoning, and chicken — this recipe comes together in no time, and is so incredibly flavorful.

Notes:

• Taco Seasoning: My favorite is the Whole Foods 365 brand Mild, but I also love the Simply Organic brand. With the 365 brand, I don’t need to add any salt; with the Simply Organic brand, I finish with a little salt to taste — post grilling. It is important to experiment with various brands to learn their salt content — you may or may not need any salt depending on the brand. A few other Reader favorite taco seasoning brands suggested on this post include: The Spice House , Penzey’s , and Siete Foods .

• Chicken : I prefer thighs, but you can use breasts if you prefer.

• Recipe doubles well, so don’t be afraid to scale up as needed.

• 1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs.), see notes above

• 1 packet (1 ounce) of taco seasoning, see notes above

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a large bowl. Sprinkle the taco seasoning and olive oil over it. Toss until the chicken is well coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 1-48 hours. You can also grill the chicken immediately if you are pressed for time.
2. Grill the chicken: Preheat your grill to high for roughly 20 minutes — you want it to be at roughly 525ºF when you start. Clean your grates if you haven’t already, then re-cover the grill and let it get back up to at least 525ºF before proceeding. Lay the chicken on the grates, cover, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover, flip the chicken, and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. (Note: as noted above, depending on the brand of taco seasoning you are using, you may or may not need any salt. Taste the chicken post grilling and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if necessary.)

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: chicken
• Method: grill
• Cuisine: American