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Salsa verde is a tangy, spicy, and herbaceous Mexican sauce. Tomatillos, serrano peppers, cilantro, lime, garlic, and onion combine to create vibrant and unforgettable flavors. Serve this versatile sauce with just about anything, from tacos and chips to burritos and picaditas.
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💚 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy: Salsa verde can be thrown together quickly using simple ingredients. It’s beginner-friendly, and you don’t need any fancy equipment to make it!
- Healthy: This green salsa is made with fresh, healthy ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro, and lime juice. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Affordable: The ingredients are affordable and easy to find at most grocery stores or local markets.
- Versatile: You can use tomatillo salsa in so many ways! Make enchiladas verdes, try chilaquiles verdes, or add it to taco bowls. The options are endless!
If you love salsa verde, you should really check out our mango habanero salsa, salsa ranchera, salsa taquera, and guajillo sauce.
🫑 What is salsa verde?
Salsa verde is a type of sauce that originated in Mexico and is made by mixing tomatillos, serrano peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro together. The word “verde” means green in Spanish, referring to the color of this vibrant condiment.
Many tomatillo salsa recipes are enjoyed raw, but we decided to roast the vegetables for this one! The char from the vegetables adds a smoky flavor, providing depth and complexity.
Green salsa is touted for its zesty and vibrant flavors, which is why it’s so popular in Mexico and around the world.
Serve it as a table salsa to dip totopos in, as a sauce to brighten up al pastor tacos, or over top green enchiladas. It comes together quickly and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week!
🌱 Is salsa verde vegan?
Typically, salsa verde is vegan-friendly. Some recipes call for chicken broth or stock for flavor, but these are easy to omit or replace with vegetable stock powder.
Otherwise, you’ll be happy to know that this recipe (and most salsas) are plant-based!
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Tomatillos: Also known as Mexican husk tomatoes, tomatillos are bright, acidic, and fruity. They’re quite tart, making them easy to pair with spicy food. You can try green tomatoes if you don’t have access to tomatillos.
- Serranos: Provide bright, garden-fresh, spicy flavors. We’ll be searing them in this recipe to add a subtle smokiness. If you’re sensitive to heat, use jalapeños, which are 5-10x less spicy. For more heat, try habaneros!
- Onion, garlic: Give this salsa verde a punch of savory and zesty notes. The most common choice for the onion is white onions, although yellow will work too!
- Cilantro: Imparts a fresh, citrusy, and peppery element. If you don’t enjoy the taste, omit it or try parsley (though it will alter the green salsa flavor).
- Lime juice: The acidity of lime complements the tomatillo flavor so well! Make sure it’s freshly squeezed for the most vibrant taste.
- Salt: To enhance the other ingredients, bringing out the vibrance. Sea salt is our go-to, but any salt will work.
- Cane sugar: While optional, cane sugar can help balance out the tang and heat of the serranos.
- Olive oil: To season this tomatillo salsa and deepen the flavors. You can also use avocado oil, canola oil, or other neutral vegetable oil.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make salsa verde
Step 1: Roast the tomatillos and chiles
You can roast the tomatillos and serranos on a comal or cast-iron skillet or in the oven. We prefer to roast them in a skillet as it provides the best char.
To pan-roast them, heat your skillet to medium-high. It needs to be quite hot before adding them, so be patient! Roast them until they are blackened and soft.
Step 2: Blend the salsa
While the tomatillos and serranos are roasting, add fresh onions, garlic, and cilantro to a food processor or blender. We prefer to keep these veggies fresh, but you can also roast them if you prefer!
Once the tomatillos and serranos are added to the blender, pulse everything until the consistency is smooth. If you like more chunks, stop pulsing earlier.
Step 3: Season the salsa
To deepen the flavors, we recommend seasoning your salsa verde! It’s so easy, but it makes a huge difference.
Just heat some olive oil in a saucepan, then slowly pour the blended salsa verde in. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, then taste and add salt and sugar to your liking. Happy eating!
If you have questions about making this tomatillo salsa recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🌮 How to use salsa verde
There are so many meals you can pair salsa verde with! We’ve included a list with a few ideas, but just get creative with it! You can try some of these out:
- Jackfruit carnitas tacos
- Enchiladas verdes
- Totopos (tortilla chips)
- Chilaquiles verdes
- Picaditas
- Tacos de canasta
- Molotes
- Pambazos
🌡️ Storage
If you have leftover salsa verde or want to keep some on hand at all times, just follow these simple storage tips:
- Fridge: Keep salsa verde in an airtight glass container (like a mason jar) for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: You can store this green salsa in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using it again. You may need to give it a good stir or toss it in the blender again.
