The best salsa verde recipe made with tomatillos and jalapeno peppers. Serve it up as a table sauce, hot sauce, or as a salsa with tortilla chips. This is the ultimate green salsa.
There are a number of ways to make an awesome salsa verde, or green sauce. Every Mexican restaurant has their own version and I have yet to encounter a bad one.
Even I have a number of different kinds that I make, all pretty much variations on a theme, like our Mexican Green Table Sauce made with tomatillos, jalapeno peppers and avocado.
Or our Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos. The key ingredient in 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 those tiny round green fruits that look like tomatoes you find in grocery stores or the Mexican market, 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 to them, they are much 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. With only 8 ingredients, it's quite ideal.
You can add in other ingredients to round it out to your preference, such as avocado, other chili peppers, herbs, even seasonings, but this one will serve all of your salsa verde needs.
Homemade salsa is really the only way to go when it comes to salsa.
How to Make Salsa Verde
- First, peel, rinse and dry the tomatillos, then slice them in half. Set them onto a large lined baking sheet.
- Next, slice 1 of the serrano peppers in half and set it onto the baking sheet with the tomatillos.
- Roast them at 425 degrees F. until the tomatillo skins begin to darken and char, about 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a food processor or blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining fresh serrano pepper, and process until nice and smooth.
- Adjust for salt and serve it up! Or, you can refrigerate it and let the flavors mingle a bit more.
Simple, right? This is definitely a Patty's Favorites recipe. She always wants this in the house.
Recipe Tips
The Heat Factor. You'll get some good heat from the serrano chile 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.
Fresh Vs. Cooked. For this recipe, I've chosen to roast the tomatillos along with one of the serrano peppers. The rest of the ingredients are added fresh. There are variations on this and you have multiple options.
- Option 1: Roast only the tomatillos with one serrano, as I have done, then process them with the remaining fresh ingredients. This will give you a balance of roasted and fresh flavors.
- Option 2: Roast all of the vegetables (tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic), then process them with the remaining ingredients. This will emphasize the roasted flavor.
- Option 3: Process all of the ingredients in a food processor, fresh, without roasting anything. This will result in a very fresh and vegetal tasting salsa, which some people greatly enjoy.
- Option 4: Process everything fresh, as in Option 3, then transfer to a pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer the salsa verde anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes for a cooked down salsa. The salsa will darken and brown the longer it cooks.
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.
Seriously, it is that versatile. I've included a quick video below on how to make a quick salsa verde. Give it a try. It's fun! We love our salsa verde!
I hope you enjoy it.
Check out my other Hot Sauce Recipes, too.
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce and Salsa Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
How long will this salsa keep?
It should keep a week in the refrigerator. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or lower, to account for errors. If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces and salsas made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
Where'd you get that sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4
. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack
.
Can I process this Salsa for longer storage?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
Check out These Other Popular Salsa Recipes
- Mexican Green Table Sauce
- Tomatillo Sauce
- Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos
- Salsa Roja
- Chile de Arbol Salsa
- Salsa Ranchera
- Salsa Criolla - Argentinian Salsa
- Fiery Mango Salsa
- Habanero Salsa
- Xni-Pec - Chunky Habanero Salsa
- Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
- 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.
Salsa Verde Recipe: The Ultimate Mexican Green Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos
- 2 serrano peppers (or use jalapeno peppers for a milder salsa verde)
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 small lime)
- Salt to taste (I use a teaspoon of sea salt)
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.
- Roast the tomatillos and serrano pepper at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes, or until the tomatillos begin to char slightly. The skins will darken.
- Remove and transfer to a food processor or blender.
- 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
This recipe was updated on 8/23/19 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/21/16.
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.
Dave Kirk says
Excellent!! 5 stars! I had some hatch chilis that I used in place of Serranos and I also added lime zest (since I was using a lime anyway).
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Dave. Hatch chiles are perfect here!
