Name: Salsa Verde Recipe (Mexican Green Salsa)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound tomatillos; 2-3 serrano peppers ((or use jalapeno peppers for a milder salsa verde)); 3 garlic cloves (chopped); 1 small white onion (chopped (red onion is good, too)); 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; Salt to taste ((I use a teaspoon of sea salt)); 1 tablespoon lime juice (optional (about 1 small lime, or to taste))

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Salsa verde is the ultimate Mexican green salsa made with tart tomatillos and spicy serrano chilies, easy to make, just like your favorite taqueria salsa.

Salsa Verde Recipe

Chips and salsa time! There are a number of ways to make an awesome salsa verde, or green sauce. Every Mexican restaurant has their own taqueria salsa verde and I have yet to encounter a bad one.

Even I have a number of different kinds that I make, all variations on a theme, like this Mexican Green Table Sauce with Avocado, or my Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos.

The key ingredient to a good salsa verde is the tomatillo. Of course tomatillos alone do not a salsa verde make, but without them, it's pretty difficult.

Tomatillos are Key to a Great Salsa Verde Recipe

Tomatillos are tiny round 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.

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 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.

How to Make Salsa Verde - the Recipe Method

Fresh salsa verde is easy to make! Peel the tomatillos (remove the husks), rinse and dry them, then slice them in half along with the serrano peppers and set them into a baking sheet.

Roasted tomatillos and serrano chilies for making salsa verde

Roast them for 15 minutes, until the skins char and bubble, then transfer to a blender or food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients and process to your desired consistency.

Salsa Verde in a food processor, ready to serve

Boom! Done! Your homemade salsa verde is ready to serve. Adjust for salt and serve it up! You can refrigerate it and let the flavors mingle a bit more.

Recipe Tips & Notes

You can easily adjust this recipe to make it your own. Some popular additions include creamy avocado, ground cumin, olive oil, and hotter chilies.

When roasting the tomatillos and chilies, consider adding the onion and garlic to the roasting pan for more roasted vegetable flavor.

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 salsa verde recipe.

Check out my other Hot Sauce Recipes, too.

Heat Factor

Mild-Medium. You'll get some good heat from the serrano peppers. They measure up to 23,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. If you're looking for a milder salsa verde, you can remove the seeds and innards. Or, go with jalapeno peppers, which aren't quite as hot.

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

Salsa Verde in a bowl with tortilla chips for serving

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.

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Salsa Verde Recipe (Mexican Green Salsa)

Salsa verde is the ultimate Mexican green salsa made with tart tomatillos and spicy serrano chilies, easy to make, just like your favorite taqueria salsa.

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Course: Main Course, Salsa, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: recipe, salsa, tomatillos, verde, video

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Calories: 27kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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4.98 from 34 votes

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Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos
2-3 serrano peppers (or use jalapeno peppers for a milder salsa verde)
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 small white onion chopped (red onion is good, too)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste (I use a teaspoon of sea salt)
1 tablespoon lime juice optional (about 1 small lime, or to taste)

Instructions

Peel, rinse and dry the tomatillos. Slice them in half and set them onto a large lined baking sheet.
Slice 1 serrano pepper in half and set it on the baking sheet with the tomatillos, skin sides up.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220C). Roast the tomatillos and serrano peppers for 15 minutes, or until the tomatillos begin to char slightly. The skins will darken and puff.
Remove and transfer to a food processor or blender. You can peel the serranos if you wish.
Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust for salt and serve. Or, refrigerate in a sealed container to let the flavors mingle. Great with tortilla chips!

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You'll get a bit of a kick from the serrano peppers. For a milder version, use jalapeno peppers. Core the peppers for very mild.

Makes about 2 cups. Nutritional information calculated without tortilla chips.

You can adjust the thickness of the salsa with a bit of water, lime juice, or vinegar.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 27kcal Carbohydrates: 5g Sodium: 2mg Potassium: 186mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 145IU Vitamin C: 9.5mg Calcium: 9mg Iron: 0.4mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

This recipe was updated on 7/10/24 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/21/16.