Roasted Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
This simple roasted hatch chile salsa verde recipe needs to be doubled if you enjoy salsa as much as we do. You will end up putting this smoky, fiery salsa on just about everything. I will show you how to make it along with recipes you can use with the salsa.
Hatch Chile Seasonal Staple
Hatch chile season doesn’t last long, so there’s little time to take advantage of it. Roasting piled of them is the first step, the next is figuring out what to do with all of these chiles. I came up with this salsa, loosely based on the classic salsa verde.
This spicy green chile salsa takes advantage of the rich, buttery Hatch chiles and combines them with tangy tomatillos, sweet onions, herbs, and spices. Aside from scooping it up with chips, you’d probably love to pile it on any of these recipes:
Need more ideas for Hatch Chiles?
Check out the Hatch Chile Recipes Guide for details on how to roast them, store them, and more recipes. Read along as this will continue to be updated with new recipes and tips.
Roasted Salsa Flavors
Typically when it’s Hatch chile season there are at least 6-8 pounds of them on rotation on the grill, roasting away so I can peel and store them for later. It’s a fun process with amazing aromas, allowing me time to think about all of the different dishes I’m going to use them for.
Salsa verde happens to be the first dish every year that ends up in our fridge, topping just about any dish 2-3 times a day for a week or so. Right after the Hatch chiles are roasted and removed from the grill, the onion and tomatillos are tossed on right away. Charring these is a simple process that only takes a few minutes and happens to be the most difficult part of making the hatch chile salsa verde.
What Ingredients are in Hatch Chile Salsa Verde?
This green chile salsa recipe is similar to the classic salsa verde you might find in restaurants, the main difference being roasted hatch chiles. Everything here is grilled, building another flavor profile while enhancing the natural sweetness.
- Tomatillos
- Hatch chiles
- Cilantro
- Sweet onion
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt
Preparing the Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
The steps to prepare this are very simple:
- STEP 1: Husk and rinse tomatillos. The paper husk is easy to remove, and there is plenty of dirt underneath. Rinse all of the tomatillos whole with warm water to remove the dirt and sticky surface.
- STEP 2: Prep chiles and veggies for grilling. Dice up the ingredients as shown in the photos, opening them up for some char but keeping them large enough that they won’t fall through the grates.
- STEP 3: Roast your Hatch chiles, skin, and seed them. Read this guide for tips on roasting and storing Hatch chiles so you don’t have to do this every time you want some.
- STEP 4: Grill the tomatillos and onions. Grill for a few minutes directly over the heat for a few minutes until char builds up. Be careful with the tomatillos, they will get very soft and become difficult to pick up with tongs if they are cooked for too long.
- STEP 5: Add everything into a food processor. I recommend keeping the salsa more coarse, but that’s up to your preference. Taste and adjust with salt or lime juice as needed.
- STEP 6: Chill in the fridge. The flavors will develop more after about 2 hours if you’re patient, which is extremely tough!
Helpful Tips for Delicious Green Chile Salsa
Use any high heat source. You can roast the food on a gas grill, charcoal grill, or even the broiler in your oven. The char flavor is what you’re looking for, but using charcoal or wood will absolutely add an extra flavor element.
Sweet onions are recommended. The yellow or brown variety, not the red or white ones. You’ll have a lot of sharp, spicy flavors already, and using the sweet onions will round out the overall flavor profile. A lot of recipes out there will use honey, agave, or sugar. I promise that roasted sweet onions will cover that flavor profile. Keep it simple and healthy.
Green for instant heat, red for lasting heat. Choose your hatch chiles wisely. Hatch green chiles will give you that upfront heat, while the Hatch red chiles will build up the heat in the back of your throat. Personally, I enjoy a combination of the two.
Watch out for the salt. Eating this with chips? Yeah, those are loaded with salt. The amount of salt you add should be on the minimal side because your final dish probably has salt added to it already. It’s better to have a vibrant, fresh salsa with minimal salt so you don’t overpower your dishes.
NEED MORE HATCH CHILE RECIPES?
- Smoked Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Hatch Chiles
- Hatch Chile Chimichurri Sauce
- Roasted Hatch Chile Rellenos
Roasted Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
This roasted hatch chile salsa verde recipe needs to be doubled if you enjoy salsa as much as we do. This smoky, fiery salsa will go on just about everything.
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (about 12 medium tomatillos), husks removed, halved
- 1 cup Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped.
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste, roughly 2 tsp
Instructions
- Heat your grill to high heat for direct grilling. Lightly oil and clean the grates.
- Place your halved tomatillos and the onion half (still intact) on the grill, roasting each side for a few minutes until charred. The onion will take a little longer.
- Add the ingredients together in a food processor or blender, mixing until desired consistency. I recommend preparing this so it’s still chunky, so don’t blend smooth. Season to taste.
Notes
You may want to consider adding salt at the very end and seasoning to taste. Produce flavors can vary, and if you’re serving with salted chips it’s easy to overseason.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Sauces & Salsas
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Salsa
I made this today. Grilled the peppers along with the onion and tomatillos. No need to oil veggies. Excellent and straightforward recipe!
I added hickory chips and smoked then! Came out really good!!
Ohhh that’s what I’m talking about
Just grabbed my yearly haul of Hatch Chiles! Can’t wait to make this salsa! Thanks, Brad!
Heck yeah! Have fun
Great recipe, couldn’t ask for anything better !
Thank you!
Can you jar this in pint jars and save it?
Absolutely! Make sure you follow the sanitary process for canning if you’re going to do so. The salsa also freezes fairly well without canning if you vacuum seal in bags.
Awesome recipe!!
Thanks Kim!
I made this last week and it’s so delicious! I’m definitely going to make it again.
Thanks for sharing! So glad that you enjoyed it!