Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa Verde

This Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa Verde is super flavorful and easy to make. Simply roast the tomatillos, then blend with basic salsa ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You will love how easy this green salsa is to make. Just toss the tomatillos and pepper in a heated oven to roast for 15 minutes, then blend with a few simple ingredients. It’s something different to serve than your typical red tomato salsa.

What is a Tomatillo?

A tomatillo looks like a bright green tomato covered in a dry leafy husk, however it is not a tomato. Tomatillos are more acidic and tart than tomatoes, with a bright flavor. You can eat them cooked or raw, though cooking them typically makes them a little sweeter (especially roasted tomatillos).

To tell if a tomatillo is ripe, peel back the husk to see the fruit. It should be bright green and firm, but not rock hard. Do not use if there are soft spots. You want to look for tomatillos that the husk tightly covers most of the fruit.

Though they can be served in many dishes, the most popular way to enjoy them is in salsa verde.

Ingredients

With just a handful of ingredients, you can easily make this homemade restaurant style salsa verde.

• Tomatillos: About a pound of ripe tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed.
• Pepper: A serrano or jalapeño pepper, depending on which spice level you prefer. Serranos are spicier than jalapeños. To make it mild, just leave out the pepper.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro.
• Onion: A white onion, chopped. You can use a yellow onion if you don’t have a white one.
• Garlic: Two cloves of garlic.
• Lime Juice: The juice of 1 lime. This is about 2 tablespoons. Fresh lime juice is best in this recipe.
• Sea Salt: To round out the flavors. Add more to taste.

*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Place the tomatillos and the pepper on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until they start to brown and soften. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes.
3. Remove and discard the stem and seeds from the pepper. Place the tomatillos, pepper, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, and sea salt in a food processor or blender. Process until desired consistency.
4. Taste and season with salt as desired. Serve and enjoy!

To Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Variations

I love this salsa verde as it is, however there are a few ways you can make it your own. If you want to make it mild, just leave out the peppers. For more spice, add an extra jalapeño or serrano pepper.

Although tomatillos become less tart when you roast them, if you want this salsa even sweeter, you can add a drizzle of honey when blending it.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve as an appetizer or snack dip with some tortilla chips. I love these Late July Tortilla Chips.
• Drizzle it over tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas or burrito bowls.
• Spoon over some grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp.
• Stir it into scrambled eggs or put inside a cheese omelet.
• Serve it as a dipping sauce for nachos.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

More Recipes

If you like this recipe, then you’ll love these other sauces and dips.

• Pico De Gallo
• Classic Guacamole
• Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
• Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

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If you make this recipe, don’t forget to come back and leave a 5-star rating and a comment below.