How to Make Salsa Verde (Roasted Tomatillo Salsa)

Before you turn on the stove, pull everything together so you're not scrambling later. You'll need 10 small-to-medium tomatillos, four chile de arbol, two serrano peppers, two garlic cloves, a quarter of a white onion, a small bunch of cilantro, salt, and about half a cup of water.

This salsa is fully adjustable. Want it hotter? Add a couple more serranos or chiles de arbol. Want it mild? Pull a few out. The base stays the same either way, so taste as you go and make it yours.

Tomatillos come wrapped in a papery husk with a sticky film underneath. Peel the husk off, then wash each one really well under running water until that stickiness is gone. Pat them dry so they roast instead of steam.

Cut every tomatillo in half. Halving them means the heat reaches more surface area at once, so they char faster and more evenly than whole tomatillos would. Set them aside while you heat the skillet.

Get a cast iron skillet nice and hot, then start with the chiles de arbol. They go in first because they're the most delicate and burn in seconds. Keep them moving with tongs, flipping constantly until they deepen into a rich, dark red.

The moment they smell toasty and look a shade darker, pull them out and set them aside. Toasting wakes up their flavor and adds a smoky backbone to the salsa, but a burnt chile turns the whole batch bitter, so don't walk away.

Add a small splash of vegetable oil to the same hot skillet. Toss in the serrano peppers and the onion chunks to start, then add the halved tomatillos cut-side down. You'll hear them sizzle and pop, which is exactly what you want.

Lay the tomatillos so the cut sides hit the metal. That's where you get the best caramelized color and that roasted, slightly sweet flavor that makes this salsa taste like it came from a taqueria.

Stir and turn the vegetables with a wooden spoon so they roast evenly. You're looking for blistered, golden-brown spots on the tomatillos and softened, lightly charred onion and serrano. This takes a few minutes, so be patient.

The smell will tell you it's working. Once the onions go fragrant and the tomatillos collapse a little and pick up color all over, they're ready. You want them roasted and tender, not burnt to a crisp.

Smash the two garlic cloves with the flat of your knife and add them to the skillet last. Garlic cooks fast and scorches even faster, so it only needs about a minute in the pan with everything else.

Once the garlic is fragrant and the rest of the vegetables look well roasted, turn off the heat and scrape everything out of the skillet. Now comes the most important tip before you blend.

Let the roasted vegetables cool for a few minutes first. Blending them piping hot can make the salsa taste bitter and it's hard on your blender, so give it a short rest. Then add everything to the blender along with the cilantro, a good pinch of salt, and about half a cup of water.

Blend until smooth. Tomatillos are high in pectin, so the salsa thickens as it sits and gets even thicker the next day. That's why the water goes in now, and you can add more later to loosen it up to the texture you like.

Pour the finished salsa into a bowl and take a look. You're after a pourable, slightly thick green sauce with tiny flecks of cilantro and chile throughout. If it's thicker than you'd like, stir in a splash more water until it loosens up.

Give it a taste and adjust the salt. This is also the moment to dial in the heat. If you want more kick, you can blend in an extra toasted chile de arbol or serrano.

This salsa verde goes with just about everything. Spoon it over tacos, eggs, grilled meat, or anything that needs a bright, roasted kick. It also doubles as a dip, so set out a bowl with tortilla chips and watch it disappear.

Rachel's favorite way to eat it: warm a flour tortilla, lay on a few avocado slices, add a pinch of salt, and spoon the salsa right on top. Simple, fresh, and the best kind of snack.