Restaurant-style charred salsa verde is a smoky, tangy condiment made by charring onions, garlic, and serrano peppers before blending with fire-roasted tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice. Charring the vegetables deepens the flavor and creates an authentic restaurant-quality salsa in under 15 minutes.
Delivery in as fast as one hour.*
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add three-quarters of the onion, the serrano peppers, and garlic cloves to the hot skillet. Reserve the last quarter of the onion.
Sauté the vegetables until they are softened and have a nice char, about 3-4 minutes.
In a blender, add the two cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
Transfer the charred onions, serranos, and garlic from the skillet to the blender.
Add the fresh cilantro, lime juice, salt, and the reserved raw quarter of onion to the blender.
Blend on high until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.
Pour into a serving bowl and enjoy with tortilla chips.
Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; flavors deepen overnight. Freezes well in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.
cast-iron skillet or comal (for charring)
Yes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and char the onion, garlic, and peppers in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until blackened spots appear.
Heat level depends on serrano pepper ripeness and seed removal. Green serranos are moderately spicy; remove seeds and membranes for milder salsa, or use fewer peppers.
Yes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Flavors deepen overnight. Stir before serving.
Charring the vegetables adds smoky depth and caramelization that canned versions lack. Fresh cilantro and lime juice also provide brightness canned salsa cannot match.
Yes, use 3–4 medium fresh tomatoes, halved and charred cut-side down until blackened. The result will be fresher but less smoky than fire-roasted.
Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail With Tajín
5 min
Rajas Con Queso
30 min
Braised Pork with Tamale
285 min
Ground Beef and Vegetable Skillet
30 min
Honey Butter Corn
15 min
7 Layer Dip
20 min
Vegan Seven Layer Dip
40 min
Best Cantarito Cocktail
5 min
