Fire-Roasted Blowtorch Salsa is more than just a dip – it’s a bold, smoky adventure for your taste buds! Crafted with the intense heat of a blowtorch, this salsa takes ordinary ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, and onions and elevates them into a delicious symphony of charred flavors. Everything is then balanced with the brightness of fresh-squeezed lime juice and red wine vinegar! (Don’t have a blowtorch? No problem! You can still make this with your oven – the complete instructions are below.)
Whether you’re topping tacos or enjoying it with chips, each bite delivers a perfectly balanced combination of smoky, spicy, and freshness that will have you coming back, bite after bite!
Check out my other crowd favorite salsa recipes with my Sweet Heat Mango Salsa, Simple Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat), or Red Taqueria Style Salsa!
Ingredients
Simple, fresh ingredients are key to making this salsa. Roasting the fresh tomatoes, onions, pepper with high heat gives this dis a really intense, depth of flavor. Then you finish things off with fresh-squeezed lime juice, red wine vinegar, and cilantro to brighten up the whole dish and bring everything into balance.
- Roma Tomatoes are the base of this recipe. These don’t have a lot of water or seeds in them, which is ideal for this salsa.
- White Onion provides a sharpness that yellow or sweet onions don’t provide.
- Serrano Peppers give this dish a little kick. Serrano’s are hotter than jalapenos, so feel free to use either variety to your liking.
- Garlic Cloves add some depth to this salsa. Garlic doesn’t need to be roasted too heavily like the other vegetables. Just a light toasting is all that’s needed.
- Cilantro is added for just a touch of freshness and brightens the whole dish.
- Red Wine Vinegar adds some much needed acidity to balance everything.
- Lime Juice is added for another level of acidity. Fresh lime juice is best.
- Olive Oil adds richness for balance.
- Kosher Salt elevates all of the flavors in the recipe.
- Black Pepper adds just a touch of spicy earthiness.
Instructions
As the name suggests, this recipe is best made when using a blowtorch. Using the intense heat of a blowtorch gives us an intense depth of flavor to the tomatoes, onions, and peppers that can be difficult to recreate with other cooking methods. Using a blowtorch also helps to preserve some of the freshness of the vegetables as well. This helps to add a bit of crunch and texture to the dish.
That being said, I understand that not everyone has access to, and/or the desire to break out a a blowtorch just to make salsa. The instructions below also include how to make this salsa with your ovens broiler. This method will provide tasty results, just know that the char level likely won’t be as high, and the vegetables will be a little bit softer than using a blowtorch since the heat isn’t quite as intense.
How to use a blowtorch to make fire-roasted salsa:
Step 1: Add the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers to a large bowl. Toss with several tablespoons of a neutral oil and kosher salt until everything is evenly coated
Step 2: Place the vegetables on a baking sheet set on a heat-proof surface (stovetop, unlit grill, placed on a damp kitchen towel on the counter, etc.)
Step 3: Turn a fan on and open some windows—things will likely get a little smokey with this step. Use a blowtorch to heavily char all sides of the vegetables, flipping to ensure they are roasted evenly.
Step 4: Transfer the serrano peppers to a dish, cover with a lid, and allow to rest for a minute or two. Use the back of a knife to scrape the charred skin off, then cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
Step 5: While the peppers are resting, lightly toast the garlic cloves. Roasting the garlic too heavily will result in a strong burnt/acrid taste that cuts through the whole dish and can be pretty unplesant.
Step 6: Transfer all of the vegetables to the bowl of a food processor. Add the cilantro, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and a little extra oil.
Step 7: Pulse everything together until you reach your desired consistency, then taste for salt and pepper to make sure everything is perfect. (Optionally – dice or mince everything to your desired texture by hand if you don’t have a food processor – this will take significantly longer ).
Broiler/Oven Method
No blowtorch? – No Problem! Simply replace Step 3 from above with placing the baking sheet under a broiler set to high for 5 – 7 minutes to char the vegetables. Be sure to flip everything a few times to to make sure all sides get develop a decent amount of color on them. Throw the garlic cloves in for the last minute or two to get those lightly toasted as well. After the vegetables are charred, simply follow the remaining recipe steps as the recipe is written.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
- Baking Sheet – This is needed to char the vegetables on.
- Blowtorch – The blowtorch is the preferred method for this recipe since it provides a really great char, and doesn’t soften the tomatoes, onions and peppers too much. I really like my trigger start Bernzomatic torch. You will just need to purchase the gas separately, which you can find at your local hardware store.
- Broiler – Optionally, you can use the broiler in your oven to char the vegetables. This will work to get some color, but they will be a little softer and not as heavily charred as the blowtorch method.
- Food Processor – This is optional, but is really helpful to speed things up. It’s a great tool to use to really dial in the perfect texture you’re after as well. Check out this 7-Cup KitchenAid food processor that I recommend.
Storage
This salsa is best when fresh, but it will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days as long as it’s properly covered.
Related Recipes
Check out my other salsa, and salsa-inspired recipes below. These are all really delicious, and I recommend giving them a shot too!
Recipe Pairings
Take a look at some of my Mexican and Mexican-inspired recipes below. These are great recipes to serve this Fire-Roasted Blowtorch Salsa with! Give them a shot and let me know what you think.
Did you make this recipe for Fire-Roasted Blowtorch Salsa?
Let me know how yours turned out in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Fire-Roasted Blowtorch Salsa
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Blowtorch -or- Broiler The Blowtorch is optional, but it's WAY more fun, and give delicious results! I highly recommend giving it a shot.
- Food Processor Optional
Ingredients
- 8 Roma Tomatoes Halved
- 1 White Onion Halved and Peeled
- 3 Small or 2 Large Serrano Peppers, Halved, Stems and Seeds Removed (Substitute Jalapenos)
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt Divided Plus More to Taste
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Plus More to Taste
- 6 Cloves Garlic Peeled
- ½ Cup Cilantro Minced
- 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
- Juice from 2 Limes
Instructions
Blowtorch instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers in oil with kosher salt to evenly coat. On a baking sheet set on a heat proof surface (like a stovetop, or placed on a damp kitchen towel), use a blowtorch to heavily char the outsides of the vegetables on all sides. Transfer the serrano peppers to a small container and cover for 5 minutes. Lightly toast the garlic cloves with the blow torch.
- Use a spoon or the back edge of a knife to remove the charred skin of the serrano peppers and discard.
- Place the charred vegetables in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you achieve as chunky or as fine of a texture you would like. Optionally, dice or mince the vegetables by hand.
- Add the cilantro, red wine vinegar, and lime juice, stirring to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper and serve.
Broiler Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers in oil with kosher salt to evenly coat. Transfer the vegetables to the oven with the broiler set to high and char the outsides of the vegetables on all sides about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Add the garlic coves in the last two minutes to lightly toast them.
- Transfer the serrano peppers to a small container and cover for 5 minutes o soften. Use a spoon or the back edge of a knife to remove the charred skin of the serrano peppers and discard.
- Place the charred vegetables in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you achieve as chunky or as fine of a texture you would like. Optionally, dice or mince the vegetables by hand.
- Add the cilantro, red wine vinegar, and lime juice, stirring to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper and serve.
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