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This salsa verde recipe combines tomatillos, jalapeños, onions, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice to create a tangy and vibrant Mexican green salsa perfect for tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, tostadas, or with some tortilla chips! Once you try this homemade version, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought salsa again.
Salsa verde is one of my favorite salsas ever. I grew up eating it every Sunday for lunch (along with a big bowl of salsa Mexicana) when my mom would make a big batch to serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer to feed my big Mexican family.
It’s just so fresh, tangy, vibrant, and just plain delicious!
It can also be used in a million different ways. Eating it with chips is my personal favorite, but it’s also used in recipes like enchiladas verdes, chilaquiles verdes, and salsa verde chicken!
Making this salsa yourself rather than buying it from a store is a total game-changer.
What Is Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde is a zesty green salsa that’s a staple in Mexican cuisine. Unlike red salsas like roasted tomato salsa, this green version gets its vibrant color from tart little tomatillos – those small green tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk.
They’re blended up with green chiles like jalapeños or serranos to give it some spice, plus onions, garlic, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.
The result is a bold, bright salsa that’s super fresh and herbaceous, with a nice tang and just the right amount of heat!
Salsa Verde Ingredients
- Tomatillos: These small and round green tomato look-a-likes are one of the main components in an authentic salsa verde recipe. Remove the papery husks before roasted or boiling them. If you’ve never cooked with them before, learn all about tomatillos.
- Chile peppers: A handful of jalapeños in this salsa gives it the perfect amount of spice without it being overwhelming. I removed the seeds so it wouldn’t be too spicy, but you can leave them in if you prefer. If you like it extra spicy, use serrano peppers instead.
- White onion and garlic: Because it isn’t a real salsa without these two.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro incorporates very bright and fresh flavors into the salsa. Plus, it helps with that pop of green!
- Lime juice: This adds just a hint of tang and citrus to the salsa.
- Salt: To round out the flavors.
How to Make Salsa Verde
- Roast or boil: If roasting, place the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic on a baking sheet and roast directly under the broiler for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through until charred. If boiling, add the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic to a medium pot filled with water. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let everything simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend: Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a large blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
- Serve or store: Serve the salsa immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Roasting vs Boiling Salsa Verde
Salsa verde can be made in a few different ways. Some recipes call for the tomatillos and jalapeños to be roasted, and some ask for them to be boiled instead.
I grew up eating salsa verde that was boiled, blended, and then lightly fried in a little oil, so that’s what I prefer, but the roasted version is also delicious and is typically what is most popular and found in many Mexican restaurants!
Boiling the tomatillos creates a more bright and tangy salsa, whereas roasting them adds a smoky, charred element and makes the salsa a little sweeter.
Both versions are delicious, and which way you make your salsa verde is personal preference!
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the spice level. To make it mild, remove the seeds from all of the jalapeños. To make it medium-hot, remove the seeds from only some of the jalapeños. To make it extra spicy, use serrano peppers instead of jalapeños. Blend just 1 pepper at a time until you reach the desired level of spice.
- To add even more depth of flavor, try lightly frying the blended salsa in 1 tablespoon of olive oil! I grew up eating it this way, and it’s so good!
- Adjust the consistency. If your salsa too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the blender until it’s your desired consistency.
- Salt to taste. Add in more salt one pinch at a time until it’s just right.
Ways to Use Salsa Verde
Salsa verde can be used in so many different ways! Here are few of them:
- As an appetizer served with tortilla chips, baked tortilla chips, or air fryer tortilla chips.
- As a condiment for tacos. Try it with carnitas, barbacoa, tacos al pastor, and carne asada tacos.
- As a cooking sauce like in my salsa verde chicken, enchiladas suizas, and salsa verde breakfast frittata.
Storing and Freezing
To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To freeze, place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature when ready to use.
More Mexican Salsas
Salsa Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 10 med-large tomatillos)
- 3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed (and seeded if desired)
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ lime)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Instructions
- To roast the salsa: Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic to a large baking sheet. Roast directly under the broiler for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tomatillos and peppers are charred.
- To boil the salsa: Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and enough water to completely cover them to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 6-8 minutes until the tomatillos and peppers turn from a bright green to a dull and dark yellow-ish camouflage green.
- Add the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a large blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Makes 2 cups total.
- Adjust the spice level. To make it mild, remove the seeds from all of the jalapeños. To make it medium-hot, remove the seeds from only some of the jalapeños. To make it extra spicy, use serrano peppers instead of jalapeños. Blend just 1 pepper at a time until you reach the desired level of spice.
- To add even more depth of flavor, try lightly frying the blended salsa in 1 tablespoon of olive oil! I grew up eating it this way, and it’s so good! Adjust the consistency.
- If your salsa is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to the blender until it’s your desired consistency.
- Salt to taste. Add in more salt one pinch at a time until it’s just right.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in June 2016 and has been updated with more helpful tips, better photos, and a better overall recipe.
I made the roasted version of this today and my husband is over the moon! He absolutely loves it. I didn’t fry it this time but I will next time. Thank you for sharing your heritage and this recipe; it’s wonderful!
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Helpful tip: be careful not to spoil your dinner appetite by “taste-testing” this salsa… haha, oh my gosh it’s so delicious 😋
I had never gave salsa verde much of a try before, but I love it (specifically this recipe is delicious).
I almost misread the recipe and didn’t notice that the roasting step does not include the onion, so I’m glad I caught that. Also, do not line your baking sheet with parchment paper since it will turn black and produce smoke if you’re roasting on the “broil” setting. I’m clearly not much of a cook, but this all still turned out great. I’m using the salsa for enchiladas verdes tomorrow night, can’t waaaait!!
Delicious! Made twice now in one week. Clear and easy directions. I roasted the produce and fried the salsa. I recommend this step not be skipped. Adds geat flavor. This will be be made a lot in the future.
So easy and so delicious! Goes with everything!
So easy and so good. My family loves to eat it while it’s still warm. Absolute best!
Oh me!! This is my new favorite salsa verde recipe!! I did add s dash of chipotle powder to the mix because I like the the smokey flavor. I roasted my tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and added the onion half way thru to the roasting. Soooo good!!!
Great recipe! Roasted everything in the oven. Will definitely make again!!1
This was absolutely AMAZING!! I’ve had homemade salsa verse before but it was missing something… I did double the garlic and since I don’t have jalapeños I used Serrano and a few aji lemon peppers. It is SO good. I made a triple batch and I put about 2/3’a of it in silicone mini ice cube trays in the freezer. After growing hedgerow of 14 tomatillos this year, my freezer is full of tomatillos but at least I’ve got the right recipe for salsa verde!!
Nothing else compares to this recipe. I find myself craving it.