Charred Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

A great salsa that’s simple to make is charred tomatillo salsa verde. It has a light bright taste that’s perfect for a hot afternoon and pairs well with a cold Mexican beer.

Tomatillos are related to tomatoes and are covered with a papery husk which is removed before cooking. Tomatillos are one of the main ingredients in most green salsas.

The recipe requires few ingredients and is quick to put together. It should take you about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Ingredients:

• 1 pound of tomatillos
• 2 Serrano or jalapeno chiles with the seeds removed cut into strips (2 chiles makes the salsa medium hot. 4 chiles makes it burn. I prefer Serrano chiles but both types work equally well)
• 1 cup of coarsely chopped onions
• 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro
• 1 lime for juice
• Salt to taste
• Variation: add 2 charred cloves of garlic

Measurements for making salsas are flexible. Adjust quantities to use what you have on hand. If you want more heat in your salsa, add some chiles. More lime juice gives the salsa a brighter sharper taste. Garlic will give it a smokier taste.

To make the salsa:

Place the tomatillos, chopped onions, chile strips in a preheated oiled pan to char the vegetables. Keep the heat medium high and turn the vegetables continually until they are blackened all over. Charring the vegetables really adds to the flavor.

You can also char the vegetables over the open flame on the stove. Stick a fork in the tomatillos and chiles and hold them over the flame until blackened. I think this method gives the best flavor but it takes much longer so I rarely prepare it this way.

After you have charred the vegetables, add them to the blender with the cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste. You don’t need to add any extra liquid. The tomatillos release enough juice to blend the salsa perfectly.

Blend the salsa coarsely. The salsa should have some body. You want to be able to see flecks of cilantro and bits of onion. This gives the perfect texture for scooping up with chips.

This is what the finished salsa looks like. It’s really good. Notice the black flecks. These are the charred bits from the vegetables which give the salsa a great smoky taste.

Chill the salsa for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

I mostly eat the salsa scooped onto a tortilla chip. I also use it on fish occasionally. Saute a fish fillet and just before you are ready serve it spoon the salsa over the fillet in the pan. Let the salsa warm up and serve. Salsas can be used in many dishes. Just use your imagination.

Don’t forget, homemade salsa is a great way to get a daily dose of veggies. Eat some every day.

Another salsa recipe you might like:

Mexican Table Salsa Recipe

Green Sauce for Enchiladas

Red Sauce for Enchiladas

Another Tomatillo Recipe you might like:

Recipe for chicken breasts with tomatillo salsa