Smoked Salsa
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Break out the chips for this incredible smoked salsa! The recipe couldn’t be easier, the hands-on time minimal, and the fresh smoked tomato salsa out of this world!
As a kid, I remember dipping my chip in the salsa to get the flavoured juice on my chip, but no chunks allowed. As a kid, I was so misguided; thinking naps suck, adulthood is magic, and salsa juice good; salsa chunks bad.
I’m now reformed. Naps rule. Adulthood is what it is. The salsa juice is good, but the chunks are better.
This smoked salsa is the best.
This recipe is dedicated to growing wiser.
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Tips + Tricks
No. 1 –> Cut the veggies in wedges rather than throwing them on the grill whole. This will allow better smoke penetration.
No. 2 –> Use this recipe as a guide, not a gospel. Don’t like red onions? Sub them for yellow. Love cilantro? Add some. The best thing about cooking is that you can make it your own quite easily!
No. 3 –> I’m a chopper, I like to chop my salsa so it’s nice and chunky. If you’re not a chopper, throw all your veg into the blender or food processor and pulse a couple of times till you get the consistency you like!
No. 4 –> I keep the roots on my onions. This helps keep the onion together while it’s on the smoker. Otherwise, the onion layers get all loosey goosey and no one wants loosey goosey onions. Once they are done smoking, just chop the root end off, and Bob’s your uncle.
Looking for more? Try this smokey salsa verde!
Ingredients
This awesome smoked salsa only requires a handful of ingreidents, and if cook anything like me (which, obv, you’re here and have great taste!) you’ll probably have them all on hand!
- roma tomatoes
- red onion
- jalapeno
- garlic
- bell pepper
- lime juice
- olive oil
- vinegar
How to make
- Fire up your smoker according to manufacturer’s directions, and set the temperature to 225f.
- While the grill is warming up, quarter all the tomatoes, jalapenos, and bell pepper. Peel the garlic, and cut the onion into 8 wedges. Note: I like my salsa to have a little bit of heat behind it, so I deseed ONE jalapeno and leave the seeds in the other. This is a personal preference thing, follow your tastebuds.
- Place all the veg on the grill, give it a little wiggle room so the smoke can really wrap around it. If you’re concerned the garlic or jalapenos may fall through, place them on a wire cooling rack inside the smoker!
- Smoke the whole works at 225F for 90-120 minutes, until the veggies soften up and take on a little bit of a smoked colour. I prefer 90 minutes, but Kevy prefers 120.
- Remove the veggies from the smoker and allow to cool until they are easily handled. Gently rub the tomato skins and they will come right off. Chop off the root end of the onion to release the layers.
- Chop as coarse or as fine as you like, or use your food processor or blender to do the dirty work for you – just be careful, they can easily be over-processed. Reserve any juices lost during chopping and add them back to the salsa.
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt the salsa to taste.
- Eat it right away, or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. After an overnight rest, the flavours meld and it gets even better!
Recommended Tools
I cannot say enough good things about my Traeger Timberline 1300. In fact, we love it so much, we coughed up to buy a second smoker to keep at the lake, so we can enjoy smoked goodness ALL summer long!
Or you can grab the big daddy Timberline 1300 like weโve got at home from Traeger!
More smoker recipes to love!
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๐ Printable Recipe
Smoked Salsa
Ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 2 jalapenos
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Start your smoker and preheat to 225f.
- Prepare the veggies; quarter 6 Roma tomatoes, 2 jalapenos and 1 bell pepper. Peel 5 cloves garlic. And cut 1 red onion into 8 wedges.
- Place all the veggies on the grill and smoke at 225f for 90-120 minutes – until the veggies soften.
- Remove the vegetables from the grill and either chop to desired consistency OR use a food processor/ blender to chop for you. Reserve any juices lost while chopping to add back to the salsa.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and salt the salsa to taste.
- Place in the fridge to cool before eating.
- Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge.
Notes
Jalapenos
If you like a bit more heat in your salsa, keep the seeds in the jalapenos. We like it best with one deseeded and one seeded jalapeno.Onion
Keep the root intact on your onion as shown in the photos, this will keep your onion pieces together! It’s easy to chop off once you’re done smoking.Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
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I love this smoked salsa! Mine has a bit of a bitter after taste that I haven’t been able to get rid of by adjusting sweetness and changing the type of onion. Any thoughts?
Hi Amy, I haven’t had this problem with mine, but a pinch of salt or baking soda might help with the bitter aftertaste!
can you use a foil pan to put the vegs on
You bet!
Everyone in my house and guests too. They all love it!
This makes amazing smoked salsa! I even smoked cilantro to go in mine. Went very well with the pulled pork street tacos!
That sounds sooo good! I am not a huge cilantro fan, but that does sound amazing!
How to preserve you salsa for all seasons, more of ? Than a comment
I haven’t canned this salsa – it’s not a safe or tested recipe for water bath canning, but I have fermented fresh salsa and that lasts many months in the fridge or cold room. I have been working on a roasted salsa specifically for canning and it’s delicious, we are working through the couple versions I made last fall, and I hope to share the winner this fall.
What flavor of pellet do you recommend for this?
Hi Caitlin, I actually love a competition blend for this one. We mostly use Lumberjack Competition blend which is hickory, maple, and cherry as an all around pellet and its perfect for salsa!