
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is one of those recipes that instantly adds bold flavor to any meal.
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It’s tangy, slightly smoky, and has just the right amount of heat from fresh peppers. The roasting process brings out a deeper flavor that makes this salsa stand out from the rest.
Best of all, it’s easy to make with simple ingredients and comes together in just minutes.
Table of Contents
💃🏽 Ingredients

- Olive oil
- Tomatillos (they look like small green tomatoes)
- Onion
- Serrano peppers
- Garlic
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime
- Salt
This is the same sauce used to make green enchiladas (or enchiladas verdes de pollo).
👩🏼🍳 Instructions

- Preheat your oven broiler.
- Peel the papery husks from the tomatillos. Remove the stems from the peppers.
- Toss the tomatillos, onion, and serrano peppers with olive oil until well coated.
- Spread everything evenly on the sheet pan in a single layer.
- Place under the broiler and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the skins begin to char.
- Turn the vegetables and broil for another 7 minutes until nicely roasted and slightly blackened.

- Remove from the oven and let everything cool for a few minutes.
- Add the roasted vegetables to a blender along with garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
You can also do this in a skillet on the stovetop, but it requires more attention. Leave all the ingredients in skillet until they turn black (about 5 minutes) then turn. Once everything it black, remove from the skillet. FYI, the onion and garlic will be ready quicker than the tomatillos.

- Blend until smooth or leave slightly chunky, depending on your preference.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed, then serve.
🫙 Storing Instructions
Store Roasted Tomatillo Salsa in an airtight container or mason jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor actually gets even better after a few hours as everything blends together. Or place it in the freezer for up to 2 months, though the texture may be slightly softer after thawing.

🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It has a medium heat level from the serrano peppers. You can reduce the spice by using fewer peppers or removing the seeds. Or swap out the serranos chile peppers for poblano peppers.
Yes, jalapeños are a great substitute and will give a slightly milder flavor.
Roasting is what gives this salsa its signature smoky flavor, so it’s highly recommended.
Yes! You can mash everything in a molcajete as in this molcajete salsa verde recipe or food processor for a more rustic texture.

More Salsas You’d Like
- Poblano Cream Sauce
- Chile Guajillo Sauce
- Tomatillo Habanero Sauce
- Chile Piquin Salsa
- Tomato Molcajete Salsa
- Chile de Arbol Salsa
This Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor that pairs perfectly with your favorite Mexican dishes like tacos and burritos. Or just serve with tortilla chips.
It’s simple enough for everyday meals but delicious enough to impress guests. Once you try this green sauce, you’ll want to keep a batch in your fridge at all times.
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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 tomatillos
- ¼ onion sliced
- 2 serrano pepper
- 1 garlic
- Handful of cilantro
- Juice 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Mix tomatillos, onion, and serrano chilis with olive oil.
- Add to a cookie sheet.
- Place under the broiler for 7 minutes.
- Turn everything then return to the broiler for another 7 minutes.
- Let cool.
- Add to a blender along with garlic, cilantro, lime, and salt.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve and enjoy!






I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! I made it tonight to go with your chicken verde tamales I will be making for the first time tomorrow!! I of course had to taste it tonight and it’s DELICIOUS!!! Oh My God. Inject this stuff directly into my veins please! I am suuuuuuuper picky about tomatillo salsa and this stuff is amazeballz. I wanted to post a picture of mine but don’t see any option to do that. 😔
So happy you loved it that much. Tamales will be next level!
OMG!! I made this earlier today and it’s amazingly delicious! Some tomatillo salsas are too tart for my taste, but not this one. This will be my new go to salsa recipe
So glad to hear. This salsa recipe is always a hit at my house. 🙂
How much of this should I make for your green chili chicken tamales?
It depends on how many tamales you are making. To make 36 tamales, you’ll need 4 cups of the roasted tomatillo salsa verde.
when roasting the tomatillos do you take the black skin off before blending?
No. That’s the best part! lol. I personally like the taste of the roasted tomatillos. You should see spec of black all over the roasted tomatillo salsa verde.
Best one so far! I doubled the recipe and used more tomatillos to make it a little chunkier, soooo delicious!
Yay! So glad you liked this recipe.
I just made this salsa today for chilaquiles I’m making tomorrow. So good!!
For chilaquiles… yum!
I just made this salsa today for chilaquiles I’m making tomorrow. So good!!
Happy to hear you liked it.
I Love your page. Thank you , thank you, thank you. Can’t Thank you enough.♥️🙏👍🏽😋
Awww.. thank you! I love sharing these recipes. 🙂
I love you. You’re hilarious! Another thing I’ve wanted to try and make… salsa verde! And THANK YOU!! for not saying everything has a “nutty” taste like when you talked about roasted garlic. haha! All the Food Network chefs describe everything having a “nutty” flavor. 😛
Made it! Didn’t turn out like your did. I’m wondering if my tomatillos where not fresh enough. They did sit in my fridge for a while ?. And I think I may have put too much limón. Any tips on reducing the lemon flavor? I will definitely try again soon!
To reduce the lemon-y flavor in the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde, I would add another tomatillo and maybe a little water. You can even use a tomato if you’re out of tomatillo. Hope this helps!
Omg that salsa looks so creamy, yet refreshing at the same time. I need this in my life! Pinning for later 🙂
Thank you. This is such a versatile salsa. Love it!
I have had tomatillos so rarely, but this sounds like a fantastic way to eat them! Can’t wait to try this!
Tomatillos are big deal in Mexican cuisine. This recipe is a classic. Hope you enjoy!
Mmmm! I love any kind of salsa. I plan on growing tomatillos in my garden this year, so I will refer back to this recipe when they have harvested. Thanks!
So lucky! I wish I had the room in my little garden for tomatillos.
Try growing them in a pot
Great idea. I really would like to have more a green thumb, but sadly, I kill everything. lol.
This looks amazing! I love tomatillo salsa. I will def. be trying this soon.
Awesome. Enjoy! 🙂
Can I freeze this salsa for tamales I’ll be making on Christmas Eve?
YES! I do that all the time. It’s a time saver. The best part about freezing salsa is that because it’s so flavorful, it doesn’t taste like the freezer. lol.
Made this for my tamales.. I got scared of the spice so I took off the seeds from the serranos, but OMG such good flavor and a nice spice without it. Definitely making again and again!
Yay! I’m glad you tried this tomatillo salsa verde recipe. I make it all the time too. 🙂
I will be making this for summer cookouts
I can’t wait for summer. Enjoy! 🙂