You're probably reading this and thinking "Pumpkin salsa?! People just force pumpkin into anything this time of year." and I feel you on that. Some things just shouldn't be but this salsa is NOT one of those things! It promise you that I am not Gretchen Weiners trying to make "fetch" happen. This salsa combines two Fall produce favorites: hatch chile pepper and pumpkin, with two other kinds of peppers for a four-flame-emoji mouth party. It's lit, as the kids would say.
I'm talking nose-and-possibly-eyes-running spice level, y'all. For. Real. I'm not a fan of mild salsa (what is even the point?) so if you are afraid of heat, this is not the salsa for you. Of course, you could modify this recipe to suit your tolerance. The pumpkin, garlic, and cilantro contribute great flavors so that this is not just a bowl of heat! The pumpkin also subdues the color a bit and, of course, adds a bit of orange.
To accompany this salsa, I made some homemade tortilla chips using the LA Tortilla Factory corn tortillas I found in this month's Degustabox. These chips could not be any easier because they are oven-baked but if you want to fry them, I found an easy tutorial here. In case you aren't familiar with Degustabox, check out this post for my rundown. If you want to try it, I have a discount code for half off + free shipping here!
Let me know how this salsa turns out for you when you try it. Thanks for reading!
My Degustabox is provided in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The perfect end-of-summer transitional appetizer or snack where pumpkin meets hatch and other spicy peppers in an easy blender salsa served with homemade tortilla chips
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- Β½ red onion chopped
- 1 hatch chile pepper roasted (see recipe notes)
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 1 habanero pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- handful of cilantro leaves
- sea salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons water optional
- 8 corn tortillas
- Sea salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each tortilla into four equal pieces.
- Place in one layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flipping after the first five minutes.
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely mixed. It may be necessary to add a splash of water to your blender to get it going.
To roast the hatch pepper: Turn oven to broil setting at highest temperature. Place pepper on top oven rack and leave oven door cracked to monitor. Once the skin of the pepper has charred (just a minute or so), turn it and repeat on other side. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes then peel off charred skin.

Samantha @ Momma Wants Java says
I'm not gonna lie - when I saw the title I thought this would be a really weird dish, but it sounds DELICIOUS! My mom is coming for a visit this weekend, and I think this just got added to our menu! Thank you!
Jazz says
Lol thank you for sticking with me past the title. I hope y'all love it! Thanks for reading. π
Jenni says
Yum! I love, love, LOVE salsa, and the spicier the better! Thanks for the recipe, I pinned to make soon π
Jazz says
I agree, the spicier the better! Thanks for reading, Jenni...I hope you love it!
Veronika says
Pumpkin salsa sounds awesome! I'm all about them spicy dips π
Kumiko @ The Budget Mom says
I am not huge on salsa, but this looks yummy! Perfect for the holidays!
Jen says
Sounds awesome! I love spicy food!
Lindsay says
Well you had me at pumpkin and the mean girls reference!! I would totally give this recipe a try
Jazz says
Lol I can't pass up a good Mean Girls reference. Thanks for reading, Lindsay!