This simple, six-ingredient salsa verde can be used to top your favorite Mexican foods, drizzled on tacos, scooped up with a crispy tortilla chip or used as a dip for spicy vegan empanadas. It is loaded with flavor from roasted tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and chili peppers.
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What is salsa verde?
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.
In Mexico you'd drizzle salsa verde over tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and burritos, among other foods, to amp up the yum (I love pouring it over this black bean casserole and scooping it all up with taco chips!) So when you make salsa verde you need to make sure it is loaded with mouthwatering flavor.
This recipe has the perfect balance with smoky roasted tomatillos, spicy garlic and onion and fresh, lemony cilantro. And it is quite foolproof and so easy to make. The only work you need to do is to separate the tomatillos from their papery husks and roast them. Then just let the oven and the food processor gift you with a dish you will fall in love with.
The salsa is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free and it is also low-carb friendly, so eat up. Here's the recipe.
Recipe card
Salsa Verde
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.
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.
Nutrition Information
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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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
You can make this sauce up to three days ahead and refrigerate.
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.
To freeze the salsa place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before eating.
Leeanne says
Holy Cow is right! I made this and it is FANTASTIC! Perfect portions for taking the tomatillos fresh from my garden. I didn't use any oil and kept the seeds in the 1 jalapeno pepeper. Wowza. This recipe is saved!
Natasha says
This was so easy and so delicious. We drizzled it over your potato tacos. Just yummy!
Vaishali says
Yay! Sounds like a wonderful meal.
Melissa says
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 says
Awesome, so happy you made the salsa verde!