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My keto salsa recipe is restaurant-worthy and ready in just 5 minutes. It’s perfect over eggs or in your favorite low carb Mexican dishes. Only 2 grams of net carbs.
Ready to use your homemade salsa? Try it with keto tortilla chips, keto quesadillas, or keto taco casserole.
My family loves it when I make a Mexican feast, but when I’m watching my carbs, I have to make some compromises…
Just kidding! My low-carb salsa recipe is anything but a compromise. With a handful of ingredients and naturally sweetened tomatoes, we can have the same refreshing flavor as our favorite bottled salsa–without the added sugar.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Healthier than store-bought salsa. Granted, not every brand sneaks copious amounts of sugar and corn syrup into their salsa, but too many do. That’s why I started making it from scratch.
- Fresher flavor, too. Let’s face it: nothing beats sauces made from scratch.
- Quick to make. It’ll be ready in minutes, I guarantee it.
- Customize it. Leave it as is, or give it a kick with added spices.
Ingredients needed
- Canned diced tomatoes. I prefer using the kind with no added salt so I can add salt myself. Make sure not to strain the tomatoes–we want those juices!
- Cilantro. A must for fresh salsa. I’ve used parsley before, but the flavor isn’t nearly as potent.
- Green bell peppers. Adds texture and color.
- Onion. White or red onion works equally well.
- Lime juice. For essential acidity.
- Cayenne pepper. To give the salsa some heat. You can use red pepper flakes if you don’t have cayenne pepper.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
How to make keto-friendly salsa
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Combine. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add salt if needed.
Step 2- Store. Pour the mixture into a bowl and serve immediately or chill.
Ways to use this recipe
Like regular salsa, you can use my version however you want. Here are some suggestions:
- As a topping for taco bowls or taco salad
- Wrapped in keto tortillas with your favorite burrito fixings
- As a dip with keto crackers or cheese chips
- Served with fresh celery or cucumbers for even more veggies
Arman’s recipe tips
- Prefer extra chunky salsa? Use whole canned tomatoes instead.
- Don’t use fresh tomatoes. I tested this recipe assuming fresh would be best, but I found they lacked the essential acidity and intense flavor.
- De-stem the cilantro. This doesn’t always happen, but sometimes, when I process the salsa ingredients, I find the cilantro stems don’t fully blend and can get stuck in your teeth.
Variations
- Spicy peppers. In addition to cayenne, add de-stemmed peppers (jalapeno peppers are mild, whereas small red peppers are the spiciest).
- Fruit. Pulse in pineapple, peaches, or mango for a sweet and salty combination.
- Garlic. I don’t add this because it’s not traditional, but freshly minced garlic adds a great flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftover salsa in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Give it a stir before serving. I don’t recommend freezing salsa as it makes the tomatoes mushy.
Frequently asked questions
Keto, sugar-free salsa contains 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
Yes, Pace Pincante is keto because it does not contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
More Mexican-inspired keto recipes
- Chicken tinga
- Picaditas
- Air fryer quesadillas
- Mulitas
- Or any of these Mexican recipes
Keto Salsa (Restaurant style)
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro loosely packed
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, cilantro, lime, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse several times until the vegetables are mostly broken down. Add extra salt if needed.
- Transfer to a large bowl and serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.
Love your recipes 🙂
This is so good and easy to make. Love it! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
Awesome recipe! I used to put jalapeno peppers in my salsa but the green pepper was just right!
I didn’t rate the recipe because I did not follow it exactly. I added garlic and replaced the bell pepper, don’t like green bell pepper, with green chilis. I also used whole tomatoes as that is what I buy and like. It gets buzzed in the food processor to the consistency that we like. My family loves it. I bake corn and low carb flour tortillas for the dippers along with veggies. I always include jicama with the veggies. Makes a great snack, appetizer, or side dish with tacos or enchiladas.
I love salsa and I just made this. It is so good. I think next time I’m gonna add a jalapeño cause I added alot of cayenne pepper to get the spice I like. Then I might add a couple cloves of garlic. I just added garlic powder this time. But it is delicious. Thank you
I’m using fresh tomatoes, can you leave the skin on them
You can!
Will be making this soon but without green bell pepper as am not a big fan of bell pepper i never had salsa before will dm you if i make this and let you know now it goes Thanks Ramya