This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Made the salsa verde this summer with my home grown tomatillos.
It was delicious. Took it for friends to eat with chips to a local wine tasting venue.
Thanks for the recipe!
Best Salsa Verde ever! Hands down.
Made this to go with your chicken enchiladas recipe. Couldn’t be easier. Substituted two serranos for one of the jalapeños to add a little spice – I did remove the core and most of the seeds. My spouse, who is heat-averse, liked it – declared it spicy but not hot so, I fortunately struck the right balance. The enchiladas were terrific and everything was relatively quick and easy-to-do. I bookmarked both recipes so we can make ’em again.
fabulous – wonderful flavour, I added some ginger and coriander – in fact it was very sweet too, so maybe the fruits were extra ripe.
I love salsa verde, but when I
made mine, it was so tart I couldn’t stand it. Do you have any tips? I roasted everything. Were the tomatillos too big? Tried to fix it, but all that work went to waste.
Hi Mary! If you run into this again, you can add sugar a 1/2 tsp at a time. Next time you can also roast them longer, to the point where they are black and charred to help.
Incredibly easy and yummy. Opted for leaving just a few seeds in the jalapeños so as to not scare off the kids.
Did you change the recipe for the salsa verde? I feel like I have added a whole red tomato to this in the past and jalapeños seeded and deseeded
Hi Teresa! We haven’t, maybe you’re thinking of our 5 minute fresh salsa, or roasted tomato salsa?
Very easy to make, good thickness, was pretty salty. Next time I will start with 1/2 t. and add more as needed. I only had 1 1/2 jalapeños and wasn’t spicy at all, so I bought some more peppers and added a Serrano and a jalapeño with seeds. Definitely have it a kick!
I made this with the roasting method and it was so delicious… my son puts it on everything ;o)
Hi Stacey! Thanks for sharing! Salsa verde is my favorite.
I’ve made your Chili Colorado three times and it’s great each time. (I’ve used Pasilla and New Mexico chiles and both work great.
I’m looking at your Salsa Verde sauce now and will make the Enchiladas next. (I’ve also always liked Carnitas with a little Verde sauce….)
Your recipes are some of the most well written and structured I’ve seen on the internet. Very well done!
Thanks Isabel!
Thank you so much Mark! We’re glad you enjoy our recipes!
Love love love your Homemade Salsa Verde and so did mi familia, thanks so much for sharing!!!
Hi Angie! Thank you so much!