Copycat Chili’s Salsa

Making Chilis salsa isn’t hard to do. Now you can make your own version of Chilis Restaurant Salsa at home. You can make salsa just like Chili’s with this copycat recipe.

Canned tomatoes and canned green chiles make preparing this salsa easy. A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavors of this Chili’s salsa recipe.

a bowl of homemade Chili's salsa and tortilla chips


Chilis Copycat Salsa

Chilis salsa is so easy to make. It’s packed full of chunks of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and more. You never have to worry about being without a jar of salsa again, because you will always be able to whip up a batch of homemade salsa that tastes great. You could make this salsa and slip it into a mason jar, and use it as your own salsa.

You can also customize this recipe to your personal liking. If you want more garlic, you can add more garlic. What I also love about this recipe is that by using canned ingredients you can have this salsa any time of year.

So why not whip up a batch of this great-tasting Chilis salsa today? Don’t forget to grab a bag of chips! Be sure to grab your favorite thin corn tortilla chips for a restaurant experience.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Canned diced jalapeño chiles – you could use fresh, but the heat tends to be more predictable with the canned peppers
  • Yellow onion
  • Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • Canned whole peeled tomatoes with juice
  • Garlic salt
  • Ground cumin
  • Sugar
  • Lime juice, optional
  • Fresh cilantro, optional
Chili's salsa ingredients

How to Make Chili’s Salsa

  1. Place the jalapeños and onions in a food processor. Process for just a few seconds.
  2. Add tomatoes, garlic salt, cumin, and sugar.
  3. Add lime juice and cilantro if desired.
  4. Process until everything is well blended, but do not puree.
  5. Place in a covered container, and chill well before serving.

This salsa can be made quickly in no time at all. You will most likely spend more time assembling your ingredients than you will be making this salsa. I personally love to add a little extra fresh garlic to my salsa, but that is just me. Now whip out those tortilla chips, and enjoy your salsa.

tortilla chips and a bowl of homemade Chili's salsa

More ways to use Copycat Chili’s salsa recipe

Sure, this goes great with chips, but here are some other ideas for you!

  • Use as a topping on eggs
  • Top your favorite nachos with some of this homemade salsa
  • Try this in an Instant Pot Salsa Chicken recipe
  • Serve with your favorite Taco Salad

How long does your homemade Chili’s salsa last?

This salsa lasts for about 3 to 5 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I know that once you try this recipe, it will become one of your favorite salsa recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze copycat salsa?

Yes, you can freeze salsa. It stays fresh for up to 4 months. Store in an airtight container, or vacuum pack the salsa. Thaw completely before using.

Does Chili’s salsa contain sugar?

There is no added sugar in Chili’s salsa.

Can you can this salsa recipe?

You can preserve salsa by canning it. This recipe has not been tested for canning. It is important to ensure that there is enough acid to make salsa safe for hot water bath preservation. At this time this recipe has not been approved for canning. I recommend freezing this recipe if you want to preserve this salsa.

More Chili’s Copycat Recipes

Favorite Mexican Dips

Be sure to check out more of my easy dip recipes and the best restaurant copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!

a bowl of homemade Chili's salsa and tortilla chips

Copycat Chili’s Salsa

You can recreate Chilis Salsa in no time at all with this easy copycat recipe. An easy blender recipe with canned tomatoes and chilies. 
5 from 29 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chilis Salsa, Salsa
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 20kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons canned diced jalapeño chiles
  • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
  • 14.5 ounces whole peeled tomatoes with juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice optional
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro optional

Instructions

  • Place the jalapeños and onions in a food processor. Process for just a few seconds.
  • Add both cans of tomatoes, garlic salt, cumin, and sugar. Process until everything is well blended, but do not puree.
  • Place in a container, cover, and chill well before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 10.1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

REVEALED: Copycat Secrets for 2023

free email bonus

Yes, you CAN make it at home! I'll show you how.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne

    5 stars
    I made the recipe exactly as directed. My son and husband loved it as is. They have asked me to spice it up a bit, as they enjoy quite spicy foods, just as a second type of homemade salsa. Thanks for the recipe. Definitely a keeper.

  2. Rochelle

    I was thinking maybe Campbell’s condensed tomato soup ! Or mayby the sell a different brand of condensed soup?

  3. Colleen B

    5 stars
    I just spent hours making salsa. Yes, I did can it. Then I remembered how much I love Chili’s salsa. I looked it up and there was the recipe. So simple and so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe. I just had chips and salsa last week at Chili’s. So very good. And since you can take an extra bag home with salsa, found me munching on them at 11:00 at night.

  4. Jim The Vaping Chef

    The secret in my opinion was adding a half cup of dill pickle juice to the mix as well as lime and cilantro. I coukd see vinegar doing similar but the dill is most likely part of Chilis spice pack. After 40 years cooking I can safely say I taste dill pickle flavor in Chilis salsa. My wife swears not only is mine like Chilis it’s a bit better.

    • KG

      5 stars
      Thanks for the tip! I’ve tried many Chili’s salsa copycat recipes and adding a little dill pickle juice is definitely what it needed. This is better than any salsa I’ve ever had and Chili’s has always been my favorite.

    • Heather

      This is because chili’s uses pickled jalapeños in their salsa and on their nachos. So adding that dash of pickle juice mimics that. Worked there for 5 years and their salsa is still my fav.

    • Nash

      For a summer dip add a few dices pineapples and finely chopped mint leaves to your salsa, that adds a tropical summer flavour which tastes divine

  5. Stanley Gee

    I make this base recipe ….a lot and in huge batches because when I take it people cant get enough. but I tweak it!
    I use a lot of extra sugar and a lot of cilantro. I add pickled jalapeños to taste. its a sweet hot flavor..
    Use the force Luke….. ( don’t measure anything)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




homemade Olive Garden Asiago Torgelloni Alfredo with chicken on a plate

Copycat Recipe Secrets for 2023

REVEALED:

Yes, you CAN make it at home! 
I'll show you how.

FREE EMAIL BONUS