Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe (Green Salsa)

Come learn how to make roasted tomatillo salsa – aka salsa verde! Striking a delicious balance of bright and savory flavors, this recipe is the perfect partner for chips, guacamole, tacos and more. You can even use it as a base to make chili verde sauce!

My recipe is unique since I like to roast the tomatillos on the grill (the perfect summertime activity) though you can also roast them in the oven. Since it’s freezer-friendly, this is one of my favorite ways to preserve fresh homegrown tomatillos from the garden too.

Salsa verde gets even better after the flavors meld in the refrigerator for a day or two, so if you can, try to make it in advance.

Tomatillos vs Green Tomatoes

Traditional salsa verde is made with tomatillos, not green tomatoes – so don’t confuse the two! As cousins in the nightshade family of plants, tomatillos do resemble green tomatoes once they are husked, but are markedly different.

Tomatillos grow within a papery lantern, have a waxy exterior coating, and are still green and fairly firm when fully ripe. (Though there are purple and yellow tomatillo varieties too). Tomatillos have a wonderful bright and tangy flavor that becomes more savory as less acidic once roasted.

On the other hand, green tomatoes are less flavorful and juicy, and can taste bitter. Furthermore, they contain a toxic glycoalkaloid called solanine. The low levels of solanine found in green tomatoes isn’t considered dangerous to eat, but sensitive folks may experience gastrointestinal upset, joint pain or headaches if consumed in excess.

That said, you can make this salsa verde recipe with green tomatoes if you don’t have access to tomatillos, but I recommend using only slightly underripe tomatoes (those that are at least starting to blush yellow/red) and not rock-hard ones.

Picking Tomatillos to Make Salsa Verde

If you’re using homegrown tomatillos to make roasted salsa verde, I suggest harvesting them before they’re overly-ripe. A perfectly ripe tomatillo will grow large enough to fill out most or all of its papery exterior lantern, but remain green and fairly firm.

Overripe tomatillo fruits are more soft, sweet, turn increasingly yellow over green, and usually self-harvest by falling off the plant. You can still use some of those of course! Some people like them on the sweeter side, but I personally prefer the tart zesty flavor that green tomatillos provide for this roasted salsa verde recipe.

Supplies

• BBQ grill and veggie grill basket OR oven and roasting pan/glass baking dish. Here’s my favorite stainless steel veggie grill basket.
• Blender or food processor
• Storage containers of choice

Ingredients

YIELD: This recipe makes about 3 to 4 cups of finished roasted tomatillo salsa verde. (I made a double batch in the photos you see in this post.)

• 2 pounds of tomatillos, husked.
• ½ large onion of choice. I used a sweet yellow Walla Walla from the garden.
• 1 or 2 chili peppers, type and heat index of choice. I am not a huge spicy foods fan, so we used a Red Ember Cheyenne from the garden (a medium-hot but slightly sweet pepper). Serrano, green Poblano, Anaheim or Jalapeño peppers go very well, and lead to an even more green salsa verde.
• 4 or 5 large cloves of fresh garlic, peeled
• ⅓ to ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, washed and stems removed
• 2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp sea salt (approximately, more or less to taste)
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• Optional: avocado 

Instructions

1) Prep

• Husk the tomatillos by removing their papery cover. Next, give them a good rinse, but don’t waste too much time or water trying to wash of their natural waxy coating. Trust me, I’ve tried! It will go away as they’re cooked. 
  
  
• Peel and roughly chop the onion. It is fine to leave it in fairly large chunks since it will be blended later – quarters or sixths is adequate. Also peel the garlic cloves.
  
  
• Wash and remove the stem of your chili pepper. For a more mild salsa, cut the pepper lengthwise and also remove the inner membrane and seeds.
  
  
• You’ll eventually need to rinse the cilantro and juice your lime(s), but you can wait and do that while the other goodies are roasting too. 

2) Roast or Grill

• Turn on your BBQ grill to a medium-high flame, and preheat the grilling basket inside for about 5 minutes. Or, preheat your oven to 450F.
  
  
• Add the tomatillos, onion chunks, garlic cloves and chili pepper(s) to the grilling basket or oven roasting pan of choice. No oil needed! 
  
  
• Roast until everything gets a nice little browned char, about 20 to 30 minutes (the time will vary slightly depending on the method and equipment used). Roasted tomatillos turn from bright green to olive green in color while becoming more soft. Some may even pop and leak! 
  
  
• On the grill, keep the lid closed but stop to toss the veggies around with tongs every 5 minutes or so. In the oven, toss and stir everything about halfway through.
  
  
• When they’re done cooking, let everything cool slightly (10-15 minutes) before continuing to the next step.   

3) Blend

• Carefully transfer the roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic and chili pepper to a blender or food processor.
  
  
• Add the called-for fresh cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. I suggest erring on the lighter side of the recommended cilantro, lime or salt at first – you can always add more! We personally love our roasted tomatillo salsa vera with plenty of all three. 
  
  
• Pulse or blend until everything is thoroughly combined and reaches the texture you desire. Some folks like a more chunky salsa verde while others prefer it traditionally smooth. If you’d like to incorporate avocado, you can either blend some in now to create an extra creamy salsa verde, or wait and add chunks or slices later upon serving. 
  
  
• Finally, give it a taste test and adjust the seasonings if needed, but keep in mind the flavors will continue to develop as the salsa cools!

4) Cool and Serve

Before digging in, allow the roasted tomatillo salsa verde to cool in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. The flavor gets even better with time, and the natural pectins in the tomatillos make the salsa thicken. See a list of ways to use salsa verde below!

Storage and Shelf Life

Store the homemade salsa verde in the refrigerator, and use within one week of making.

Freeze extras in freezer-safe containers such as wide-mouth pint or half-pint jars or these BPA-free plastic freezer containers. (Leave 1/2″ of head space or expansion.) For the best flavor, use frozen salsa within 6 months, defrosting it in the refrigerator before use.

Ways to Use Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Roasted tomatillo salsa verde can be used just like any other salsa – on tacos, burritos, tostadas, nachos, and taco salad. It’s also delicious with eggs, fresh corn salad, cold summer pasta salad, and more.

Of course, salsa verde is the perfect companion for your favorite dipping chips. Sometimes I even make my own baked sourdough tortilla corn chips. If you have a sourdough starter, they’re very easy to make!

It’s also easy to transform roasted salsa verde into a warm chili verde sauce for enchiladas, stews, pork and more. Simply heat 2 to 3 cups of salsa verde along with 1 cup of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth on the stovetop, and simmer to combine.

YUM!

Well friends, I hope you all enjoy this roasted salsa verde recipe as much as we do. Please feel free to ask any questions, and stop back by for a review! If you like this recipe, you’ll probably also love our simple roasted tomato sauce. It’s even easier! Happy grilling out there.

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• The Besto Pesto: Basil, Lemon, Walnut & Parmesan Pesto Recipe (freezer-friendly)
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