This simple, 6-ingredient salsa verde is a family favorite! Use it to top your favorite Mexican foods, drizzle it on creamy potatoes or tacos or a chewy tofu steak, or scoop it up with a crispy tortilla chip. It comes together in minutes and it's loaded with amazing flavor from roasted tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and chili peppers. It is also a soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan recipe.
One of our favorite foods on family movie nights is a big bowl of salsa with plenty of chips. Jay loves the version with ripe tomatoes but this homemade salsa verde traditionally made with tomatillos is my favorite because it just has more sass and oomph. Plus it comes together so quickly and easily yet is loaded with so much complex flavor from the few ingredients that go into it.
The only work needed to make this recipe is separating the tomatillos from their papery husks and roasting them. And roughly chopping an onion. Other than that just let the oven and then the food processor do the work for you and gift you with a dish you will fall in love with.
What is salsa verde?
A salsa verde is a Mexican green sauce made primarily with tomatillos, a fruit that resembles small, unripe green tomatoes wearing papery jackets. Tomatillos do in fact belong to the same nightshade family as tomatoes and are native to Mexico. They have a unique flavor-- shoulder-shrugging tart and vibrant. Roasting tomatillos, as you would for this recipe, mellows out that acidity and makes them even more delicious.
Besides being very tasty, tomatillos are also extremely nutritious. They have many health benefits and are rich in key nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K and potassium.
For this Mexican salsa verde recipe, we combine the complex flavor of the roasted tomatillos with roasted garlic and green chili peppers, onions and fresh cilantro. Blitz it all and you have a divine sauce you can eat with a million things!
Why you will love this tomatillo salsa recipe
- The salsa has so much complexity and flavor. There are so many salsa verde recipes out there but I've worked long and hard to create one that has the perfect balance of flavors for you, with the smoky roasted tomatoes, the spicy garlic and onion and the fresh, lemony cilantro.
- It goes so well with so many foods. You don't just have to scoop up this green salsa with tortilla chips. You can use it to freshen up nearly any recipe you love, particularly a Mexican recipe.
- It is foolproof and takes minutes to make. There's not much to do here other than pop the tomatillos under a broiler (or roast them in a skillet) and press the button on the food processor to make the salsa verde sauce.
- It is soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. And it's low carb as well so you can eat it no matter where you fall on the eating spectrum.
Ingredients for salsa verde
- ¾ths of a pound of tomatillos. About 10 regular sized tomatillos or 20 small. I got mine this time from a colleague of Desi's who grows them and they were particularly tiny albeit delicious. 🙂
- 5-6 cloves of garlic. I like roasting the garlic along with the tomatillos because that mellows down the flavor and makes it almost sweet and nutty, which is nice with the tomatillos. You can use raw garlic, but if you do use just one or two cloves.
- 1 small jalapeno pepper. This gets roasted along with the tomatillos and garlic. You can use another spicy chile like serrano pepper. Deseed for less spice. I've occasionally used half or quarter of a habanero pepper when I am craving a very spicy salsa and the additional flavor the habanero adds is beyond amazing.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional). I like drizzling the tomatillos, garlic and chili pepper with a bit of olive oil because I think it adds a nice, fruity flavor to the final salsa--a bit of je ne sais quoi. If you want to keep the recipe oil-free just skip it.
- 1 small onion. Use a white or yellow onion.
- ¼ cup cilantro (coriander leaves). This adds a lovely, citrusy freshness and makes the sauce even greener and prettier.
- Juice of ½ lime. About 1 tablespoon. You can use lemon if that's what you have.
- Salt to taste
How to make salsa verde
- Roast the tomatillos. Place the tomatillos in a single layer in a foil lined baking pan. Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves and the jalapeno peppers among the tomatillos. Drizzle the olive oil over the tomatillos but don't rub it in.
- Broil. Place the baking pan under the broiler and broil on high until black spots appear on the tomatillos. Flip the tomatillos and broil until dark spots appear on the other side. Set aside to cool.
