Description
This vibrant and tangy Salsa Verde features roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic blended with fresh cilantro and lime juice for a bright, flavorful dip or sauce. Perfect for serving with tortilla chips, tacos, or grilled meats, this easy-to-make salsa packs a punch of delicious Mexican-inspired flavor with a smooth or slightly chunky texture based on your preference.
Ingredients
Scale
Produce
- 15-20 tomatillos (bright green, smooth skinned)
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped coarsely
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pantry & Oils
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (divided, or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Serving
- Tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) to prepare for roasting the vegetables, ensuring a nicely blistered and caramelized flavor.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Clean Tomatillos: Remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse them thoroughly to remove the sticky residue, and pat dry with paper towels.
- Prepare Jalapenos: Remove stems from jalapenos, rinse under cold water, and dry them well.
- Prepare Garlic Packet: Place unpeeled garlic cloves on a small square of foil, drizzle lightly with oil, and seal into a packet to roast alongside the vegetables.
- Arrange Vegetables: Place tomatillos, jalapenos, and quartered onion on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss everything by hand to coat evenly with oil and seasoning.
- Add Garlic Packet: Place the foil-wrapped garlic packet on the baking sheet alongside the vegetables.
- Roast: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 10-15 minutes until the tomatillos have a lightly browned exterior and are blistered and shriveled. If juiciness occurs from over-roasting, reserve those juices for blending.
- Cool Roasted Veggies: Remove the vegetables and garlic packet from the oven and allow them to cool to handling temperature.
- Blend Salsa: Add roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, garlic (squeeze softened garlic out of skins), any pan juices, lime juice, chopped cilantro, remaining salt, black pepper, and ground cumin into a food processor. Blend until desired consistency is reached, either smooth or slightly chunky.
- Season and Serve: Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or as a complement to your favorite dishes.
- Storage: Store any leftover salsa verde in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days to preserve freshness.
Notes
- Roasting the tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic adds depth and smoky flavor to the salsa compared to using raw ingredients.
- You can customize the heat level by removing seeds from jalapenos if preferred milder.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a blender works fine, but pulse in short bursts to maintain texture.
- Salsa verde tastes best fresh but can be refrigerated up to 5 days; stir before serving.
- Use avocado oil for a neutral flavor and health benefits; olive oil works well too.
- If you like your salsa chunkier, pulse the processor less during blending.
