Almond Free Smoky BBQ Salsa
This salsa is deeply smoky, a little spicy, and packed with charred vegetable flavor that makes store-bought versions taste flat by comparison. The magic comes from searing roma tomatoes, red bell peppers, and jalapeño cut-side down in a screaming-hot cast iron pan until the surfaces are blackened and the skins blister right off. Once those charred vegetables get tossed with bloomed spices — smoked paprika, cumin, and chipotle powder — plus a hit of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar, the result is a salsa with serious depth and a perfect sweet-smoky-tangy balance. Garlic-infused oil and scallion greens keep the allium flavor present without any raw garlic bite. The whole thing comes together in one skillet, and you can serve it warm straight from the pan or let it chill for a few hours to let the flavors deepen even further. It's completely free from tree nuts and made with straightforward pantry staples, so there's no label-reading stress involved. Pile it on tacos, scoop it with chips, or spoon it over grilled chicken — this one earns a permanent spot in the rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 4 medium roma tomatoes, halved
- 2 medium red bell peppers, halved and seeded
- 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil, divided
- 4 scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Brush the cut sides of the tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeño with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-infused oil.
- 2
Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeño cut-side down in the dry hot pan. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, until the cut surfaces are deeply charred and the skins begin to blister and loosen. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more, until the skins are softened and the vegetables are tender throughout.
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