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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde is the perfect way to showcase fresh tomatillos from the garden! Tomatillos, those little green tomatoes in the husks, get roasted up and charred along with sweet and spicy peppers, garlic, and onions, intensifying their flavors before getting blended with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Way better than any store-bought jar of green salsa, this recipe is perfect to dip with chips or added to any taco night. Easy, so delicious, and freezer friendly!
- Seriously Good Salsa! - My family gobbled up this jar of green salsa before we even made it to dinner! I only wish my garden had more tomatillos to make a double batch! It's that good, and if you've had store-bought tomatillo salsa, homemade char-roasted salsa verde is going to amaze you!
- Healthy & Versatile - A bunch of fresh veggies, roasted and blended into the best little dip that is so versatile! Use it to make any taco recipe or bowl into something new like these Ground Beef Fajita Tacos or these Blackened Chicken Tacos. Or use it in White Chicken Chili!
- Love Homemade Salsa? Try this Garden Fresh Salsa or this Mango Corn Salsa!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Entirely fresh ingredients, this homemade salsa verde gets so much flavor from roasting with a bright finish of cilantro and lime!
- Tomatillos - I am loving growing tomatillos in my garden, but they are available at the grocery store all year too. They come in a husk, which you peel off and then rinse the sticky residue underneath. If you grow lots of tomatillos in the garden, this salsa can be doubled and frozen!
- Onions and Garlic - The base layer of favor gets intensified when roasted! A small red or yellow onion will both work, and if it's larger, just use half. Leave the garlic whole and in its skins, then peel or squeeze the clove in to be blended. Use 2 or 3 cloves, depending on size.
- Hot and Sweet Peppers - You can use a lot of combinations of peppers here, but keep them green, and use some spicy and some sweet. A jalapeño is great for a kick of heat without being overly spicy, or you could use a poblano. The sweet pepper can be anything, cubanelle, Aneheim, or half of a regular green bell pepper. Mix and match any peppers you like and go as spicy or mild as you like.
- Cilantro - A truly important ingredient, a big handful of cilantro gets added fresh to the food processor, balancing the roasted flavors.
- Lime - Fresh lime juice gives the salsa a refreshing finish, I like to use a whole lime.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is quick and easy, just roast your veggies at a very high heat, blend and enjoy!
Step 1 - Peel away the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them well, scrubbing off their sticky residue.
Cut larger tomatillos in half, quarter the onion, and cut the peppers in half, removing the ribs and seeds. Leave garlic gloves whole and in their skin.
Toss everything with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 2 - Preheat the oven to 450°F convection bake (yes, very hot!).
Roast the veggies about 30 minutes. If your garlic cloves are smaller, you may need to take them out early to keep them from burning.
Step 3 - Add the roasted veggies to a food processor, squeezing or peeling the garlic out of the skin.
Add cilantro and lime juice.
Step 4 - Blend just to the right consistency but don't overdo it!
You want the salsa to have some texture and not be completely smooth!
Step 5 - Your green salsa verde is ready to serve or refrigerate, but it's especially good when it's still a little bit warm!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Roast in a Hot Oven - 450°F seems really hot, but you are removing the water in the tomatillos, condensing and intensifying their flavor while charring up the peppers, onion and garlic! If your oven isn't hot enough, you are instead steaming the veggies in the liquid from the tomatillos, missing out on that layer of flavor.
- Use a LOT of Cilantro! - It seems like too much, but you really want a lot of fresh cilantro. Trim off the bottom bunch of stems, but there is no need to pluck off each leaf, the stems are edible.
- What to Serve it With - Salsa verde is delicious as a healthy dip with chips but also is great on tacos, burritos, nachos, rice bowls, or breakfast eggs! It can be added to recipes that use store-bought tomatillo salsa or can be watered down a bit and used as an enchilada sauce.
- Storage and Freezing - Extra salsa can be stored in the fridge for 4 or 5 days. It tends to thicken and almost gel a bit when refrigerated. It can be frozen for 4 months. If freezing in a glass jar, only fill ¾'s full to allow room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well before serving.
Recipe FAQs
I used 1 jalapeño pepper and didn't find the salsa overly spicy. This could be adjusted up or down to your liking. If you are worried about it being too spicy, you could roast a jalapeño and then just start by blending half. Taste and add more if you like.
No, this recipe was not intended or tested for canning. It can be frozen in jars, filled only ¾'s full to allow room for expansion.
This recipe, using about 1 pound of tomatillos, makes 1 pint jar of salsa (about 2 cups). If you have a bit more tomatillos, they can be added without changing the recipe. If you have over 2 pounds, just double the recipe.
More Favorite Salsas and Dips!
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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 pound tomatillos
- 1 small onion cut in quarters
- 1 jalapeño pepper cut in half, stem, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 small sweet pepper (optional) cut in half, stem, seeds and ribs removed
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic whole with peel on
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- ½ cup cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉ convection bake.
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse well, scrubbing off the sticky residue. Cut larger tomatillos in half.
- Add the tomatillos to a sheet pan along with a quartered onion, peppers cut in half with seeds and ribs removed, and the garlic cloves left whole in the skins. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add everything to a food processor, discarding the garlic peels. Add a good handful of cilantro (trim off the stem ends but no need to pluck off each leaf) and the juice of a lime.
- Blend until you reach the right consistency. Don't over blend, you want some texture, not too smooth! Serve warm or refrigerate.
Notes
- Tomatillos - Garden tomatillos or store-bought are fine. They should be firm and bright green, not too hard or mushy. In the husk or bursting the husk is ok.
- Peppers - Choose 1 or 2 different types of peppers and adjust for the amount of spice you want. Jalapeño, poblano, Anaheim, cubanelle, mini sweet yellow peppers, or half of a regular green bell pepper would all work.
- Cilantro - Use plenty of cilantro, about ½ cup or about half of a bunch from the store.
- Storage - Extra salsa can be refrigerated for 4 or 5 days or frozen for 4 months. If freezing in a glass jar, only fill ¾'s full to allow room for expansion.
- Nutrition info is for 1 pint jar of salsa, about 2 cups.
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