Roasted Salsa With Tomatoes And Tomatillos

Roasted salsa with tomatoes and tomatilloes is an amazing topping or dip that will make any dish taste better. This roasted salsa is made with simple ingredients for a delicious and easy-to-make snack for any occasion.

Why I love this roasted salsa

Roasting tomatoes and tomatillos brings out a slightly smoky flavor and intensity and creates the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness. Roasting really adds a depth of flavor that fresh salsa does not have.

You can roast the ingredients until charred and still blend them up for a salsa. I have had salsa that was almost black where chefs have done this. When using salsa in Mexican cooking, it is usually not meant as a condiment to take or leave but as a required part of the flavor profile of the dish that it is served with. There are many different varieties of salsa in Mexican cooking for this reason.

Sometimes salsa will already be served right on top of the dish like in huevos rancheros (an egg, salsa, and tortilla dish) which uses a salsa called salsa ranchera. This tomato and tomatillo salsa recipe is very similar to the salsa ranchera because both roast the vegetables for extra flavor.

What You Will Need

• Tomatillos: Husks removed and cleaned.
• Tomatoes: Look for vine-ripe tomatoes or medium tomatoes.
• Serrano chile: If you cannot find this another medium hot chile will work.
• Spanish onion
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh lime
• Salt

How to make roasted salsa with tomatoes and tomatillo

Making this is so easy. You can roast the ingredients on the stovetop, in the oven, or on the grill.

Here are the steps:

• Roast the ingredients: With a preheated cast iron pan on medium heat (on the stovetop) or on a preheated griddle outside over medium heat, start to roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, and onion until slightly charred on the outside.
• Blend: Add the roasted ingredients to a blender along with all of the other ingredients and mix well.
• Taste for seasoning. This is the time to add any additional salt.
• Enjoy!

Substitutions

Here are some ideas for the ingredients you can substitute and the ones you cannot:

• Use jalapeno: If you cannot find serrano chiles, you can use a fresh jalapeno pepper. You want to make sure the pepper you use is fresh since you will roast it)
• Use yellow onions: (you can substitute with the same amount of red onion. Do not use Vidalia onions or sweet onions though)
• Use bottled lime juice: If you cannot find fresh limes you can use bottled lime juice.

Why Roasting The Ingredients Makes The Best Salsa

Roasting the salsa ingredients before you make the salsa helps bring a slightly smoky umami flavor to the salsa. The longer you roast your ingredients, the stronger this flavor becomes.

I have had some amazing salsa at restaurants that were actually brown in color because it was left to roast to the point of charring on all sides of the vegetables. In this roasted salsa, we char the vegetables just a bit on a really hot griddle surface until the juices begin to release.

Ways to use

Roasted tomato and tomatillo salsa goes so well with so many dishes. The most obvious way to enjoy this roasted salsa is with chips.

This also goes well with eggs, tacos, rice and bean burritos, or any burritos, with Mexican Barbacoa, and Spanish rice or alongside meat.

If you want more ideas: We love adding this tomato and tomatillo salsa to my pulled pork rice bowl and air fryer quesadillas or with my black beans.

I love just making a batch of this and keeping it in the refrigerator for snacking. It is so good!

There is no wrong way to use this tomato and tomatillo salsa. Once you make it you will see how delicious it is.

Storing

The tomato and tomatillo salsa is great for making ahead of time. It is stored really well in the fridge and tastes amazing chilled.

This roasted salsa will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. When storing this salsa, make sure you seal the top of the container that it is in very well so the salsa stays fresh.