Recipe: Charred Salsa Verde (Patreon)

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Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes wearing paper lanterns, but they’re a species all their own—tart, bright, and full of pectin, which gives this salsa its natural body. When you char them under a broiler (or on a grill, or even a dry skillet), their sweetness deepens and their tang becomes rounder, creating one of the most balanced and versatile sauces in the Mexican canon.

This is the salsa I make most often for taco nights. It’s smoky, tangy, and spoonable—thick enough to cling to chips or tacos, but loose enough to drizzle over grilled meats or roasted vegetables. You can do it all in 15 minutes flat, and once you’ve made it, you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff again.

What I love about this recipe:

Deep, smoky flavor from the broiler without tasting burnt.

Tomatillos naturally balance acidity and sweetness—no vinegar or lime needed.

Great texture: smooth enough to pour, chunky enough to feel fresh.

Works just as well with green tomatoes or poblanos if tomatillos aren’t around.

Yield: About 2 cupsActive Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 25 minutesNotes: Tomatillos vary in tartness—taste before adding lime juice. For a spicier salsa, leave in the chile ribs and seeds.

Ingredients

1 pound (450 g) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved

½ medium white or yellow onion, roughly chopped

1–2 serrano chiles, stemmed and halved (seeded for less heat)

3–4 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup (15 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste

Optional: 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 ml) fresh lime juice, if needed

Method

Char the vegetables.Adjust oven rack to 4–6 inches below the broiler and preheat the broiler to high. Arrange tomatillos, onion, chiles, and garlic in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut sides down. Broil until blackened in spots and softened, 6–10 minutes, rotating the tray once or twice for even charring.

Blend.Transfer the charred vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender or a tall container if using an immersion blender. Add cilantro and salt. Pulse until the mixture reaches your desired consistency—mostly smooth but still a little rustic.

Taste and adjust.Season generously: salsa should taste bright and a little salty, since it’s meant to season other foods. If the tomatillos weren’t particularly tart, add a small squeeze of lime juice to taste.

Serve or store.Serve warm or at room temperature with tacos, tortilla chips, grilled meats, or eggs. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor deepens and mellows over time.

Tip: The same technique works beautifully with green tomatoes, poblanos, or Anaheim chiles—use it as a base for chile verde or pozole verde by simmering it with chicken stock, pork, or hominy.