Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde as it is commonly known, is a delicious dip or condiment for Mexican food lovers. Roasting the vegetables adds an extra layer of smokiness that takes this salsa verde to a different level than regular salsa verde. My youngest son loves Mexican food, and he loves condiments. I’ve been making this roasted tomatillo salsa for the past several months, and it has become a staple in our refrigerator.
I am the queen of condiments. In fact, I probably have more condiments in my refrigerator than most any body. Condiments add that extra oomph to many recipes and meals.
For example, just a few spoonfuls of this roasted tomatillo salsa on top of tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or a salad will elevate your meal into something more special. This spicy, slightly smoky salsa has become a favorite in our house, and my youngest son requests it often.
The first time I made salsa verde, I simply boiled all the vegetables (excluding the cilantro), then pureed them. Although it was tasty, it did not have the extra depth of flavor that the roasted tomatillo salsa has.
The ingredients for roasted tomatillo salsa is very simple – fresh tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro and lemon. The method of cooking is what makes the difference.
Roasting the vegetables adds an extra layer of flavor and some smokiness.
Recently, I used this Roasted Tomatillo Salsa on top of my son’s favorite Layered Mexican dip as a hearty after-school snack. I keep a jar of this salsa verde in my refrigerator as a staple now. It is also delicious on salads instead of salad dressing (and it’s fat-free).
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
This is commonly called salsa verde due to its green color. Roasting the vegetables gives this version an extra layer of smoky flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos husks removed
- 2 whole jalapeno peppers
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems only
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 onion minced
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
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Place tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and garlic on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil five minutes on one side; then turn vegetables over and broil another 5-10 minutes until tomatillos turn an olive-green color and jalapeno peppers have some brown spots. Tomatillos will feel slightly soft to the touch. Cool.
Remove stem and seeds from jalapeno peppers; place tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and garlic in blender; blend until you have a coarse puree. Add cilantro and water and continue blending briefly until cilantro is finely chopped. Pour into serving dish and add minced onion; season to taste with salt.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Rick Bayless.
Must be extremely flavourful and delicious with roasted tomatillo!
Thanks Angie – the roasting process definitely adds some extra flavor to this salsa!
We tried this last night with some homemade tortilla chips and I can confirm that is it scrumptious! The tomatillo flavour adds some great variation from plan tomato salsa and the roasting gives it some smokey-ness. 10/10!
Deb, so glad you enjoyed this – I made a double batch and froze half. My son loves this salsa!
Yum! This will be in my belly tonight!
Enjoy your recipes. And your travel pics are
Wonderful.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Angie – my son loves this salsa recipe. Roasting the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeno pepper add extra flavor. Costa Rica was amazing – so much natural beauty!
Hi Jeanette, Could you please tell me if this can be canned? And if so how? Thank you!
Hi Debi – I have not tried canning this salsa, but you should be able to (or freeze it in small batches). This post might help explain how: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/canned_tomato_salsa/