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.
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!
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.
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.
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 83.
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
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
Nutrition Information
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.
- Chili Verde Recipe
- Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos
- Chile de Arbol Salsa
- Salsa Ranchera
- Xni-Pec - Chunky Habanero Salsa
- Easy Green Chili Sauce
This recipe was updated on 12/16/25 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/21/16.
jamie parisi says
Year 6 of Salsa Verde cooking, this is a great recipe. I've tweaked it a bit over time. I chargrill all the veggies, dont worry about any of the skins or pepper seeds, not overly hot, ive also added jalapeno lime balsamic vinegar to give it a brightness. Love this recipe
Mike Hultquist says
I love to hear it, Jamie!
Janiece Coss says
Love this recipe! So versatile! I have tried several variations as well and its all good.
I wish you would host a week long cooking school where I could go and happily immerse myself in all things chili pepper !
Mike Hultquist says
That's awesome, Janiece! Glad you're loving it! I'll have to think on that idea. =)
John Looney says
5/5
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much!
David Grote says
Really nice fresh salsa verde recipe. It’s bright and has a nice heat. I made it with fresh produce from our garden. Can’t get much fresher than that.
Mike H. says
Super happy to hear it, David. Enjoy!
Debbie Cooper says
I decided to grow tomatillos in my garden this year and the plants are huge with many small tomatillos. I needed to use some immediately, so I made this recipe today (without cilantro, which I will get tomorrow). Even without the cilantro, this was so delicious! I have refrigerated it and will add cilantro tomorrow. I'm sure it will be even more wonderful. Thank you for this great recipe! Every one of your recipes that I have tried so far have been excellent!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent, Debbie! I'm glad you're enjoying it! My Mother-in-Law is having the same issue this year. So many tomatillos!! She's making big batches of this, too. Thanks for sharing.
Ruth McCoskey says
Finally, a good, easy salsa verde recipe! Thank you so much for posting. All the recipes I've looked at here are are better than other sites. I'm going to put a few of them on my meal plan for the rest of the month.
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you like the way I make it, Ruth. Thanks for sharing this!
Paula says
have you ever made a fermented salsa? There great! more health benefits with ferments. I ferment halipnos with garlic cloves all the time!
Mike H. says
Paula, of course! But it really depends on how you want to use your salsa. Both are great!
Miss Kathryn says
Salsa verde as others have said is very versatile and can be tweaked to suit your needs. Two more versions I make are with raw ingredients. Same basic recipe, just don't roast or grill them. They flavor is very crisp and bright. And either recipe can be made into a creamy version with the addition of crema or sour cream. Love salsa verde!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! So good!
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had salsa verde before perfect for snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Cheers, Ramya.
Dr.Mary Beales says
Doesn't get better than this! Go to for everything, except ice cream, but I am pretty sure my husband will try it! Dollar Tree type stores generally have the squeeze top plastic bottles around this time of the year for bbq sauces.I buy them to use for Salsas,Ponzu sauces, etc and for some homemade cleaners I make.Thanks Mike love all of your recipes,
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much! Very happy you like it!
Jamie parisi says
year 5 of this recipe. Smoked grilled all the veggies on the kettle using a hunk of hickory. Took 7 22” racks to do all of them. 18 pounds. Great thing is the recipe is scaleable as well. Had some red peppers and a bunch of frozen garlic habaneros put them all in. Great base for enchilada sauce too. Omit vinegar and add chicken stock. Good for the year
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Jamie! Very happy you're still enjoying the recipe! I love the smoking element. Very nice!
Jérémie says
Made with fresh tomatillos and the first habaneros from the garden! Great salsa! Perfect with tortilla chips for the aperitif!
Great video, Thanks!! ...but, you mention vinegar as an ingredient in the text of the recipe... and there's only lime juice in the video... so, in doubt, I still added vinegar, in addition lime juice!
Mike H. says
Some add vinegar, and some don't - it works either way. 😉 Glad that you are enjoying it!
Daniella Dinardo says
Hello- I live in the UK and fresh tomatillos are not easy to find… nor Serrano peppers. When I’ve made Chili Verde I used imported tinned Tomatillos and found they don’t really toast well having been in brine. I may try your method of puréeing then cooking down in the skillet
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Daniella. Yes, if using tinned tomatillos, you can puree them with the other ingredients and simmer them to cook through. You can use other green chilies available to you for this recipe as well. I hope this helps.