- Prep ahead: You can easily make your tomatillo salsa ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. Additionally, you can prep the ingredients in advance and store them separately until you’re ready to combine the salsa.
♻️ Variations
- Raw: Instead of roasting the veggies and seasoning your green salsa, just blend everything together in its fresh form.
- Fruit: Add a touch of sweetness by mixing in fruits like pineapple, peach, or mango. They balance the spice and add a fruity flavor.
- No tomatillos: If you want an extremely spicy salsa verde, remove the tomatillos and only use spicy green chiles.
- Less spice: Looking for something a little more mild? Try this tomatillo salsa with jalapeños or poblano peppers instead of serranos.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Remove the husk: Before using the tomatoes, remember to remove the husk and give them a thorough rinse to remove the sticky film on the outside.
- Use fresh ingredients: For the best flavors, make sure to use fresh ingredients. Avoid canned tomatillos or pre-minced garlic.
- Wear gloves: It may help to wear gloves when handling spicy chiles to avoid getting any chili oil on your skin. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands and equipment thoroughly after making the recipe.
- Adjust the consistency: If you’re looking for a chunky consistency, only pulse the salsa for a few seconds. For a smooth consistency, keep it going for at least a minute.
- Taste and adjust: Try the salsa as you go, adding ingredients, like salt, lime juice, or sugar, to adjust the final taste to your liking.
- Chill before serving: To help the flavors fully develop, chill the salsa in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving it. Overnight is even better!
💬 FAQ
Even though you can use canned tomatillos to make salsa verde, fresh tomatillos are always our preference. Plus, you won’t be able to char them like we do in this recipe.
The spiciness of salsa verde depends on the number and type of chiles added. Generally, serrano peppers are used, which are about 5-10 times spicier than jalapeños. You can replace serranos with hotter or milder peppers.
Yes, you can make this recipe without cilantro if you’re allergic or just don’t like the taste. We recommend trying a different herb, like parsley, to add an herbaceous element. You can also omit the fresh herbs altogether.
🍴 More sauce recipes
If you enjoyed this salsa verde recipe, be sure to check out some more sauce recipes like these:
- Salsa Fresca: Light, fresh, and chunky salsa made with wholesome ingredients.
- Salsa Roja: A quick, easy, and flavorful red salsa similar to salsa verde.
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa: Chunky corn salsa made famous by Chipotle.
- Chamoy: One of the most popular Mexican condiments!
- Mexican Crema: A creamy sauce that helps balance the heat of spicy foods.
Easy Salsa Verde
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet
- Blender or food processor
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatillos
- 2 fresh serrano chiles
- 1 cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ – 1 teaspoon cane sugar or agave
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- If your tomatillos still have the husk on them, remove them first and thoroughly rinse and dry the tomatillos.
Skillet method
- Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high. In the meantime, cut the tomatillos in half. If your skillet isn’t seasoned, rub it with a little olive oil before heating it.
- Once the skillet is hot, place the serranos and tomatillos face down in it to sear, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes, or until each side is browned and the tomatillos are softened.
- If your skillet isn’t large enough for all the tomatillos, transfer the cooked ones to a bowl and cover while you cook the rest.
Oven method
- Turn the oven to broil on high and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the serranos and tomatillos out evenly on the foil.
- Broil for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. This will slightly char the skins, but be careful not to let them burn!
Blend
- In the meantime, add the onion, garlic, and cilantro to a food processor or blender. Stem and roughly chop the cooked serranos. Add the serranos and tomatillos to the blender as well.
- Pulse until all ingredients are chopped and mixed together to your preference, about 30-60 seconds (more for a smoother salsa, less for a chunkier texture).
Season
- For a cooked salsa, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over high. Slowly pour the salsa in and bring it to a low boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Taste and season the salsa verde with salt and cane sugar to your liking. Serve it with tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tortilla chips, etc. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- Remove the husk: Before using the tomatoes, remember to remove the husk and give them a thorough rinse to remove the sticky film on the outside.
- Use fresh ingredients: For the best flavors, make sure to use fresh ingredients. Avoid canned tomatillos or pre-minced garlic.
- Wear gloves: It may help to wear gloves when handling spicy chiles to avoid getting any chili oil on your skin. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands and equipment thoroughly after making the recipe.
- Adjust the consistency: If you’re looking for a chunky consistency, only pulse the salsa for a few seconds. For a smooth consistency, keep it going for at least a minute.
- Taste and adjust: Try the salsa as you go, adding ingredients, like salt, lime juice, or sugar, to adjust the final taste to your liking.
- Chill before serving: To help the flavors fully develop, chill the salsa in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving it. Overnight is even better!
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
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