Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe
The first time I really ever fell in love with salsa verde was when my mother-in-love made use these Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas at their house.
The green sauce was less sweet than regular salsa, had a wonderfully thick texture, and a very uniquely bright flavor I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
For years I continued to make those verde enchiladas with a jar of the Herdez salsa, never even considering that you could make your own green sauce at home.
And then Salsa Week happened at our house. Once I learned how easy it was to make a Roasted Salsa at home, I realized that a salsa verde couldn’t be all that different, right?!
In fact, the only real difference between a classic salsa and a salsa verde is the type of tomatoes used. I had to get my hands on some tomatillos!
Fortunately for us, we live in Texas where there is an abundance of Mexican cuisine ingredients, so locating those green tomatillos was pretty easy. (Well, that is, AFTER I realized what tomatillos looked like when they’re wrapped in husks!)
In less than an hour we had tortilla chips in hand and were munching our way through the best homemade salsa verde – And it was so super quick and simple to make!
What is Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde means “green sauce” in Spanish and is traditionally made from roasted tomatillos, spicy peppers, onion, cilantro, lime juice. It is often served as a dip with tortilla chips, or to flavor main dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, or chicken.
What are Tomatillos?
Tomatillos differ from regular tomatoes in that they are slightly more acidic, less sweet, and deliver a lighter and brighter flavor to a dish. They come with a husk around them that must be removed and there is often a sticky layer underneath that must also be rinsed off before eating.
They are primarily grown in Mexico and in the Southwestern regions of the United States and are often used in the Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe is that it only uses real food ingredients. And, you don’t need that many of them!
The salsa verde ingredients include:
Tomatillos. These bright green vegetables can be found in your local grocery store and normally come with their husks still intact. Look for ones that are a deep green color and are still firm for the best taste and texture.
Onion. Either a sweet or white onion can be used. A sweet onion will add a subtle sweetness to the salsa that helps to balance out the spicy flavors, while a white onion is the more authentic type to use.
Peppers. Jalapeño peppers will give the salsa a slightly milder flavor while serrano peppers will make it spicier. You can either use one pepper for a mild salsa or two peppers for a medium-heat salsa.
Garlic. Roasted fresh garlic cloves are key to giving the salsa a robust and nutty taste. You can substitute with garlic powder but it won’t deliver the same punch of flavor as fresh.
Cilantro. Salsa wouldn’t be complete without a good bit of fresh cilantro. Make sure you remove the leaves from the stems to get the most flavor. Also, pack the cilantro down when measuring it out. You should end up using close to 1/2 of a bunch.
Lime Juice. Freshly squeeze lime juice adds a zesty bit of citrus and also helps to preserve the dip and keep it from turning colors.
Prepping a Tomatillo
Before you can roast the vegetables, you first need to prepare those green tomatillos.
To prep a tomatillo:
- Pinch any excess husk at the base of tomatillo with your pointer finger and thumb and then pull it to tear the husk away from the tomatillo. Continue peeling the papery husk towards the stem until the entire tomatillo is exposed. (Step 1 above.)
- With all of the husk and the stem in-between your thumb and pointer finger, pinch the stem and twist it slightly to remove it. (Step 2 above.)
- Rinse the tomatillo under cold running water to remove all of the sticky coating.
How to Make Salsa Verde
Once you have all of the tomatillos prepped, it’s time to start roasting and salsa making!
Roasting tomatillos brings out their naturally occurring sugars and results in a subtly sweet flavor in the salsa.
Here are the steps to make salsa verde at home:
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Place the tomatillos stem-side up and jalapeño peppers skin-side up onto a large baking sheet along with the quartered onion and garlic cloves. It’s important that they face skin-side up so it has a chance to brown and caramelize.
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Drizzle oil over all of the vegetables and rub it into their skin. Lift up the tomatillos and vegetables when rubbing it in so a little bit also gets underneath.
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Roast the vegetables in a 450°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatillos begin to brown. Pull the garlic cloves out of the oven after 15 minutes to prevent burning.
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Add the roasted tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, garlic cloves, and any oil on the baking sheet to a large food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Make sure you peel the garlic cloves before adding them into the processor!
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Pulse ingredients 10-20 times and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue pulsing until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. (About 40-50 times.) It’s important that you pulse and don’t puree. This helps you better control the final consistency of the salsa and gives you time to adjust the seasonings to your taste preference.
Meal Prep and Storage
To Prep Ahead: Salsa verde gets better after it sits for a few hours, so prep it ahead of time and pull it out just before serving.
To Store: Homemade salsa will keep well for up to 4-6 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To Freeze: Frozen salsa will end up with a layer of water on the top once thawed. To prevent this, add salsa that you’d like to freeze to a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook it down for 30-45 minutes. Doing this will remove most of the extra moisture and result in a better frozen salsa.
To Reheat: Roasted salsa tastes delicious when served warm of cold. If you’d like to serve it warm simply reheat it in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes just before serving.
