Description
This vibrant and tangy Homemade Salsa Verde recipe features charred tomatillos, garlic, onions, and jalapenos blended to a smooth consistency and gently simmered to enhance the flavors. Perfect as a dip, topping, or ingredient in your favorite Mexican dishes, this salsa delivers a fresh, zesty punch with a hint of smokiness from broiling.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 pound fresh tomatillos (husked, washed, and stems removed)
- 1 onion (peeled & quartered)
- 2-3 jalapeno chiles or 2 serrano chiles; stems removed
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ – 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (divided)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (divided)
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare oven and baking sheet: Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and set the oven to broil. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch any drips and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Broil vegetables: Arrange the garlic cloves, tomatillos, onion quarters, and chiles on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil evenly. Place the baking sheet on the oven rack and broil until the tomatillos’ skins darken and are partially charred, imparting a smoky flavor, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer to blender: Once cooled slightly, peel the garlic cloves to remove the skins. Scrape all vegetables, along with any accumulated juices and oil, off the baking sheet into a blender.
- Add seasonings and blend: Add the chopped cilantro, granulated sugar, low-sodium chicken broth, fresh lime juice, kosher salt, and black pepper to the blender. Purée the mixture to your desired consistency; this recipe prefers a fairly smooth texture.
- Simmer salsa: In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Pour the blended tomatillo salsa into the pan and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook gently until the salsa reduces to about 2 cups, approximately 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional sugar, salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed.
- Chill and store: For best flavor, refrigerate the salsa in an airtight container and allow it to rest for at least a day before serving. This salsa will keep fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Broiling the tomatillos and chiles adds a smoky depth to the salsa that is hard to replicate with raw ingredients.
- Adjust the number of chiles based on your preferred heat level; jalapenos are milder than serranos.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content and keep the salsa balanced.
- This salsa verde works wonderfully as a dip, a sauce for tacos, grilled meats, or as an ingredient in enchiladas.
- Allowing the salsa to refrigerate overnight improves the melding of flavors and enhances the taste.