Gheorghe Taralunga says
Apreciez pozitiv
Jenny says
Can I make this using frozen tomatillos? I made a bunch last summer per recipe -- roasting the fresh tomatillos -- but now I have a bunch in the freezer that I didn't have time to process last summer and I need to use them! Any other ideas?
Mike Hultquist says
You sure can, Jenny. No problem at all. You can use frozen tomatillos in any of my recipes that call for tomatillos. Enjoy!
Scott says
Thank you for this recipe! I had a bunch of peppers from the garden so I used 45 Pueblo and Anaheim roasted chiles, 10 hot jalapeños, 10 mild jalapeños, 6 lb roasted tomatillos, red onion, white onion, cloves of garlic, fresh cilantro, and white wine vinegar. Came out great!
Mike Hultquist says
Yay!!! Thanks, Scott!
Jamie says
Finished last week fourth time using this recipe. modified it this time with white balsamic in 6 jars. More lime. Used jalapeño. And I’m half batch. A number of habaneros what’s so good about this recipe. You can change a few things up to your own after trying the original. Key is to grill all the ingredients with a bit of char. Or smoke them. It upscales as I used 18 pounds of tomatillos. Awesome
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds like perfection to me, Jamie!
jamie parisi says
i smoked the veggies -- game changer. used some jalapeno lime balsamic as well. in some jars a bunch of reaper powder.. so good. its so easy to modify change and experiment with your different tastes. 25 jars this year. Should last until next season
Mike Hultquist says
Perfection, Jamie! I love it!
TeresaJ Salak says
I am looking for a salsa recipe with fire/grilled tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, peppers and possibly corn. I would also like to can it. Any ideas?
Mike Hultquist says
I have several Salsa Recipes here you can review: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/salsas/. Many are customizable. You might try my Salsa Ranchera Recipe: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/salsa-ranchera/. No corn in it, but you can add it before or after.
jamie parisi says
Going for year number 4 - going for a full bushel this year. 1/2 bushel just not enough - friends and family love it. Ive used 3 of the 4 options all grilled, fresh tomatillo/grilled veggies and all fresh. added a touch of vinegar to part of the batch, this year trying balsamic jalapeno vinegar in some. cant wait.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Jamie!
Larke says
This was my first time cooking with tomatillos and I was put at ease to find out how easy it was to process them. Followed the recipe but since my serranos were fairly mild for our tastes I put a couple more and a jalapeño. This salsa is a perfect 5 star recipe. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Larke!
jamie parisi says
3rd year in a row using this recipe. half a bushel of tomatillos - 16 jars of salsa - mild, spicy , fresh (roasted only the hot peppers garlic onion - grilled the lime too.) and 5 xl jars of Enchilada Sauce good to next year. im Exhausted Lol. I love the serving sizes and how it scales up the ingredients.
thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! I appreciate it, Jamie! Glad you enjoy this one. It's definitely one of Patty's very favorites. She wants this all the time.
Chris Hall says
This is the best salsa verde I have ever had, and so easy to make!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Glad to hear it! This is Patty's favorite by far.
David C Fowler says
I'm heading to the farmers market for the ingredients.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Enjoy!
Gee Gee says
I just made this - used jalapenos because I didn't have serranos. Came out GREAT!! I love salsa verde and I'll definitely be making this again. I could use a bump in the heat, so I'll get serranos to add next time. I just discovered this site and I love it. So many great-looking recipes. I can't wait to try some of the others. Thanks for a terrific recipe! 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Gee Gee. Super happy you enjoyed it! A keeper for sure.
Cheryl Hill says
Having just commented on your fabulous spaghetti verde recipe, and I realized that I had never commented on this recipe, a favorite standby for me . I typically make option 4, just pulsing all of the ingredients in the blender until combined but still really chunky. Then I warm it for just a few minutes stove-top, add in pre-cooked junks of pork, and serve on top of rice with cilantro, lime, and whatever else sounds good for garnish. It was the winner after 4 other salsa verde recipe attempts - it's that good! Thank you, Michael.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Cheryl! Yes, we REALLY love salsa verde in our home. A favorite!
