Did you know you can make restaurant-quality salsa in the air fryer? We tested our air fryer salsa recipe until we perfected it, and it is so much better than store-bought! Complete with fresh ingredients including tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, and a precise blend of seasonings, this easy salsa recipe is ready in the air fryer in under 40 minutes. Try this with our Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos and Air Fryer Mini Tacos!
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Salsa in the Air Fryer
Making roast vegetables for salsa with the help of your air fryer is faster than your oven, and easy: all you have to do is coat tomatoes, peppers, and onions in oil and seasoning, then roast them in the air fryer at 400 degrees F/200 degrees C for 10 minutes. Add garlic halfway through the roasting process, blend, then simmer on the stove for another 10 minutes.
But, for the perfect air fryer salsa, read on! We have exact ingredient measurements, instructions, nutrition facts, and tips waiting for you below.
Air Fryer Salsa Ingredients
- Tomatoes: This is a red tomato salsa recipe, so we're using roma tomatoes. They hold up well to roasting and have a wonderful flavor. You can use other varieties of tomato if that's what you have on hand, including tomatillos for a tomatillo salsa verde, but keep in mind they may require a change in cooking time depending on size.
- Jalapeno Pepper: Fresh jalapeno adds a little kick of heat to your salsa. If you don't want your salsa to have any spice at all, leave out the jalapeno. For a milder salsa, carefully remove the jalapeno seeds before roasting it. Of course, if you want it to have more spice, feel free to add more!
- Onion: White onion works best for this recipe, but you could also use sweet yellow onion. While we don't recommend red onion, it could work if that's what you have on hand. Just keep in mind it will make the flavor a little more astringent.
- Light Olive Oil: You can use other varieties of oil for air frying, but light olive oil has a high smoke point and a flavor that complements the veggies in the salsa. An oil with less flavor, or a different flavor, will change how your salsa tastes.
- Granulated White Sugar: The addition of sugar brings a necessary balance of sweetness to the salsa. Very little is used, so if you need to avoid sugar entirely, feel free to leave it out. Keep in mind this will change the flavor.
- Kosher Salt: We recommend only using kosher salt or sea salt flakes, and not table salt, when making air fryer salsa.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is always best if you have it!
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic cloves are added halfway through the cook time and give the best flavor. While you could always use garlic powder instead, we highly recommend using fresh. Just be sure not to add it at the start of the cook time, or it will burn.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is optional. If you aren't a cilantro fan, feel free to leave it out. But, if you are, definitely add some!
- Lime: Lime juice adds a perfect touch of acidity and citrusy flavor to the salsa. It is so tasty!
Salt, pepper, and sugar are the only seasonings you need other than the vegetables. However, you may enjoy adding a pinch of chili powder. It's up to you!
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How to make Air Fryer Salsa
Season the Veggies
Preheat your air fryer to 400℉ (200°C). While it preheats, cut the roma tomatoes and onions into quarters. Remove the stem from the pepper. Leave the vegetables unpeeled. Place the tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno into a bowl and toss with light olive oil, salt, sugar, and pepper.
Air Fry Salsa Veggies
Add the seasoned vegetables to the air fryer basket in a single layer as much as possible. It's okay if there is some overlap, but don't crowd the basket. Cook in batches if necessary. Air fry for 5 minutes at 400℉ (200°C).
Add the Garlic
After 5 minutes is up, open basket and add the garlic cloves. Give the basket a good shake. Carefully turn the jalapeno over using tongs to blister the opposite side. Air fry vegetables for another 5 minutes at 400℉ (200°C).
Let it Cool, then Peel (Optional)
Once the vegetables are roasted, transfer them to a cutting board. Let them cool enough until you can handle them safely. Then, remove the skins from the tomatoes and the peppers - they should easily slip off. Peeling is optional.
Blend the Veggies
Add the vegetables to the bowl of a food processor. Process on high until the ingredients are finely chopped and combined completely.
Simmer the Salsa
Add one Tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat on the stove. Once hot, add your blended salsa ingredients. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
Remove from the heat and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference, then serve and enjoy! Air fryer salsa is great with air fryer tortilla chips!
Recipe Tips
- For a milder salsa, discard seeds and ribs from the pepper. Be careful when doing this and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling the pepper seeds!
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer. Remember, air fryer brands vary, so you may have to adjust the cook time to your specific air fryer.
- Recipe time and temperature is based on a preheated air fryer. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function, set it 400℉ for 5 minutes before adding food.
- There is no need to use any cooking spray in this recipe. As always, avoid using pressurized cooking spray with additives, as it can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
- You shouldn't have to use a wire rack to raise the vegetables closer to the broiler to sufficiently roast them. We recommend roasting them as instructed, without a rack.
- If you have a smaller basket than ours, you may need to cook your salsa in batches. Make sure your vegetables fit mostly in an even layer in the basket. If they crowd the basket too much, they won't roast properly.
Salsa Verde
While ours is a traditional salsa roja, you can also make salsa verde in the air fryer using tomatillos. You can use the same ingredients and simply replace roma tomatoes with tomatillos. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them to clean off any residue or debris before roasting.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Salsa
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
FAQ
Yes, you can make air fryer green salsa by using tomatillos instead of roma tomatoes. Just be sure to husk and rinse them off before air frying.
You do not need to simmer the salsa after roasting the vegetables, and can instead simply add them to the food processor and serve at room temperature. However, the boiling and simmering step gives air fryer salsa a much greater depth of flavor in addition to thickening it, making it a perfect dip for chips and more. We recommend simmering it if you have the time!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Salsa
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Food Processor
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 Roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 jalapeno pepper stem removed
- ¼ medium white onion roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Light Olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ lime
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉.
- Place 4 Roma tomatoes cut into quarters, 1 jalapeno pepper, and ¼ medium white onion in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon light olive oil, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss gently to coat the vegetables.
- Add vegetables to the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. A little overlap is fine, but don’t crowd the basket.
- Air fry at 400℉ for 10 minutes.
- Halfway through air frying add 3-4 cloves garlic, then give the basket a shake to ensure even cooking. Turn the pepper over before closing the basket so the other side gets blistered.
- Once vegetables are roasted, transfer vegetables to a cutting board and allow to cool until cool enough to handle.
- Remove skins from tomatoes and the pepper (optional). The skin should slip right off.
- Add vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and process on high until the ingredients are combined and finely chopped.
- Heat one Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add blended salsa ingredients and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro with the juice from ½ lime.
- Give the salsa a taste and add more salt and lime as needed.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For a milder salsa, discard seeds and ribs from the pepper. Be careful when doing this and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling the pepper seeds!
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer. Remember, air fryer brands vary, so you may have to adjust the cook time to your specific air fryer.
- Recipe time and temperature is based on a preheated air fryer. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function, set it 400℉ for 5 minutes before adding food.
- There is no need to use any cooking spray in this recipe. As always, avoid using pressurized cooking spray with additives, as it can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
- You shouldn't have to use a wire rack to raise the vegetables closer to the broiler to sufficiently roast them. We recommend roasting them as instructed, without a rack.
- If you have a smaller basket than ours, you may need to cook your salsa in batches. Make sure your vegetables fit mostly in an even layer in the basket. If they crowd the basket too much, they won't roast properly.
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