Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted tomatillo salsa relies on the char from a high-heat pan to balance the natural acidity of the fruit. By blistering the tomatillos, onions, and chiles until they soften and darken, you transform a sharp, raw ingredient into a rounded, smoky condiment that holds up to any taco or grilled meat.
Don't fear the char
The tomatillos need to develop black spots to mellow out their brightness. If you pull them off the heat too early, the salsa will taste raw and aggressive.
- large cast-iron skillet
- blender or food processor
- tongs
What goes in.
- 1 lbfresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1/2white onion, peeled and cut into thick slabs
- 2serrano chiles, stems removed
- 2 clovesgarlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 cupfresh cilantro, packed
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
Dry-roasting the vegetables
Roasting everything in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet concentrates the sugars and introduces a necessary smoky edge that oil-roasting can miss.
The method.
Heat the skillet
Place your cast-iron skillet over high heat. Let it sit for three minutes until it is genuinely hot.
Char the aromatics
Place the tomatillos, onion slabs, serranos, and unpeeled garlic cloves into the dry pan. Let them sit undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until the bottoms are blackened.
Flip and finish
Turn everything over. The garlic will finish first; remove it once it softens, about 5 minutes in. Continue with the rest until the tomatillos are soft and have lost their vibrant green shade.
Peel and combine
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins and drop it into the blender. Add the remaining roasted vegetables, cilantro, and salt.
Pulse to texture
Pulse the blender until you reach your preferred consistency. Stop early if you like it chunky; keep going if you want it smooth.
Other turns to take.
Creamy Version
Add half of a ripe avocado before blending for a thicker, richer texture.
Roasted Tomato Twist
Swap half the tomatillos for Roma tomatoes for a slightly sweeter, red-tinted salsa.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always rinse the sticky film off the tomatillos after removing the husks.
If the salsa is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar or a splash of water, though the roasting usually fixes this.
Pulse the mixture rather than blending continuously to keep some texture in the finished salsa.
The ones that keep coming up.
Do I need to add oil to the pan?
No. Dry-roasting allows the vegetables to blister directly against the metal, which creates the best flavor.
Can I use canned tomatillos?
You can, but the texture will be much softer and the flavor significantly flatter than using fresh fruit roasted at home.
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