Roasted Salsa Verde at Home

Looking for more salsa recipes? You need to try our Kitchen-made Pico de Gallo, this straightforward Black Bean Dip, AND our Vegan Queso!

You’ll never buy store-bought salsa verde again!

I had salsa verde for the first time on a trip to Mexico and it has become one of my absolute regular salsas! I used to always buy it at grocery stores until I realized it was not only SO UNFUSSY to make at home but it also tastes WAY BETTER kitchen-made. I promise you will never look back (so go ahead and make a double batch!).

Why You’ll Love This dish:

• Roasting adds rich, smoky flavor!
• Simple ingredients, big payoff
• Ready in about 25 minutes
• Straightforward to adjust the spice level
• Tastes way better than store-bought

Ingredients needed

The fresh ingredients for this tomatillo salsa recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!

• Tomatillos – The base of salsa verde; look for firm, bright green ones with tight skins.
• Jalapeños – Mild heat; remove seeds from the jalapeño peppers for less spice or keep them for more.
• Serrano peppers – Adds extra heat and depth; can sub with more jalapeños.
• White onion – Roasts beautifully and adds subtle sweetness; yellow onion works too.
• Cilantro – Fresh, herby flavor; omit if you’re sensitive to it.
• Neutral oil – Optional, but adds richness and helps mellow acidity.
• Salt – Essential for balancing the tartness.
• Optional sweetener (sugar, honey, or agave) – Helps balance if the salsa is too tangy.

How to Make It

Only a reminder that you can find the FULL written green sauce recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you:)

1. To make the husks easier to remove, soak the tomatillos in water for 10 minutes. Remove the husks and cut the tomatillos in half.

1. Place the tomatillos, peppers, and onion on a foil lined baking sheet and roast until lightly charred. While not necessary, you can drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.

1. Place the roasted veggies in a food processor or high powered blender along with any juices that collected on the baking tray + the cilantro leaves.

1. Pulse the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. You can leave it quite chunky or blend it more for a smoother salsa. Adjust taste, sprinkle with line juice, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip the char! This is where the flavor comes from
• Watch the broiler closely to avoid burning
• Blend less for chunky salsa, more for smooth
• Tomatillos vary in tartness – always taste and adjust
• Add a splash of water if the salsa is too thick

Ways to Use Salsa Verde

This is one of those sauces you’ll want to keep in your fridge all week! Here are some of my regular ways to use it:

• Drizzle over tacos for taco night (especially crispy black bean tacos or Shredded Tofu Tacos!) 🌮
• Spoon over grain bowls or burrito bowls
• Use as a sauce for my veggie enchiladas
• Toss with roasted potatoes or veggies
• Add to scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos
• Use as a dip for from-scratch tortilla chips
• Stir into soups or stews for extra flavor

Frequently Asked Questions