Salsa Verde Recipe (Mexican Green Salsa with Tomatillos)

What is Salsa Verde?

Salsa verde is a green sauce commonly used in Mexican cuisine. "Salsa verde" literally translates to "green sauce" in Spanish. It is a tangy, vibrant, and often spicy.

It’s typically made with tomatillos, along with ingredients like onion, garlic, jalapeño or serrano peppers, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

There are a number of ways to make an awesome salsa verde. Every Mexican restaurant has their own taqueria salsa verde and I have yet to encounter a bad one.

Tomatillos are Key to a Great Salsa Verde Recipe

Tomatillos are tiny round bright green fruits that look like tomatoes, covered in papery sheathes and slightly sticky, which is a byproduct of the plant as they mature.

Do not confuse them with unripened green tomatoes.

While tomatillos have a slight bitterness, they are sweeter and fruitier than unripened green tomatoes and make for a MUCH better salsa verde. The insides are meatier as well, where tomatoes are juicier.

In fact, tomatillos are not tomatoes at all, but come from a completely different plant. You'll get the best salsa verde when you roast them.

Why Roast the Ingredients?

For the best salsa verde, the tomatillos are often roasted or boiled, then blended with the other ingredients to create a smooth or chunky salsa.

Roasting the tomatillos, as well as the chili peppers, onions, and garlic transforms their flavors. The high heat makes them sweeter and less tart, and also adds a smoky depth from the charring.

The process concentrates their overall flavors, giving you a richer, more complex salsa compared to simply boiling or using them raw.

How To Adjust Salsa Verde To Your Taste

For hotter salsa verde, add in 1-2 habanero peppers, which you can roast with the tomatillos during the last few minutes, or use them raw before blending.

You can easily adjust acidity with more or less lime juice. Strain the salsa verde for a thicker consistency, or add a bit of water or extra lime juice to thin it out.

This recipe is one of the simplest versions of a salsa verde - simple, but perfect.

Let's talk about how to make salsa verde!

Salsa Verde Ingredients

The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Tomatillos.
• Serrano Peppers. Or use jalapeno peppers or other milder fresh chile for a milder salsa verde.
• Garlic Cloves.
• White Onion. Red onion is good, too.
• Fresh Cilantro.
• Salt.
• Lime Juice. Optional. Not all authentic Mexican recipes for salsa verde include lime juice, and it's not necessarily traditional. Some of my Mexican cookbooks include lime, but you'll get enough acidity and tartness from the tomatillos.

Serving Ideas for Salsa Verde

The thing about a good salsa verde recipe is you can serve it so many different ways. Serve it in a bowl with crisp tortilla chips and it's a quick salsa.

Pour it into squeeze bottles to serve with your Taco Recipes and it becomes a Mexican green table sauce.

Pour it into small hot sauce bottles and it becomes a hot sauce for you.

It makes a great sauce as well. Try it with pasta for an outstanding Spaghetti Verde or Green Chicken Chili.

I hope you enjoy my homemade green salsa recipe (salsa verde).

Check out my other Hot Sauce Recipes, too.

Storage Information

Salsa verde will keep a week or longer in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will last longer with the addition of lime juice and/or vinegar, which ups the acidity.

You can process salsa verde in a water bath for long term preservation, but it is best to shoot for a pH of 3.5 or lower for home preserving.

Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.

Check out These Other Popular Salsa Recipes

• Try this authentic Salsa Roja recipe that goes with all of your Mexican dishes, or my Restaurant Style Salsa that everyone loves.
• Tomatillo Salsa
• Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos
• Chile de Arbol Salsa
• Salsa Ranchera
• Salsa Criolla - Argentinian Salsa
• Fiery Mango Salsa
• Habanero Salsa
• Xni-Pec - Chunky Habanero Salsa
• Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
• Easy Green Chili Sauce
• How to Make Salsa - a Guide

Patty's Perspective

YUM. He's right, this is one of my favorites of all time. Salsa verde is one my go-tos. It's such a great recipe, definitely one of my favorite Mexican salsas. I love that it will keep in the fridge a while so I can grab it anytime I want, which is usually a lot. There is something beautiful about tomatillos.