Smoky Roasted Salsa
This post may contain affiliate links, that if you make purchases through, I will earn a small commission.
This smoky roasted salsa is full of traditional Mexican flavors, and a little something extra to make that smoky flavor shine through. This definitely isn’t your traditional jarred store bought salsa!!
Dish Count :: 1 Roasting Pan, 1 Food Processor or Blender, Twelve 8 ounce canning jars with lids and rings, 2 large stock pots.

There are three things that make me impossibly giddy. Huck’s soft ears. Buying a new cast iron pan (sorry, Ben.), and cracking open a new jar of homemade canned treats. Canning has become a part of my summer routine, with the staples of pickles and jams being at the forefront of my efforts. It’s comforting, and repetitive (in a good way!), and it takes time. When you bestow a jar of homemade canned goods, like salsa, on someone else, like all good canners must, it means something extra special. Your time and love is sealed up in every little jar. I know, eye roll inducing, hippy BS and all that – but it’s true!! Ask any canner and they will say the same thing.
So today’s post about salsa means even more to me, because this recipe is from my friend Rebecca’s new cookbook – Not Your Mama’s Canning Book! You know how I said that giving a jar of canned salsa is your love sealed up in a jar? This book is all that and MORE!! It’s all of her knowledge, love and hard work in bound up pages, waiting to inspire you to a new adventure as soon as you crack the pages.
And, I’m giving away a copy plus a few little canning extras to get you started!! Get the details for this smoky salsa recipe below!

I’ve known Rebecca for years now, but we recently got to spend some overdue quality time together in Utah. Her spirit, and vivacity and zest for laughter and life is just unmatched and getting to sit with her and flip through the pages of her book was just thrilling for me. Homesteading girl crush – right here! We talked chickens, cooking, booking, and canning ’til the proverbial cows came home. And it’s so reassuring to me that with Ben’s and my dream of having a small piece of land for our own homesteading adventures is tangible – and Rebecca absolutely encourages it. She’s my cheering squad.
Ingredients for Smoky Roasted Salsa
- Chipotle Chiles
- Guajillo Peppers or *Dried California Peppers*
- Boiling Water
- Onions
- Garlic
- Plum or Roma Tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Lime Juice
- Honey, Agave, or Raw Sugar
- Kosher Salt

