Roasted Salsa Verde

This Roasted Salsa Verde recipe is the perfect appetizer, sauce, or condiment for summer! Fresh tomatillos, peppers, and garlic come together for a delicious gluten-free recipe that packs as much heat as you want it to. And if you’re new to tomatillos, then this is the recipe to start with. It’s hearty and full of flavor! {Vegan & Paleo}

If you are looking to up your summer game with some incredible flavor, then you are in the right place! This Roasted Salsa Verde with green tomatoes is on fire, and depending on how hot you like your salsas, that could be a literal statement. Fear not, though, you control just how much heat your salsa packs, and below I’ll show you how. 

As I prepared this recipe, I couldn’t help but think of Friday nights in the summer, a few friends over, a bowl of this, and some really great conversation. Roasted Salsa Verde oozes that summer vibe, with a restaurant-style quality right in the comfort of your own home. It’s a savory twist on a traditional red salsa that has become a regular fixture in our home. If you ever find yourself wondering what food bloggers actually eat when no one is looking, well, in our Spirited household, this recipe is right up there. 

Tomatillos are not quite as juicy or as sweet as red tomatoes, which gives this salsa verde a thicker, heartier flavor. If you’re curious what a tomatillo actually is, then check out Bon Appetit’s post, What Are Tomatillos, Anyway? A Mexican fruit that is popular in the US, tomatillos are the perfect addition to several dishes. You also can’t go wrong with roasted peppers (Serrano or jalapeño), garlic, onion, and cilantro. 

My only regret about this recipe is not discovering it sooner. And once I perfected the flavor, I couldn’t imagine not having it around. K-Hubs and I are all over this Roasted Salsa Verde. So much so, we have a running list of ways to enjoy it. Think:

• Chips
• Veggies
• Enchiladas
• Chicken
• Burgers
• Burritos   

The options are endless, so let’s jump in and make a batch so you don’t have to wait any longer for this amazingness to make its way into your life.

Roasted Salsa Verde ingredients

These fresh ingredients make Roasted Salsa Verde the perfect vegan and paleo snack!

• Fresh tomatillos. Remove the husks, rinse them thoroughly, and then slice them.
• Jalapeño or Serrano peppers. Jalapeño peppers will be milder (usually) than Serrano peppers.
• Fresh garlic, fresh cilantro, and white or yellow onion. Fresh is best here!
• Olive oil and lime juice. If you blender doesn’t require a liquid at the bottom to blend the ingredients, then you can omit it. You can also use a different oil in its place, but note that doing so may alter the salsa’s flavor. Adjust your lime juice and sea salt as needed, to rebalance the flavor.
• Sea salt. I add sea salt about 1/8 teaspoon at a time until I get the flavor I want.

Tips to make Roasted Salsa Verde

I add a little olive oil to my Roasted Salsa Verde so the ingredients combine easily in the blender. You can use a different oil, if desired, or omit altogether if your blender doesn’t need it.

1. Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and place sliced tomatillos, peppers, and garlic on the sheet without overlapping. Roast ingredients for about 10 minutes or until they are slightly charred but not burned.
2. In a high-speed blender, combine olive oil, lime juice, roasted ingredients, onion, cilantro, and sea salt, and mix on a low speed until combined but still chunky. For a smoother salsa, blend on a high speed for a longer period of time and add more olive oil, if necessary.
3. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill. Keep refrigerated and use within about 1 week.

How many peppers should I add?

This is the million dollar question, and there’s no right answer. But let’s break it down a little bit, so you can determine just how hot you want your Roasted Salsa Verde to be. According to PepperScale in the article Serrano Vs. Jalapeño: PepperScale Showdown, Serrano peppers are hotter than jalapeño peppers. So, the first step is to decide which pepper you will use. From there, you can assume that 1-2 peppers will be milder, 2-3 peppers will be medium, and 3-4 peppers will be hotter. 

These are approximations and your results may vary. For example, jalapeños become hotter over time. So if you are working with jalapeños you bought last week, you can reasonably assume they’ll be hotter now than they were when you bought them. They may even start to turn red. So, for a milder version, work with jalapeños you just recently purchased.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as K-Hubs and I have! And if you find yourself totally hooked on tomatillos, then check out Green Goddess Fajitas! Take care, be well, and know I’m glad you’re here! 💚

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