Homemade Charred Salsa Verde

Make the best homemade salsa verde to enjoy on your own or at your next gathering. Made with a blend of freshly charred tomatillos, onions, peppers and cilantro.

Bowl of salsa served with freshly baked chips on a plate.

Stop buying store bought salsa! There, I said it. And, yes, I acknowledge that there are times where it is very convenient to purchase it. In fact, I buys some time to time as well. But, it remains a fact that fresh homemade salsa is infinitely better then what you can buy premade at the store.

So if you’ve never made your own salsas like this salsa verde, I’m here to assure you that it is easy and so tasty and refreshing to eat. You won’t want to go back. And this method is the way my great grandmother has always made it and the way I’ve enjoyed it most.

Why You’ll Love This Charred Salsa Verde

  • It should be a fact that homemade salsa verde is so much better than store bought
  • The charred tomatillos, onions and pepper provide another layer of umami flavor without additional seasoning
  • Just 5 core ingredients needed to make the salsa
  • Can make in advance for yourself or any upcoming gathering
  • A tasty way to get more vegetables in

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Tomatillos: These tomatoes should not be replaced with other tomatoes. Tomatillos have their own distinct taste with lots of extra acidity and less sweetness then regular tomatoes.
  • Onion: Use a yellow onion for the right flavor and sweetness for the salsa.
  • Garlic: I use 4 cloves, but this can be adjusted based on the quality and flavor of your garlic.
  • Peppers: I use a mix of jalapeno for flavor and serrano for more heat. You can leave out the serrano if you aren’t a fan of really spicy salsa.
  • Cilantro: Just a handful of cilantro. Make sure to use fresh.
  • Tortillas: If making fresh chips, I recommend using corn tortillas for this. You can also skip making your own chips and choose your favorite brand to pair with the salsa.
  • Lime: Can be optional, but the extra lime juice makes the chips extra tasty with the salt.

How to Make Homemade Tomatillo Salsa

You are going to start with charring your tomatillos, onion, peppers, and garlic in an ungreased skillet or grill pan. You want to cook them so that they blacken and char on both sides. Do note, that your garlic will cook faster than the other vegetables, and may just need a minute on both sides to char before removing from the pan.

Once cooked, remove everything from the pan and place in a blender with fresh cilantro and salt. Blend on low until the salsa is fairly broken down, but not overly blended. You want it to be slightly chunky.

Cut your corn tortillas and spread them out in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray or brush the tortillas on both sides with oil and give a little squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt overtop before baking in a preheated oven until the edges are crispy. Serve the chips along with the salsa.

Expert Tips

  • Control the heat of your salsa by adjusting the peppers used. If you need to, feel free to deseed and devein your peppers before charring. I made serrano peppers optional in the recipe as they definitely do add heat to the salsa in case you are sensitive.
  • Blend to your desired consistency. I blend on low in my blender until the salsa is chunky. You can blend more if desired.
  • If your salsa appears more watery then you want it to be, you can place the salsa in a saucepan and cook it down a little bit more on the stovetop to remove excess liquid.
  • Use good quality fresh ingredients for the best flavor. If you choose ingredients that are old or not as fresh it will significantly impact the flavor of your salsa.
Side view of a bowl of freshly blended salsa with chips served behind on a plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pick the best tomatillos?

When picking tomatillos, feel to make sure that they are firm to the touch. I also recommend choosing the ones that have husks that are loose. This will make it so much easier to peel later. Don’t wait too long between buying and using the tomatillos. This will ensure that your salsa tastes fresh when made.

Is salsa verde spicy?

It can be depending on your spice tolerance. I love spicy food, so I like to make mine with 2 jalapeños and a serrano pepper with the seeds intact. You can exclude the serrano and deseed and remove the veins of your jalapeno peppers to help significantly reduce the spice.

Are tomatillos the same as green tomatoes?

Not exactly. They are in the same family as regular tomatoes, but they have a lemony, crisp and herby taste to them compared to regular green tomatoes. That is why you don’t need lime or lemon juice for the salsa itself as it makes the salsa tangy enough on it’s own. Tomatillos are also a staple in Mexican cuisine.

How long does salsa verde last?

This recipe is great to make in advance for the week. Place your freshly blended salsa in a clean jar. If your salsa is still warm, wait until it comes to room temperature, then seal with a lid and place in the fridge for up to 7-8 days.

Why are my tortillas chips not fully crispy out of the oven?

Similar to granola, the chips will be slightly soft out of the oven and will firm up more as they cool. So make sure to allow the chips to cool for 5-10 minutes to allow them time to crisp up completely.

How to Serve

I serve my salsa with freshly baked tortilla chips. Salsa Verde is also used in many Mexican recipes including as a condiment on tacos, for chilaquiles, pozole verde, and even enchiladas.

More Vegan Mexican Recipes

Bowl of freshly blended salsa and baked chips on a plate.
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Bowl of freshly made salsa verde with cilantro and freshly baked chips.

Homemade Charred Salsa Verde

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16 oz 1x
  • Category: Condiment
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Make the best homemade salsa verde to enjoy on your own or at your next gathering. Made with a blend of freshly charred tomatillos, onions, peppers and cilantro.


Ingredients

Scale

Homemade Salsa Verde

  • 1.5 lbs tomatillos, remove stem and peels then wash the skin well
  • 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut down the middle with end removed
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 jalapeños, stem removed
  • 1 serrano pepper, stem removed (optional, this will make it spicier)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste

Baked Chips

  • 810 corn tortillas
  • Avocado oil
  • 12 wedges lime juice
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Heat up an unoiled skillet or grill pan on the stove top. Add your tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers to the pan and grill on both sides until charred. The garlic only needs 1 minute on each side, so remove once cooked. Allow the remaining veggies to cook and sear on both sides for about 8 minutes, flipping half way or until nicely blackened on both sides.
  2. Remove the ingredients from the grill pan and place in a blender or food processor along with the cilantro and salt. Process on low until you achieve your desired consistency. I prefer mines a little chunky, but you can blend it more if desired. Taste and adjust the salt more if desired.
  3. Now you can prepare the chips. Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut your tortillas however you wish and then spread out on a single layer between 1-2 lined baking sheets.
  4. Spray or brush the tortillas on both sides with oil, then salt and squeeze some fresh lime juice over top of the chips.
  5. Place the chips in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, flipping half way. Once out of the oven, allow to cool completely before serving so they crisp up.

Notes

You can make the chips in an air fryer. Place the chips in the fryer basket and set the air fryer to 400F for 4-5 minutes. You just want the edges to start looking golden and crispy before removing from the oven.

Control the heat of your salsa by adjusting the peppers used. If you need to, feel free to deseed and devein your peppers before charring.

Blend to your desired consistency. I blend on low in my blender until the salsa is chunky.

If your salsa appears more watery then you want it to be, you can place the salsa in a saucepan and cook it down a little bit more on the stovetop to remove excess liquid.

Use good quality fresh ingredients for the best flavor. If you choose ingredients that are old or not as fresh it will significantly impact the flavor of your salsa.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!

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