Roasted Salsa Verde
This Roasted Salsa Verde is a bold and vibrant Mexican sauce made with charred tomatillos, jalapeños, and onion all roasted together and blended with garlic, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. It’s incredibly easy to make with just a handful of fresh ingredients and so much more flavorful than anything you’ll find in a jar!
Green Salsa
We are absolutely obsessed with Tex-Mex around here – and living in Texas, we are right where we belong! When I’m not dreaming up a new spicy recipe to share on the blog, you can find us at one of the many incredible Tex-Mex spots in our area soaking it all in. From spicy margaritas and sizzling fajitas to crispy quesadillas, tacos, and mountains of chips and salsa – we love sampling all of it. It’s basically research at this point!
I was inspired to make this roasted salsa verde at home after trying it at one of our favorite local Tex-Mex spots – and I am so glad I did! Roasting the veggies is absolutely KEY to that deep, smoky flavor, so please don’t skip that step. And full disclosure – I may have eaten an entire cup of it warm salsa straight from the blender with my favorite blue corn chips. Zero regrets!
Why we love this recipe:
- Roasting makes all the difference – charring the tomatillos, jalapeños, and onion brings out a deep, smoky flavor that takes this salsa verde to a whole new level
- Fresh and vibrant ingredients – tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and fresh lime juice create the most bright, bold, and authentic flavor in every single bite
- Ready in minutes – roast, blend, and done! This incredibly flavorful salsa comes together with minimal effort and maximum payoff
- Incredibly versatile – use it as a dip, pour it over tacos and enchiladas, stir it into soups, or eat it warm straight from the blender with blue corn chips — we won’t judge!
Ingredients Needed:
This recipe makes about 3.5 cups of roasted salsa. You can easily halve the recipe if you’d like a smaller batch.
- tomatillos – You’ll need two pound of tomatillos for this recipe. Make sure you peek under the husk to make sure it’s plump and not discolored in any way.
- jalapeño – We like extra spicy salsa so I include the ribs and seeds. You can easily omit these, however.
- onion
- olive oil
- garlic
- cilantro
- lime
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
How to make the BEST Roasted Salsa Verde:
You can have fresh salsa in around 30 minutes, friends!
Step 1
Prep tomatillos. Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse them in water, and use a paper towel to remove the stickiness.
Step 2
Prepare for roasting. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice tomatillos in half and place on a large baking sheet (prepared with parchment paper), cut side down. Add halved jalapeños (use as much seeds as you like) and chopped onions. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the veggies along with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Step 3
Roast veggies. Roast the veggies for about 10 minutes. Then turn up heat to broil for just a few minutes, or until charred on top. Watch closely so that the veggies don’t burn. Some browning is good – but burnt is not! Let the veggies cool slightly.
Step 4
Add to food processor and pulse. Add the roasted veggies to the food processor, carefully pouring the juices along with the chunks. Then add the garlic, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well combined. If you want some larger chunks, process for less time to get your desired consistency.
Step 5
Serve salsa verde. Serve the fresh salsa with some chips of your choice. We like the blue chips! You can also add it to a variety of Tex-Mex dishes. See list below!
Storing Salsa Verde This salsa lasts at least a week in the refrigerator. Store it in a large jar or airtight container.
Ways to Enjoy Salsa Verde:
- As a soup base. Use it in our delicious Chicken Pozole Verde or Chicken Soup with Green Chiles..
- Top a burrito bowl – Add some salsa verde to my Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls or Carne Asada Burrito Bowls. Two of our go-to meals on Taco Tuesday!
- Include them in tacos – Add a few spoonfuls to Easy Fish Tacos or Grilled Shrimp Tacos. Absolutely delish!
- Add to salads – I love using salsa verde in our go-to Ground Turkey Taco Salads or Mexican Shrimp Salad.
- Other ways – Use homemade green salsa in my Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas instead of using store-bought.
- Or just enjoy it with chips and margaritas! 😀
Are you heading to an outdoor party soon? Whip up some Salsa Verde and pour it into a pretty mason jar. Makes a terrific hostess gift!
Recipe FAQs:
Tomatillos are small, green fruits that look like little tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk. They have a bright, tangy flavor that is the base of most salsa verde recipes. You can find them in the produce section of most major grocery stores or at any Latin grocery store – just remove the papery husks and rinse them well before using!
Roasting is the secret to incredible salsa verde! The high heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the tomatillos, adds a beautiful smokiness, and deepens the overall flavor in a way that raw tomatillos simply can’t match. It takes just a few extra minutes and makes a world of difference!
With 2-3 jalapeños it has a nice medium heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds and membranes before roasting. For extra heat, add a serrano pepper or keep all the seeds in. You are completely in control!
Absolutely! Both work beautifully for this recipe. A blender will give you a slightly smoother result while a food processor gives you a little more texture. Either way it will be delicious!
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this salsa verde keeps for up to one week. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months – freeze in small portions so you always have some on hand!
Other Delicious Tex-Mex Toppings:
Ned some delicious margarita recipes too? Try our Skinny Margarita Recipe, Watermelon Margaritas, Fruity Margaritas, Pineapple Coconut Margaritas, or Swirl Margaritas.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Roasted Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatillos – husks removed, rinsed, and halved
- 2-3 large jalapeños – halved
- 1/2 medium white onion – roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup cilantro – roughly chopped
- 1 large lime – freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Prep tomatillos. Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse them in water, and use a paper towel to remove the stickiness.2 pounds tomatillos
- Prepare for roasting. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice tomatillos in half and place on a large baking sheet (prepared with parchment paper), cut side down. Add halved jalapeños (use as much seeds as you like) and chopped onions. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the veggies along with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.2-3 large jalapeños, 1/2 medium white onion, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Roast veggies. Roast the veggies for about 10 minutes. Then turn up heat to broil for just a few minutes, or until charred on top. Watch closely so that the veggies don’t burn. Some browning is good – but burnt is not! Let the veggies cool slightly.
- Add to food processor and pulse. Add the roasted veggies to the food processor, carefully pouring the juices along with the chunks. Then add the garlic, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well combined. If you want some larger chunks, process for less time to get your desired consistency.1-2 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup cilantro, 1 large lime
- Serve salsa verde. Serve the fresh salsa with some chips of your choice. We like the blue chips! You can also add it to a variety of Tex-Mex dishes. See list on blog post!
Notes
- Storing Salsa Verde This salsa lasts at least a week in the refrigerator. Store it in a large jar or airtight container.
- Tomatillos are small, green fruits that look like little tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk. They have a bright, tangy flavor that is the base of most salsa verde recipes. You can find them in the produce section of most major grocery stores or at any Latin grocery store – just remove the papery husks and rinse them well before using!
This tasted incredible and and added soooo much value to the Burrito Bowls! Also, thanks for the history lesson on tomatillos! I am ready for May 5th!