How to Make Salsa Verde with Roasted Tomatillos

This easy salsa verde recipe is made with roasted tomatillos. Done in under 30 minutes, fresh homemade salsa verde is delicious as a dip with chips or on all your favorite Mexican dishes. 

Last summer I found out that making salsa at home with my garden tomatoes is so easy and fun. If you haven’t seen my post on How to Make Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes be sure to grab that recipe! Since then, I’ve been dreaming about making a green salsa verde at home. I was hoping to grow my own tomatillos this year, but it just didn’t happen.

I’ve been noticing fresh tomatillos at the farmer’s market and grocery stores a lot lately and this week picked up a pound of them just for this homemade salsa verde. I used my go-to salsa recipe, but used roasted tomatillos instead of the tomatoes. The result was a homemade salsa verde that was so much tastier and fresher than the store-bought variety.

Salsa Verde Ingredients

The ingredients for salsa verde are simple: roasted tomatillos, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic, onion, and a little salt. I forgot the onion in this picture – oops! Isn’t this such a pretty array of green?

Many salsa verde recipes call for 1-2 serrrano chilies. To keep my tomatillo salsa mild-medium heat and family friendly, I used one jalapeno instead. Jalapenos are much milder than serranos. If you like your salsa spicy, use a serrano! You can also add a pinch of cumin if you like that richness. One of my favorite salsa companies, Mesa Salsa Co. has a green salsa with avocado in it. If you like creamy – try adding half an avocado to the blender.

What are Tomatillos?

When first thinking about tomatillos I wondered, “Is it a tomato? A pepper?” They’re clearly different from green tomatoes, since they are covered in a papery husk. It turns out tomatillos are fruits in the nightshade family, but are different from tomatoes and peppers. Tomatillos aren’t as sweet as tomatoes. They have a bright and tangy flavor that is what gives salsa verde its distinctive flavor. Tomatillos originated in Mexico, so using them in salsa is a natural fit.

Roasting Tomatillos

Roasting tomatillos, like most other fruits/vegetables, really brings out their flavor and makes them extra sweet and juicy.

To roast tomatillos, cut them in half crosswise. Coat with a little cooking spray or olive oil and place cut-side-down on a baking sheet.

Roast the tomatillos for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. They will be very soft and juicy. Don’t through out that juice in the pan – add it right on in to the blender.

Making Salsa Verde

Once the tomatillos are done roasting the rest of the recipe goes by in just a minute or two. Pop all the ingredients into a blender or food processor.

Blend for a minute and you have the most beautiful green salsa verde made from scratch! You can make your salsa verde chunky or smooth, it’s up to you. Dip a chip on in there to taste test. Season to taste. Add a dash of cayenne pepper if you want more heat or a pinch of cumin for more smokiness. Store your salsa verde in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to use Fresh Salsa Verde

Chips are the obvious choice, of course, and don’t feel like you need anything more than that to enjoy your homemade salsa verde. However, it adds so much bright flavor to any Mexican dish. Here are a few more ideas:

• Dip homemade Baked Taquitos 
• Use on top of Burrito Bowls 
• Top grilled portobello mushrooms or Veggie Kabobs with it
• Use on Easy Make-Ahead Burritos or Vegan Breakfast Burritos
• Top Enchiladas
• Add a dollop to Black Bean Soup

Burrito bowls are one of my favorite ways to enjoy salsa verde. How do you like it?