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This quick and easy restaurant style chunky salsa and air fryer tortilla chips will be your new favorite summer appetizer!
Nothing screams refreshing on a hot summer day like a large bowl of fresh salsa and salty tortilla chips! Freshly chopped vine tomatoes, a kick of spice and fresh cilantro create a flavorful salsa perfect for dipping homemade air-fried tortilla chips.
This light and flavorful chunky salsa is going to be your new favorite summer appetizer for two reasons. One, because it just takes 10 minutes to make. And two, the flavor of fresh salsa is so much better than any you will grab off the store shelf. We know you will be a huge fan of this super easy appetizer.
Growing up in Texas, fresh tomato salsa and piping hot chips were almost a daily occurrence in the summer months. Chips and dip are a part of the food culture in Texas. We always had some on-hand at home or were munching on some at our local Tex-Mex restaurants with friends and family. Since we have had our fair share of chips and dip throughout the years, we feel we know how to make a mean bowl of salsa! We are sharing our perfected spiced salsa with you today!
What makes the best bowl of salsa?
The consistency is the first thing we use to determine a good bowl of salsa. We like our salsa to be a mixture of chunky and smooth, which is why we added fresh chopped pieces to our blended salsa mixture. Second is seasoning, the right ratio of fresh cilantro, cumin and lime have to shine through in each bite. After years of making our own salsa, we have found the perfect ratio of both consistency and flavor.
Although the salsa is the star of the show for this recipe, we must highlight the air-fryer tortilla chips we made to accompany the dip. They are a healthier version of fried tortilla chips typically served at a restaurant. You can make these while you are blending up your salsa! It just takes 6 minutes to make a batch of crispy restaurant- style chips!
Restaurant Style Chunky Salsa with Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
What’s in this recipe?
Vine Tomatoes: We used fresh vine tomatoes for our salsa recipe. Our salsa is a combination of blended and diced fresh tomatoes to create the perfect chunky consistency.
Purple Onion: Purple onions have a sharper flavor that we prefer for fresh salsa!
Fresh cilantro: We love adding fresh cilantro (by the handfuls!) to our salsa. We love this fresh herb so much we typically don’t measure and add it by the handfuls. Haha!
Jalapeño: Turn up the spice with jalapeños. We like a milder salsa, so added half a jalapeño and some seeds. But if you love the heat, feel free to add a whole jalapeño!
Limes: Fresh lime juice keeps the fresh flavor of the salsa and ads a sweet tang
Seasonings: We have found the perfect ratio of fresh minced garlic, cumin, salt and pepper for this recipe! But this is where the flavor gets fun. So, feel free to add as much spice as you desire.
Corn Tortillas: Air fryer tortilla chips has become a new favorite! All you need is a package of corn tortillas, olive oil and coarse salt. Pop them in the air fryer and in a matter of minutes you have hot crispy tortilla chips. Just like you are at a restaurant.
Restaurant Style Chunky Salsa with Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
It takes just 10 minutes to whip up this fresh, flavorful chunky salsa and air fryer tortilla chips and makes the perfect appetizer for any gathering.
Ingredients
Restaurant-Style Chunky Salsa
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 purple onion (chopped)
- 1/2 jalapeño (most seeds removed)
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 large handfuls of cilantro
- 2 limes (juiced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- 1 bag corn tortilla chips
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Maldon salt (to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
- Start by chopping your ingredients. Roughly chop3 of the 4 tomatoes, your onion, ½ jalapeño and garlic. Dice one of your tomatoes, to add in the mixture after blended together.
- Add tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and garlic ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend just until smooth. Add in your cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend until incorporated.
- 1. Pour your blended mixture into a large bowl. Add your diced tomato and any additional salt, pepper and cumin you would like to taste. Serve to guests or store in a large jar in your fridge until ready to serve.
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- Using a large, knife slice tortillas into 4 pieces (halved and then halved again). Pour olive oil into a small bowl and set to side.
- Lightly brush each chip, front and back, with olive oil and place in the preheated air fryer rack in a single layer. Sprinkle with coarse Maldon salt.
- Cook in air fryer for 6 minutes. At the 3 minute mark, turn the chips over to cook evenly. After cooked, remove from air fryer and serve with fresh salsa while still hot.
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
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