- Process the salsa verde. Remove the garlic peels--they should come off quite easily. Place the garlic and tomatillos in the food processor or blender along with the onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Process or blend into a coarse puree that still has a bit of texture. If you prefer a creamy salsa verde process a little longer.
How to serve the tomatillo salsa verde sauce
- As a dip with tortilla chips. I particularly love pairing the salsa with black bean chips, which are healthier and pack more protein than corn chips.
- As a taco sauce. Drizzle the green sauce over tacos (like these lentil tacos) for a pop of freshness and flavor.
- Over tofu steaks. Grill tofu steaks and drizzle the green salsa over it, then serve for a winning and easy dinner.
- As an enchilada sauce. Sub the green salsa for the red enchilada sauce in my vegan enchiladas recipe to make a tasty green enchilada casserole.
- As a sauce for tamales. Or with chilaquiles. This sauce makes a wonderful chilaquiles verdes.
Frequently asked questions
You can make this homemade salsa verde recipe as spicy as you like. I use a small jalapeno pepper, which adds a nice kick but not too much fire. If you want more fire use more jalapeno peppers--two or three. Sometimes, when I want the salsa to be really spicy, I add in a quarter or a half of a habanero pepper.
Salsa can refer to any sauce, raw or cooked, used with Mexican foods. But the word is most often used by itself to describe a tomato salsa -- a condiment made with ripe red tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chili peppers and lime. A salsa verde, or green sauce, has similar ingredients, but includes tomatillos instead of tomatoes.
You can make this sauce up to three days ahead and refrigerate.
To freeze the salsa place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before eating.
Tomatillos make the most authentic salsa verde but you can use green tomatoes for an excellent, albeit different tasting, version. They are tart, although not as tart as tomatillos. If you use green tomatoes to make this salsa, roast them just as you would the tomatillos, until they are soft with black-brown spots.
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Salsa Verde
Equipment
- Small baking pan or rimmed baking sheet
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ¾ pound tomatillos (about 10 regular sized tomatillos or 20 small. Remove the papery husks and wash the tomatillos to remove the sticky film on the skin)
- 5-6 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
- 1 small jalapeno pepper (serrano pepper or any hot pepper works. For lots of heat and more flavor add a fourth to a half of a habanero pepper but be careful as it is extremely fiery)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 small onion (chopped. White onion is preferred, or use yellow)
- ¼ cup cilantro (stems and leaves coarsely chopped)
- Juice of ½ lime (or lemon)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prep the tomatillos. Place the tomatillos in a single layer in a foil lined baking pan. Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves and the jalapeno peppers among the tomatillos. Drizzle the olive oil, if using, over the tomatillos but don't rub it in.
- Broil. Place the baking pan under the broiler and broil on high until black spots appear on the tomatillos. Flip the tomatillos and broil until dark spots appear on the other side. Set aside to cool.
- Process the salsa verde. Remove the garlic peels--they should come off quite easily. Place the garlic and tomatillos in the food processor along with the onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Process into a coarse sauce that still has a bit of texture. If you prefer a creamy salsa verde process a little longer.
Recipe notes
- Refrigerate the salsa verde for up to three days after making.
- To freeze the salsa, place in freezer safe container and store for up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator before eating.
- Tomatillos make the most authentic salsa verde but you can use green tomatoes for an excellent, albeit different tasting, version. They are tart, although not as tart as tomatillos. If you use green tomatoes to make this salsa, roast them just as you would the tomatillos, until they are soft with black-brown spots.
Natasha
This was so easy and so delicious. We drizzled it over your potato tacos. Just yummy!
Vaishali
Yay! Sounds like a wonderful meal.
Melissa
Just made this for the first time (you're recipe looked so easy...and, it was!). This is sooo good! I did add habenero because I like the heat. I will definitely be making this in the future rather than buying store-bought.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you made the salsa verde!