FAQs
What’s the difference between salsa and salsa verde?
The primary difference is that salsa is made with red tomatoes while salsa verde is made with green tomatillos.
Are green tomatoes and tomatillos the same thing?
Green tomatoes are the unripe form of any variety of regular tomato, while tomatillos are not a tomato at all but come from a different plant and grow with papery husks.
What is salsa verde good on?
Salsa verde is a great addition to enchiladas, chicken, tacos, and also makes a delicious dip with tortilla chips.
What does verde sauce taste like?
Salsa verde is a little more acidic, lighter, and brighter than traditional salsa and is full of fresh cilantro flavor. It can vary in spice level depending on the types of green chili peppers used.
Do you leave the skin on tomatillos when making salsa?
Yes. The skin gives the salsa a wonderful pop of color as well as a rich deep flavor if the tomatillos were roasted. So no need to peel them, just leave the skin on!
Pro Tips and Tricks
- Select tomatillos that are similar in size. Smaller tomatillos will roast up faster than larger so make sure to look for ones that are a similar size.
- Remove the stem with the husk. If you peel the papery husk towards the stem it will give you more to hold onto so you can easily remove the stem with the husk.
- Sweet onion will give the salsa a subtle sweetness. White onions will also work well. Avoid using yellow or red onions since they will give the salsa a pungent flavor.
- Use 1 pepper for a mild salsa, 2 peppers for medium. You can choose to use either jalapeño or serrano peppers.
- Take the garlic out early. Garlic cooks up pretty quickly and will burn if it is left in with the other vegetables while roasting.
- Pulse and don’t puree. This helps you better control the final consistency of the salsa and gives you time to adjust the seasonings to your taste preference.
- Wait a few hours before serving. The salsa develops an even deeper, richer flavor as it sits in the refrigerator, so it’s best if you prep it at least a few hours in advance!
How to Use Salsa Verde
If you don’t already devour the entire batch of salsa verde with some homemade tortilla chips, then you can also use it up in one of these recipes:
Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe
Tomatillo Salsa Verde is a classic green sauce that is loaded with spicy flavor and is secretly so easy to make at home! Tomatillos are roasted in the oven with peppers, onion, and garlic and then blended together until thick and chunky. This authentic verde recipe tastes just as good as your favorite restaurants' and is incredible when paired with tortilla chips, enchiladas, tacos, or on top of chicken!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lbs. tomatillos husks removed
- 1 medium onion sweet or white
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
- ½ cup cilantro leaves packed
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice freshly squeeze
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°F.
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Remove the husks and stems from the tomatillos and then rinse and scrub them thoroughly to remove the sticky coating.
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Trim the stems from the peppers, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out all of the seeds.
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Trim the ends from the onion, peel the outer layer of skin, and then cut it into quarters.
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Place the tomatillos stem-side up and jalapeño peppers skin-side up onto a large baking sheet along with the quartered onion and garlic cloves.
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Drizzle oil over all of the vegetables and rub it into their skin.
-
Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tomatillo skins begin to brown. Pull the garlic cloves out after 15 minutes to prevent burning.
-
Add the roasted tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, garlic cloves that have been peeled, and any oil on the baking sheet to a large food processor along with the remaining ingredients.
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Pulse ingredients 10-20 times and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue pulsing until the salsa reaches your desired consistency. (About 40-50 times.)
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Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for an even better flavor. Salsa will keep well for up to 4-6 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or up to 2-3 months if frozen.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep Ahead: Salsa verde gets better after it sits for a few hours, so prep it ahead of time and pull it out just before serving.
- To Store: Homemade salsa will keep well for up to 4-6 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: Frozen salsa will end up with a layer of water on the top once thawed. To prevent this, add salsa that you'd like to freeze to a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook it down for 30-45 minutes. Doing this will remove most of the extra moisture and result in a better frozen salsa.
- To Reheat: Roasted salsa tastes delicious when served warm of cold. If you'd like to serve it warm simply reheat it in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes just before serving.
Pro Tips and Tricks
- Select tomatillos that are similar in size. Smaller tomatillos will roast up faster than larger so make sure to look for ones that are a similar size.
- Remove the stem with the husk. If you peel the papery husk towards the stem it will give you more to hold onto so you can easily remove the stem with the husk.
- Sweet onion will give the salsa a subtle sweetness. White onions will also work well. Avoid using yellow or red onions since they will give the salsa a pungent flavor.
- Use 1 pepper for a mild salsa, 2 peppers for medium. You can choose to use either jalapeño or serrano peppers.
- Take the garlic out early. Garlic cooks up pretty quickly and will burn if it is left in with the other vegetables while roasting.
- Pulse and don't puree. This helps you better control the final consistency of the salsa and gives you time to adjust the seasonings to your taste preference.
- Wait a few hours before serving. The salsa develops an even deeper, richer flavor as it sits in the refrigerator, so it's best if you prep it at least a few hours in advance!
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