Tomato overload in your garden? A classic fresh cannabis salsa, a.k.a. pico de gallo, is the perfect way to use them up! I can hear my cheesy quesadilla calling this salsa recipe's name as we speak. What's more? You can make this delicious, fresh, and nutritious dip in under 20 minutes.
Features
- Made simply with ground, decarbed cannabis - no infusions or extractions required
- No baking or cooking! Just chop, mix, chill and enjoy
- Just 8 healthy, simple ingredients needed
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This fresh, zesty cannabis-infused salsa will make your tastebuds sing while also providing great nutrition benefits.
Ready in under 20 minutes, you can use this salsa as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for your favorite quesadilla, taco, or burrito... yum!
My Well With Cannabis Community always asks for fun, creative, and healthy ways to incorporate cannabis into meals, so I thought a delicious cannabis salsa might do the trick.
This guide will explore how to make the perfect cannabis salsa, what equipment to use, offer expert tips & tricks, and include a printable recipe with directions at the end!
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Ingredient Notes
- Fresh tomatoes: Fresh, whole, in-season tomatoes are best to use in this recipe. You can vary which type of tomato you choose for a unique, tangy flavor.
- Green bell pepper: We used green, but any color will do, your choice!
- Yellow onions: We recommend yellow onions for their mild flavor, but you could experiment using white or red onions, too.
- Fresh jalapeño: This ingredient adds a bit of spice to the salsa, but feel free to vary how much you use based on how spicy you want it.
- Fresh cilantro: Cilantro brings a complex, citrusy flavor to this recipe. If you don't like cilantro, you can skip this.
- Lime juice: Fresh squeezed is best, but bottled will do.
- Decarbed cannabis: You want to ensure the cannabis is decarbed for best results. Read more about how to decarb cannabis here. I have also included Alternative Infusion Options below if you want to use another option.
Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is located in the recipe card below.
The Step-by-Step Process
- Step 1 - Gather, wash, prep, and cut all of the ingredients.
- Step 2 - Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Step 3 - Mix everything well so that all ingredients are fully combined.
- Step 4 - Refrigerate for 2 hours to let the flavors combine. Garnish with a fresh cannabis leaf (optional) and enjoy!
Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
You can store this recipe in the fridge for up to one week, but it is best when enjoyed immediately.
Alternate Cannabis Infusion Options
As with all things edibles, there is more than one way to infuse something. Below we will explore all of the different ways you could infuse this recipe.
Decarbed Cannabis Flower
This is my preferred way to infuse this recipe. It's simple, it's easy, and it's effective.
If this infusion method is new to you, you can learn more about how to use ground, decarbed cannabis in edibles here.
You could also use ground, decarbed kief here as well.
Just make sure you add in the 2 tablespoons of oil called for, either avocado or olive oil, because cannabis is better absorbed when paired with fat (1).
It is your choice whether or not you want to use THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, or CBG-dominant flower in this recipe.
I have both CBD flower and CBG flower available in my online shop if you need to purchase cannabis first.
Just make sure you decarb according to the guidelines for each cannabinoid here.
Cannabis-Infused Oil
This is an optional ingredient in this recipe because I recommended the ground, decarbed cannabis first.
If you want to skip that option and go straight for an oil, its a quick and easy way to infuse this recipe.
With so many different types of cannabis oils to choose from, it's important to pick the one that's right for you.
Recommended cannabis-infused oil options include:
Leftover Cannabis Pulp
Many people save the plant material left over from making infused oil or butter to use in recipes.
Also known as leftover cannabis pulp, these leftovers still contain trace amounts of cannabinoids, making them a mild addition to any recipe.
If you're going to add the pulp to infuse this recipe, add it as a separate ingredient and start with a small amount, maybe 2 tablespoons.
How to Determine The Dosing
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!
Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.
Notes and Expert Tips
- This salsa tastes best when all of the ingredients used are as fresh as possible, from your own garden or local Farmer's market even.
- If tomatoes are in season while you're making this recipe, I highly recommend using whole, fresh tomatoes.
- This salsa can be made less spicy if less jalapeño and black pepper are used. Feel free to adjust the spice level to suit your preferences!
- If a sweeter salsa is desired, adding tropical fruit like mango or pineapple would be delicious.
- You can decarb the traditional way in the oven or in an Instant Pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cannabis salsa can be brand new to even the most seasoned cannabis consumer, so here are some of the most common FAQs I get asked about cannabis salsa from my Well With Cannabis Community.
Yes, I've included many options in the Alternative Infusion Options section above. However, if you don't use an infused oil, I recommend sticking with avocado or olive oil.
Great question! You can easily increase or decrease the amount of jalapeño and black pepper to suit your taste preferences.
Salsa is a healthy, low-calorie option, and you can enjoy it as much as you want. This recipe makes 8 half-cup servings.
Although fresh tomatoes will yield the best results, you can substitute a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes if desired.
Tortilla chips are my go-to. However, you can also use pita chips, carrots, crackers, or really anything!
Want To Make This Easier? Use A Machine!
If the process of decarbing and infusing feels like too much work, an all-in-one countertop device may be a perfect all-in-one solution.
My personal favorites? The LEVO and Ardent FX, but you can review the most popular infusion machines here.
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Fresh Cannabis Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
Equipment
- Sharp Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 3 cups red tomatoes diced, ¼ inch dice
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced ⅛ inch dice
- ¼ cup yellow onion diced, ⅛ inch dice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or cannabis oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeño ⅛ inch dice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon ground, decarbed cannabis
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld together before enjoying.
- Any leftovers will stay good in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 7-10 days.
Notes
- This salsa can be pulsed in a food processor for a smoother texture, or completely pureed to make a smooth taco sauce.
- You can substitute hotter or milder chiles for the jalapeño for a new flavor variation.
- You can freeze this salsa for 3-6 months, but the texture will not be as firm when thawed.
- You can use the cannabis-infused oil and/or ground cannabis to infuse this recipe. See the above Alternative Infusion Options section above for more infusion ideas.
- If you don't plan on using cannabis-infused oil, we recommend using avocado or olive oil.
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