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.

Smoked Salsa Verde is ready to eat.

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.

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.

The green sauce is drizzled over sliced flank steak and eggs and served with rice and beans.

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.

The fresh vegetables are grilled on the FYR Grill.

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!

The grilled veggies are blended for the perfect texture.

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!

The green sauce is literally smoked with charcoal.

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.

The steak, eggs, rice, and beans are plated and drizzled with the Smoked Salsa Verde.

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

What are Tomatillos Anyway?

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. 

If I don’t have tomatillos can I use Roma tomatoes instead? 

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. 

How can I make my sauce spicier?

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.

Get The Cookbooks!

Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire

By Derek Wolf

All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.

Smoked Salsa Verde

Smoked Salsa Verde

Get ready to make my absolute favorite Smoked Salsa Verde. it's a fun way to add a genuine smoky flavor to all your foods, even when you don't have a smoker.
Author:Derek Wolf
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4 people

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.

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

5 from 1 vote

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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).