Up your homemade salsa game this football season, or whip up smoked salsa for a taco night or BBQ party. Smoke salsa with ingredients like fresh tomatoes, smoked limes, onions, cilantro, jalapeno, red onions, and garlic. Let’s get smoking!!
How long to smoke vegetables for salsa?
It will take you 60 – 90 minutes at 250 degrees F to smoke the vegetables for your smoked salsa. If you have the super smoke option on your Traeger pellet smoker, you could choose to set the smoker to 225 degrees F and use super smoke. It will take a little longer for your vegetables to soften, but you will get even more smoke flavor.
What type of tomatoes should you use for salsa?
I recommend using beefsteak tomatoes for your salsa for a couple of reasons. Beefsteak tomatoes get its name because of the “beef” or “meaty” like quality the tomato has. This quality makes smoked salsa a bit more filling vs using other types of tomatoes. Also, beefsteak tomatoes do not have a lot of seeds in them. That’s an added bonus because…who wants seeds in their salsa?
How long does smoked salsa last?
Smoked salsa will last for a week in the fridge in a tupperware container with a lid. If you have some sort of air-tight seal container, perhaps it will last longer. In reality though, you will be eating this salsa up, so it won’t last long 😉
What temperature do you smoke tomatoes at?
You should smoke your tomatoes at 250 degrees F.
What wood pellets / chips give salsa a smoky flavor?
I recommend using hickory, or something light like pecan or Traeger signature blend pellets. Hickory is the strongest out of this group of wood chips and will give it the biggest smoke flavor.
What to do with leftover smoked salsa?
Add this to the list of tasty Traeger appetizers for game day. It’s right up there with smoked queso and smoked mac and cheese… what else could you need to throw a smoked foods taco night?
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make smoked salsa.
Vegetables to smoke in salsa on the pellet grill
- steak tomatoes (can sub roma tomatoes), halved, stems removed, then cut in wedges
- jalapeno, halved, pith and seeds removed –
- red onion, cut in two wedges
- cloves garlic
- lime, zest, and then halve the lime and use the lime
- salt and pepper to taste
- bbq rub (any of your favorite bbq seasonings)
- olive oil
For blending smoked salsa once cooked
- fresh cilantro leaves
- salt and pepper
New to smoked food recipes and Treager recipes?
See my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page)…
See these tasty taco night smoker recipes…
How to make smoked salsa
Now I’ll walk you through it…
Detailed recipe steps
- Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
- Prep salsa for smoking. In a large bowl, Mix all main smoked salsa ingredients together to coat them with olive oil and seasonings.
- Optional – Transfer to a wire rack, if desired. If you have any very small veggies, like the garlic cloves, you can pierce through them with a toothpick to keep them together, so they don’t fall through.
- Smoke salsa for 60-90 minutes, flipping halfway (optional), until vegetables are soft and broken down to your desired level.
- Remove salsa ingredients from the Traeger.
- Squeeze just a little smoked lime juice into a food processor and discard limes. NOTE – The smoked limes come out very juicy and if used too liberally, can make the salsa bitter because of the pulp. So if you add lime juice, taste it along the way and make sure to use a sieve before squeezing it in, to get out the pulp from the limes so the smoked salsa doesn’t turn out bitter.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor or blender, including cilantro (make sure to remove any toothpicks you may have used). Pulse smoked salsa until your desired texture is reached (chunky or smooth). Taste and add salt and pepper and any extra lime juice as needed.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled with chips or smoked tacos and enjoy.
- Bonus points – If you let it sit in the fridge a few hours or overnight, it will take on even more flavor as the ingredients marinate together.
Easy Mexican food inspired recipes on Sip Bite Go…
- chicken enchiladas (a must-try recipe)
- Homemade enchilada sauce
- fajita sides
- make ahead Mexican salad
- recipe for Mexican pasta salad
- smoked Mexican food for taco night
- Mexican tortellini salad
- griddled quesadillas
- griddled chicken fajitas
- smoked salsa
- smoked queso
- smoked margaritas
- sauteed peppers and onions for fajitas
- Taco Bell inspired ground beef pizza
- Pizza Hut inspired taco-flavored ground beef pizza
- salsa marinade for steak
- how to freeze refried beans
YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE
Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
Want to get better at home cooking?
Get my free recipe newsletter.
I’m here to help you put together delicious meals, right at home. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments.
Follow for new recipes on Instagram and subscribe to the SipBiteGo on YouTube.
Enjoy your slow cooker pineapple pork tacos!
– Jenna
Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…
Easy Traeger Smoked Salsa Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Video
Ingredients
Vegetables to smoke in salsa on the pellet grill
- 1 lb steak tomatoes halved, stems removed, then cut in wedges
- 1 jalapeno halved, pith and seeds removed
- ½ red onion cut in two wedges
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 lime zest, and then halve the lime and use the lime
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp bbq rub any of your favorite bbq seasonings
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For blending smoked salsa once cooked
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
- Prep salsa for smoking. In a large bowl, Mix all main smoked salsa ingredients together to coat them with olive oil and seasonings.
- Optional – Transfer to a wire rack, if desired (I think this makes them easier to take the veggies on/off the grill without them falling through), but you can also stick salsa ingredients directly on the smoker grill grates. And if you have any very small veggies, like the garlic cloves, you can pierce through them with a toothpick to keep them together, so they don’t fall through.
- Smoke salsa for 60-90 minutes, flipping halfway (optional), until vegetables are soft and broken down to your desired level.
- Remove smoked salsa ingredients from the Traeger.
- Squeeze just a little smoked lime juice into a food processor and discard limes. (I recommend going light, because the smoked limes come out very juicy and if used too liberally, can make the salsa bitter because of the pulp. So if you add lime juice, taste it along the way and make sure to use a sieve before squeezing it in, to get out the pulp from the limes so the smoked salsa doesn’t turn out bitter.
- Blend smoked salsa. Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor or blender, including cilantro (make sure to remove any toothpicks you may have used). Pulse smoked salsa until your desired texture is reached (chunky or smooth). Taste and add salt and pepper and any extra lime juice as needed.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled with chips or smoked tacos and enjoy.
- Bonus points – If you let it sit in the fridge a few hours or overnight, it will take on even more flavor as the ingredients marinate together.
DavidF says
Just found your website some time back, and we really love it. Thank you for being a great reference for Traeger recipes. We got one a few years back and are still learning all of what it can do. We haven’t had time to cook outside this year yet (other than just a quick smoked brisket), but we plan to really use your website and learn from you.