Grilling up some Smoked Salsa Verde in your backyard is one of the best ways to celebrate the art of homemade salsas. If it’s your first time making your own tomatillo salsa verde, buckle up. This is one of my favorite creative outdoor cooking recipes.
The great flavor of this easy recipe will blow your mind. It’s all about those heaps of fresh flavor with a hint of smokiness that’ll make you rethink store-bought green salsa.
Now that your taste buds are fired up, let’s fire up the grill and get this fiesta started. This is a freakin’ delicious and flavorful salsa that I happen to love drizzling over my spiced flank steak and eggs.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Smoked Salsa Verde
- Salsa Verde Sauce Ingredients Roundup
- What kind of charcoal should I use to put into the salsa for the smoke?
- How to Make Smoked Salsa Verde
- What to Serve with Smoked Salsa Verde
- How to Store Leftover Salsa
- For More Smoked Sauces
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Smoked Salsa Verde Recipe
Why You’ll Love Smoked Salsa Verde
So, why should you be stoked about this smoked salsa verde recipe? First off, it’s unlike any salsa you’ve ever tasted. Undoubtedly, my favorite part of the recipe is the charring process on my FYR Grill. The fire caramelizes the veggies and brings out their natural smokiness without any artificial flavors. Plus, adding a lump of coal at the end is pure fun. This amps up the smokiness to another level.
If you need some more inspiration about how to use your smoky green sauce, check out these recipes: Cheesy Skewered Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde, Steak Tacos with Corn Salsa, Steak and Egg Tacos, Grilled Steak Burrito Bowl, and Easy Steak Quesadilla. All of which are great candidates to substitute or add these smoked salsa verde to!
Salsa Verde Sauce Ingredients Roundup
Okay, so before jumping into the full recipe, let’s go through the list of items you need from the local grocery store. Make sure to snag the freshest and best ingredients for this salsa verde recipe. You’ll need tomatillos, a white onion, a couple of jalapeño peppers, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, green onions, fresh lime juice, and a bit of vegetable oil. Don’t forget to grab some kosher salt or sea salt to season everything just right. Simple, right?
What kind of charcoal should I use to put into the salsa for the smoke?
For the best smoky flavor, I recommend using Cowboy Charcoal. It burns hot and clean, giving your salsa a great smoky taste without any unwanted chemicals or flavors. Just make sure to use a small, smoldering piece to avoid overpowering the salsa.
How to Make Smoked Salsa Verde
Alright, let’s get to the fun part – making the salsa! First things first, preheat your grill to a high heat temperature, around 400 degrees F. We want it nice and hot to get a good char on those veggies.
While the grill is heating up, remove the husks from your tomatillos. Once your grill is ready, place the tomatillos, quartered onion, and jalapeno peppers directly on the grates. Let them char until they’re blackened and caramelized. Trust me, this step is crucial for developing that smoky flavor that makes this salsa verde recipe stand out.
Once your veggies are nicely charred, pull them off the grill and let them cool for a bit. Then, add them to your food processor (or immersion blender) along with the garlic cloves, lime juice, and a bit of water. Blend everything until you reach the consistency of your salsa preference. Some folks like it chunky, others smooth. In the end, it’s totally up to you!
After blending, mix in the chopped cilantro and green onion, which add even more flavor to your homemade salsa.
Now, for the smoky twist – place your salsa in a Mason jar and add a smoldering coal from the grill. Cover it quickly to trap the smoke, then set it aside to marinate for about 20-30 minutes.
Next, all you need to do is enjoy. Cheers!
What to Serve with Smoked Salsa Verde
This flavorful salsa is perfect with some crunchy tortilla chips, but don’t stop there! It’s also fantastic on top of grilled meats like flank steak or spare ribs or as a tangy topping for tacos and burritos. The touch of smoke and fresh ingredients make it versatile enough to complement a wide range of dishes.
How to Store Leftover Salsa
If you have any leftover smoked salsa verde, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep its fresh flavor for about 3-5 days. Give it a good sniff before serving to ensure it’s still fresh. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays if you want to save small portions for later.
For More Smoked Sauces
FAQs
Tomatillos are small, green fruits that are a staple in Mexican cuisine. They look like little green tomatoes, but they have a tangy, slightly citrusy flavor that’s perfect for making green salsa. They come with a papery husk that you need to remove before cooking.
You can, but keep in mind that Roma tomatoes will give you a different flavor profile. Tomatillos have a tangy, slightly citrusy taste that’s pivotal for that classic salsa verde flavor.
If you like a bit of heat, add more jalapeno peppers or even throw in some serrano peppers. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.
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Smoked Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Smoked Salsa Verde Ingredients
- 5-6 Tomatillos husks removed
- 1 White Onions quartered
- 2-3 Jalapeno Peppers
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 cup Chopped Cilantro
- ¼ cup Chopped Green Onions
- 2 Limes juiced
- ¼ cup Water
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high heat temperature (around 400F).
- Add your tomatillos, onion and jalapenos to the grill to char until blackened. Pull off once done.
- Add all the ingredients (but the cilantro and green onion) to a food processor and blend until the consistency that you like. Mix in the green onion and cilantro at the end.
- Add the salsa to a mason jar along with a smoldering coal from the fire (ideally white hot). Cover quickly to encapsulate the smoke, then set to the side to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Recipe is great, I do it similar but when I can´t use an outdoor grill, I roast them in the oven, with a little oil and salt to help with the coloration. I also use other sorts of green peppers or green chilies, depending on what I find in the store/market and how hot I want to take it. When I do it in the oven, I also roast the garlic. Love the final step with the hot coal, will def try for my next one. Also do a red one, with very ripe tomatoes, red bell pepper and add some reconstituted mex red chillies (ancho, pasilla, guajillo, etc).