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Chips and salsa is a staple appetizer, but let’s talk about making (FIRE) roasted tomato salsa that you can be proud of: homemade fire roasted tomato salsa on the grill!!! Because anything worth doing is worth adding smoke flavor to take it to the next level!

By first firing up your grill and smoke roasting your tomatoes and veggies, you are adding a layer of flavor complexity that can’t be accomplished by popping open a lid of store bought salsa.

Why Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa is Awesome- Flavor from the Grill!

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m a fan of throwing ingredients on the grill to first add smoke flavor. One of my favorite recipes of all time is my Smoked Gazpacho, which follows the same principal of first roasting the veggies over fire to add smoke flavor, which in my mind is the unsung hero of the recipe, adding its own version of Umami. Another really fun version of this recipe is my Smoked Watermelon Gazpacho if you are reading this during watermelon season.

If you love the idea of smoked salsa, make sure to also try out my Grilled Pineapple Black Bean Salsa, because if you love grilled pineapple and how its flavor intensifies over the grill, you will love the flavor combos of pineapple, black beans, coconut and lime in this salsa!

And lastly, let’s not forget that roasting tomatoes is also great as a FIRE roasted marinara, and also to make BBQ Sauce that truly stands out from the pack with the Smoked BBQ Sauce found in my Cookbook, Healthy Electric Smoker.

So, the next time you set out to make a Salsa, Soup or Marinara, think about how you can add smoke flavor by first throwing the ingredients on the grill!

Roasting your tomatoes on the grill is an easy way to amplify the flavor or fresh salsa. Photo by Silvia Orantes.

Ingredients to make Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa on the Grill

5 vine tomatoes
2 jalapeños
1 head of garlic
5 cambray onions (Mexican spring onions) or one large red onion, sliced into rings
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Fire Roasted Salsa on the Grill

Heat a charcoal grill up and get it to about 400 degrees. This is not an exact science but get your coals nice and hot so you can char your veggies.
Grill the vegetables until blackened on all sides, 10 to 15 per side.
Transfer vegetables to a blender or food processor pulse once for a chunky consistency, or three times for a purée consistency.
Transfer to a salsa bowl. Add the cumin, oregano, chopped cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Give everything a stir and enjoy!

Grilling the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic to put in salsa takes fresh salsa from great to absolutely AMAZING!

Tools Needed to make Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa on the Grill

Charcoal Grill
Charcoal
Wood chips for additional smoke (option but a great addition)
Food processor or blender for blending the salsa

That’s it- you are going to love how easy it is to make fire roasted tomatoe salsa on the grill and wonder why you haven’t tried it before! After you’ve made fire roasted salsa, give my grilled guacamole a try! Leave a comment below if you make this and what you thought!