Name: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed; 1 – 2 jalapeño peppers, stems removed; 1 large handfuls of cilantro (about 1 bunch); 1/2 large onion (yellow or sweet); 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional); 1 heaping teaspoon coarse salt

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Why I love this roasted tomatillo salsa

I don’t think we have purchased salsa in over a year. Once we realized how easy it is to make our own, we started making chipotle salsa on a regular basis and there’s always some in our fridge. In fact, we are probably consuming way more tortilla chips than we should.

I’ve always been a fan of the flavor of salsa verde, I’ve been intimidated by them (for no reason at all, apparently). Since I’m fully confident in my salsa making abilities now, I decided it was time to give tomatillo salsa a try.

I love this recipe because you don’t need to much to prepare the tomatillos, just a simple rinse and then you roast them for a bit with the jalapeños.

raw tomatillos in a bowl being prepped for a green salsa verde recipe

Here’s what you’ll need

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Cutting board
Cookie sheet
Food processor or blender
Measuring spoons
Large mason jar (or other refrigerator container)

If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can still make this salsa. It takes a bit of time to chop all of the ingredients, but it makes a great chunky green salsa.

ingredients for roasted tomatillo salsa verde in a food processor ready to be blended

How to make roasted tomatillo salsa

Prepare the tomatillos and jalapeños. Peel the husks from your tomatillos and rinse them with cold water. Next, cut the stems from your peppers and place them on a cookie sheet with the tomatillos.

Roast them for 15 – 20 minutes in the oven, or until their skins have started to brown and the tomatillos lose a little bit of their green color.

Measure and chop the remaining ingredients. Cut the onion into bite-sized chunks and toss the rest of the ingredients into your food processor or blender. Once the roasted ingredients have cooled, place them in the blender, too.

Blend everything in the food processor. Scrape the sides of the food processor, as needed, to make sure your salsa is smooth.

Give it a taste and add a little more salt if you feel the flavor is off. Salt helps bring out the flavors and a little extra can make a huge difference. Trust your taste buds here.

Refrigerate your salsa. It will still be a little more after blending, so put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you eat it. If you’re not serving it right away, keep it cold until you’re ready to eat it.

roasted tomatillo salsa recipe after it was blended in the food processor (easy salsa verde recipe)

FAQs and Tips for making the best green salsa

Are green tomatoes and tomatillos the same thing? No. Green tomatoes are tomatoes that haven’t finished ripening, but tomatillos are a different plant. The tomatillo is still green when it is ripe and it is covered with a thin, paper-like husk.

Can you eat tomatillos raw? Yes, you can definitely eat tomatillos raw, but they will be more bitter and acidic than when they are cooked. This is why we roasted our tomatillos for this salsa verde recipe.

Why are tomatillos sticky? The sticky film on a tomatillo acts as a natural insect repellent while the tomatillo grows, but it rinses off really easily so there’s nothing to worry about when preparing your tomatillos.

How do you prepare tomatillos? To prepare tomatillos for salsa, I prefer to roast them. You can also boil or sauté (pan roast) them. When they have softened and their color has turned more yellow than green, they’re ready.

roasted tomatillo salsa recipe in a mason jar with a tile background - optimized for Pinterest with text overlay

This tomatillo salsa recipe would be great with:

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