Hollis Ramsey says
I love this recipe! Of course, I’m adding 1-2 more serranos (unseeded) plus at least 1/4 c. more cilantro. (Tomatillos are members of the gooseberry family, I think. The outside part to be removed is called the husk. Often, the outer skin of the tomatillo is quite sticky, so use your hands to rub the sticky ones when rinsing.) I don’t think I’m going to increase the garlic as it’s not the main flavor here. This is a sauce you can eat with a spoon. At least, I can and do. tThanks again, Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Hollis. I love it!
Amy says
Yum! We got tomatillos from our CSA and tried this recipe. It's easy and delicious. We'd never tried tomatillos before but they will now be one of our favorites. My boys love this salsa too!!!
We use one roasted jalapeño since my guys don't like it too spicy.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Amy!
jamie parisi says
Third Time Doing this recipe no serrano just 5 jalapenos. Excellent. Cannot wait to end of year when all the local farmers have the tomatillos. What is the best way to preserve if i make a bushel worth? more vinegar and hot processing?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jamie. I appreciate it. Yes, more vinegar would help preserve it the refrigerator for sure, or more citrus. It can also be processed as you mentioned. Enjoy.
Jamie Parisi says
Perfect thanks for the quick response
AJ says
Hi Mike,
I just made my second batch of this Salsa Verde. The first batch tasted great, but my second one has a strange tangy flavor to it. What caused this, any ideas? Thanks, AJ
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It's hard to say, AJ, since your first batch was great. You'd have to really evaluate if anything changed, even slightly, from the first time. Usually "tangy" is a characteristic of vinegar, so I would start my investigation there, though it could be the tomatillos. Hmmm. Wish I could help more.
Steve says
Just made this simple amazing salsa and it’s awesome. I used both Serrano and jalapeño peppers in mine for a perfect medium heat. Thank you Mike, I’m enjoying the site and recipes!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect, Steve! I love it.
Jamie Parisi says
Its a 5 for easy and flexibility and flavour. I just made it Last Saturday with a couple changes (no vinegar, onion-forgot this) roasted it all up found some local tomatillos - surprised by this at our local market. We dont live in a hot bed of culture. Put it in the processor very tasty. Not too much salt added, very fresh tasting.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jamie! I appreciate it. Super happy you enjoyed it.
ALICE says
Very good version of the one I’ve made for years in which I Roast the onions, tomatillos, et al. Also, I sometimes add some fresh cilantro.
Chili Pepper Madness is a National Treasure!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Alice! High compliments!! I appreciate it.
AJ says
"Chili Pepper Madness is a National Treasure!"
Alice,
I agree 100%
Cheers, AJ
Greg says
A nice twist is to roast the tomatillos and peppers under the broiler until they become a bit charred. Then carry on with the recipe
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect!
Michael says
In Germany we had a pretty hot summer, this year. I managed to get 2.8 kg of tomatillos out of 5 plants which i grew in pots (and they keep on producing). The tomatillos are some kind of a purple variant, so it´s more "salsa morada" than salsa verde. Whatever, the taste is terrific!!! Your recipes are just awesome!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Michael! Now I want to try the purple variety! Take care...
Suzanne says
Oh my goodness this was amazing.
I made homemade chicken enchiladas with this tonight.
Another great Chili Pepper Madness recipe.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Suzanne! Super happy you love it!
Jamie says
I made this salsa today and it was green when I put it in the fridge. Then went to taste it a couple hours later and it is red! I'm afraid to eat it now...is it the red onion?
REPLY: Strange! I'm not sure what could have happened there, unless it was overheated in thepan? -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Jon says
Why is the bottled sauce red? What does the cooking do? Help to meld flavors?
REPLY: Jon, depending on how long you cook it, the verde will darken, not really red, butdarker green. Yes, cooking helps the flavors meld. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Landon says
Made this salsa last year with young tomatoes, sooo good, I'm pretty excited because I grew zebra tomatoes an wanna try it....honestly, I used this salsa up quick
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Landon. Thanks!