One chip-filled bite of this spicy padron pepper salsa fresco and you want more! Summer is the perfect time for making homemade salsa. Tomatoes and peppers are at their ripest peak. You can make this delicious salsa from scratch in about 10 minutes!
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If you remember my post all about padron peppers, I said they aren’t that spicy. Well, the last container of padron peppers I bought are so spicy! I am totally eating my words. I feel like these peppers are too spicy for some of my recipes, but they are absolutely perfect for making hot pepper salsa!
Grab some chips and some juicy ripe tomatoes. You are going to love the flavor of this homemade salsa fresco. The flavors blend and merge even more, when you store this salsa in your refrigerator overnight! I think padron peppers could possibly be the best pepper for salsa now!
If you are a fan of Padron peppers, try my Padron Pepper Chili recipe.
Allergen Information:
This homemade spicy salsa recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Padron peppers – If you can’t find Padron, feel free to substitute shishito peppers. Feel free to use both the red Padron peppers and the green Padron peppers! (They tend to get red when they sit on the vine longer.)
- Tomatoes – Use heirlooms if you have them otherwise, regular tomato varieties are fine.
- Cilantro – Use fresh, not jarred cilantro.
- Oil – I recommend olive oil or avocado oil.
- Onion – Any type will taste delicious.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
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You will love how easy this pepper garden salsa is to make!! Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix blender.
Puree everything on high. Keep an eye on the texture.
HINT: If you like thick, chunky salsa, like a pico de gallo, puree it for a shorter time. If you like a thin salsa, puree until it is almost liquified.
You may also love this Mango Habanero Salsa recipe.
Storage:
Store your hot pepper salsa in a mason jar or an air-tight container in your refrigerator. This recipe makes enough padron pepper salsa to fill a quart-sized jar.
If you are a pepper fanatic like me, I have tons of delicious Shishito Pepper Recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you are having a hard time finding padron peppers, you can use shishito peppers. They have a milder flavor, so if you like spicy salsa, you would need to add in some fresh jalapeño peppers, too.
Pico de gallo is referred to as a chunky fresh salsa. It is not cooked. The chunks of vegetables are larger than in a salsa.
Store-bought salsa should be gluten free, but it is important to read the label. Processed salsas may have ingredients added that could contain gluten. My favorite gluten free store-bought salsa brands include Trader Joe’s Roasted Salsa, Herdez, Pace, On The Border, Frontera, and Casa Sanchez (in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.)
Salsa has so many variations; it can be made cooked or raw! Both are considered salsa.
Salsa can last a little longer because it is acidic from tomatoes. This salsa will keep fresh for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container.
You can use any type of fresh tomato to make salsa. I prefer heirlooms, but the most important part is to be sure the tomatoes are very ripe so their sweetness can help flavor the salsa.
Serve this salsa with my homemade Stuffed White Queso for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations!
More Gluten Free Pepper Recipes:
- Roasted Shishito Peppers with Garlic
- Chilled Shishito Pepper Soup
- Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers
- 12 BEST Gluten Free Hatch Chile Recipes
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If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Padron Pepper Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh tomatoes ripe
- ¼ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup padron peppers * see note
- 1 clove garlic large or two small cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice feel free to add more if you like
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
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Instructions
- Add 3 cups fresh tomatoes, 1/4 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup padron peppers, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1/3 cup fresh cilantro to a food processor or blender. Be sure to read the notes about Padron peppers below so you know the level of spiciness.
- Blend the ingredients until you have the desired texture. For pico de gallo, blend a much shorter time for the big chunks.
Notes
- Padron peppers can be hot, but it varies widely. I recommend tasting one (a tiny bit to your tongue) so you know the level of heat your peppers have. This way you can adjust and use the number of peppers by how hot you like your salsa.
- If you can’t find padron peppers, use shishito or bell peppers and add jalapeño for the spice.
- Store your salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to use quart-sized mason jars.
- This salsa will keep fresh up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