As I flipped through the book I couldn’t help but tag every other recipe as the one I would showcase. But it came down to this Smoky Roasted Salsa as the winner. And I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice. We have gone through two jars in a matter of days, and if you’re a chipotle lover this recipe is definitely for you!
Inspired Homemade Recipes To Try
Smoky and Spicy Mexican Red Beer
Print
Smoky Roasted Salsa
- Prep Time: 1 Hour
- Cook Time: 1 Hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 Half Pints 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Canned
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This smoky roasted salsa is full of traditional Mexican flavors, and a little something extra to make that smoky flavor shine through. This definitely isn’t your traditional jarred store bought salsa!!
Ingredients
- 12 Dried Chipotle Chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 12 dried Guajillo Peppers, stems and seeds removed *or Dried California Peppers*
- 2 cups Boiling Water
- 2 Onions, medium sized, quartered
- 1 head Garlic, separated into Cloves, but not peeled
- 2 pounds Plum or Roma Tomatoes
- 2 pounds Tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 1 cup Lime Juice *the lime concentrate is fine*
- 1 Tbsp Honey, Agave, or Raw Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Use a damp paper towel to wipe the dried chiles clean before toasting. This will help reduce any dust clinging to the outside of the chiles. In a heavy, dry skillet, toast the chiles in batches until pliable.
- Place them in a stainless steel or glass bowl, pour the boiling water over the chiles and weigh down with a plate or weight. Let soak for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and tomatillos on a half sheet pan under the broiler, turning them occasionally until blistered all over and blackened in places.
- Transfer the tomatillos to a blender or food processor, pulse until smooth and add into one of the large stockpots.
- Transfer the onion, and peeled garlic to a cutting board. Leave the tomatoes in the pan and cover with a second inverted pan, or plastic wrap until cool.
- While the tomatoes cool, peel and roughly chop the onions and garlic. Use care when handling and cutting the roasted onions and garlic. They stay hot on the inside far longer than you might think, and they are a little slippery. You don’t have to have perfectly cut onions and garlic since they will pulsed in the food processor.
- Add them to the blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped or smooth. Add to the stock pot with the tomatillos.
- Add the soaked chiles and the soaking liquid to the food processor. Blend until smooth. Add to the stock pot.
- Turn your attention to the tomatoes. The skins should peel easily from the tomatoes. Discard the skins and add the tomatoes and the juice to the blender. Pulse until the tomatoes are your desired texture. You can make it as chunky or smooth as you like.
- To the stockpot with the tomatoes, and chiles, add in the lime juice, honey, sugar, or agave and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
- Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened like ketchup. Lade into prepared pint or half-pint jars within 1/2″ of the top rim of the jar. Fix jars in place and tighten.
- Transfer to a boiling water canning bath and ensure the jars are covered with 2″ of water. Bring the water a full rolling boil, and process for 15 minutes. Transfer to a towels on the counter and allow to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe from Rebecca Lindamood’s book Not Your Mama’s Canning Cookbook
Keywords: canning, salsa, tomatoes, tomato, salsa, chipotle, preserving, homemade
We planted tomatoes in a raised bed this year and I would love to try canning tomatoes for soups, stews and chili and also canning some salsa.
Thank you a million times over, Megan! You are so good to me! I am beyond happy that you love this salsa as much as we do. It may one of my most used canned goods in our home. ❤️❤️❤️
This salsa sounds so good. Can’t wait to try it. I’ve still got 1/2 a dozen pints of pears in the basement that I need to use up so maybe I will try canning some pickled cherry tomatoes instead this year.
The color is intense, exactly how i like my salsa!!
I’ve been canning for years, and would love some new recipes. Thanks so much!
I would try this recipe! I can salsa, but it is not as sophisticated as this recipe – ha ha. I would love to win Rebecca’s cookbook!
So many options! Salsa, pickles jams. I’d love to do them all. That salsa recipe looks tasty.
I follow Country Cleaver on facebook
I follow Foodie with Family on facebook
I subscribe to CC
I subscribe to Foodie with Family
I wanna eat this by the spoonful!
I would love to can this salsa. All of my now grown (7) kids and significant others LOVE salsa. I would love to bless them each with a jar of this.
I want to can my own pickles!
I subscribe to Country Cleaver and Foodie with Family.
I liked foodie with family on facrbook
I liked country cleaver on fb
I’d like to cancel my spaghetti sauce
I would love to can different kinds of pickles!
I would love to try canning jam. We have access to so much great fruit during the summer here in California. It’d be nice to have a taste of that throughout the year. Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m really wanting to try some canning this year and this salsa looks amazing. I’ve also wanted to try and can some Bread and Butter Pickles.
I already like Country Cleaver on FB
I already like Foodie with Family on FB
I already subscribe to Country Cleaver by email.
I already subscribe to Foodie with Family by email.
Peach jam
Liked Foodie with Family on facebook
Liked Country Cleaver on fb
This salsa looks fantabulous!!!!
Six years ago I had a stroke; I still have some disability on my left side, but my dominant right side still works!!! I have gotten back to doing most of the things I did previously, but canning is not one of them – yet!!! I loved canning and freezing food before, and I keep looking at books that inspire me, but haven’t gotten there yet! I would be so thrilled to win Rebecca’s canning book! What a great inspiration that would be!!
I liked Country Cleaver and Foodie with Family on FB and already subscribe to Country Cleaver and get your e-mails!
I want to try canning asparagus next.
I Like Foodie with Family on Facebook
Like Country Cleaver on Facebook
I’m Subscribed to Country Cleaver via email
I Subscribed to Foodie with Family via Email
I want to try making boysenberry preserves.
I would love to learn to can tomatoes…. sauce, whole, any way you can!
I would love to can homemade beef stew and veggie soup. I also would like to make jams and can them too. Strawberry, figs peach and maybe grape or mayhaw. I hope I win be if I don’t then I hope everyone has a good time. Good luck to all.
I subscribed to Foodie with Family via Email !!
I subscribed to Country Cleaver via email!!
I liked Country Cleaver on Facebook!!!
I liked Foodie with Family on Facebook!!!
I’d love to try this salsa, I’m addicted to chipotles!
I’ve “liked” Country Cleaver
I’ve “liked” Foodie with Family
I’ve subscribed to Country Cleaver
I’ve subscribed to Foodie with Family
That salsa looks incredible. And Rebecca is great – her book is on my nightstand and I’m flagging so many things I want to try!
I’d like to can a variety of tomatoes.
I liked Foodie With Family on Facebook.
I already liked Country Cleaver on Facebook.
I subscribed to Country Cleaver on email.
I subscribed to Foodie With Family via email.
This recipes sounds so good, I can’t wait to try it.
Love Rebecca and her book sounds absolutely awesome (as is evidenced by this salsa recipe). I’m a big fan of smoky things so I’m psyched to give this beauty a try!
I would like to can homemade chili sauce, mushrooms, pickled lemons
I liked Foodie with Family on Facebook as name: fiona nuyen
I liked Country Cleaver on Facebook as name: fiona nuyen
I subscribed to Country Cleaver via this email
I also subscribed to Foodie with Family via this email
Thank You for the chance
I’m new to canning but love figs……so fig preserves would be first on my list.
I Like Foodie with Family on Facebook
I Like Country Cleaver on Facebook
I would love to can all the jam! 🙂
I already like Foodie With Family on Facebook, so this is awesome.
I now like you on Facebook.
I have so many blueberries in the freezer. We went to a pick-your-own and I kinda went overboard! I bet a homemade blueberry jam would be fantastic!!
and now I like Foodie with Family on facebook!!!
OMG!! I NEED this book. I just got into canning and cant wait to try more. I live in Texas so all kinds of salsas would be a must to can for me. But Id also love to learn how to can home made soups as well
I also like foodie with family on facebook!
I like Country Cleaver on Facebook
I am subscribed to Foodie with Family
I am subscribed to Country Cleaver
I grew up canning with my grandmother. She made what I have always called vegetable soup starter. Fresh tomatoes, corn, and orka. It was great . all you had to do then was add any extras you wanted to it. i have been wanting to try some new recipes and the smokey roasted salsa looks great.
Thank you
i liked Foodie with Family on Facebook
I liked Country Cleaver on Facebook
I had already subscribed to Country Cleaver
I subscribed to Foodie with Family
Pingback: 15 Recipes for Leftover Chipotle Peppers - Peas And Crayons
Pingback: Easy Cinnamon English Muffin Bread - Country Cleaver
Pingback: Homemade Blueberry Butter - Country Cleaver
I used to help my grandma can. It’s been years since I’ve done any myself. I would love to can anything and everything tomato based. I hate raw tomatoes but love everything you make with them, lol. 🍅
I hope that you will be able to jump back into the canning game soon, Mary! I agree- can all the tomatoes!! 🙂 This one is really a stellar place to start!
Pingback: Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries - Country Cleaver
Pingback: Pineapple Black Bean Salsa - Country Cleaver
Pingback: Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - Country Cleaver