Easy salsa verde recipe with a touch of sweet and spicy! Enjoy this homemade tomatillo salsa with tortilla chips or with your favorite Mexican dish.
Table of Contents
Homemade Salsa Verde
Chips and salsa are one of my absolute favorite Mexican appetizers. There’s something about the combination of a crunchy, salty tortilla chip dipped in a fresh and flavorful salsa. Bonus points if they’re warm homemade tortilla chips. Seriously the best ever!
This salsa verde recipe (also known as tomatillo salsa) reminds me of one from my favorite Mexican restaurant back home. It has the perfect flavor and is so simple to make.
Use this salsa verde to add flavoring to your favorite Mexican dishes, or as an appetizer with tortilla chips, pico de gallo and fresh guacamole. So good!
Recipe Ingredients
Blend together all the ingredients to create one of the best tomatillo salsa verde. This green salsa is perfect for chips, spreading over protein, or as a topping on salads. Grab your food processor and start blending it all together!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Tomatillos: Fresh or canned medium sized tomatillos are perfect for this recipe. These are tart and have a little bit of sweetness to them. They are a light green color that has a shiny and bright tint to them.
- Jalapeno peppers: Add a little heat to the salsa with a minced jalapeno. This is a finely chopped or small piece of jalapeno.
- Cilantro: This is a sweet and savory plant that helps with the taste.
- Lime: Juice a fresh lime or use lime juice to lighten up the salsa verde.
- Sugar: Bring in a little more sweetness with some sugar added to the salsa. This helps offset the bitterness of the tomatillos.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is always best fresh or jarred.
How to Make Salsa Verde
You’ll never go back to the store-bought jar after making this delicious homemade version. It’s so simple and comes together in a matter of minutes. Scroll down for the printable recipe.
- Broil. Remove skin from tomatillos and place on a baking sheet with aluminum foil, along with the jalapeño peppers. Broil for 3 minutes, then flip and broil for 3-5 more minutes, until dark spots have appeared.
- Blend. Let tomatillos cool, then add cilantro, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and jalapeno in a blender and pulse. Add tomatillos and blend until smooth or the desired consistency. Salt to taste.
- Chill. Refrigerate prior to serving. Enjoy!
Helpful Tips
This salsa verde is very easy to make and comes together quickly! You will love how simple it is to substitute and make variations with the use of these helpful tips. Salsa Verde can be as simple as you like and fresh too with the right ingredients!
- You can use canned tomatillos if you prefer. Just drain and place in blender.
- Tomatillos can also be cooked in a pot of water for 5 to 10 minutes. Once cooked, place on a paper towel to dry and cool.
- Once you blend your salsa verde, feel free to add more seasonings to taste. Add more jalapeno if you like heat or more sugar if you like sweet.
- For less heat use serrano peppers instead of jalapeno peppers. This will reduce the heat a bit but still give the salsa verde a slight kick.
- Let the salsa chill for at least an hour before serving, so the flavors have time to marry together.
5 star review
“My favorite salsa recipe!! It’s so good I could eat it all day… love this recipe!”
-Eden
Favorite Ways to Use It
This is a great salsa that is dipped in and served over tacos and nachos. Share this green salsa verde during dinner, game time, or as a salsa over salad. Your family and friends will love this homemade salsa verde!
- Served with tortilla chips
- To make salsa verde chicken
- Drizzled over a taco salad
- As a topping on skillet nachos
- To make green chili burritos
- Serve over breakfast tacos
- To make green chile enchiladas or white chicken chili
Recipe FAQs
This homemade salsa verde recipe is easy to make from scratch. First, you need to cook the tomatillos by either boiling them, roast them on the oven rack, or using the broiler. You need the other six ingredients that are then blended together.
Red salsa is made from red tomatoes, herbs, and spices, while salsa verde (tomatillo salsa) is made with tomatillos, herbs, and spices. Red salsa is typically a bit spicier than salsa verde, although you can add extra jalapeno to your salsa verde to increase the heat. Both are used in many Mexican dishes, as well as for dipping.
No, tomatillos are not the same as tomatoes. They do look like small green tomatoes though. These are the fruit of a different plant that originated in Mexico and grows in a papery husk. They are often used in sauces and salsas and have a tart and fruity taste (not spicy). When using tomatillos in sauces, they are typically cooked in order to bring out the flavor and soften the thick skin.
Storing
This salsa verde will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I like to store it in a mason jar for easy access. So simple and perfect to snack on throughout the week!
Do you love Mexican dinners?! Then you will love this chicken fajita bowl, a fun taco braid, or this baked chicken chimichangas.
Other Homemade Salsa Recipes
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Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos , fresh or canned
- 1/2-1 jalapeno , minced (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup cilantro , add more to taste
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar , add more to taste
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- salt to taste
For serving: Tortilla chips
Instructions
- If using canned tomatillos, drain and place in the blender. If using fresh tomatillos, remove the skin and place the tomatillos and jalapeno on a pan. Broil for 3-5 minutes. Flip and broil a couple more minutes, or until dark spots have appeared. Alternatively you can boil tomatillos in a pot of water for 5-10 minutes. Place on a paper towel to dry and allow to cool.
- Allow the tomatillos to cool and then place the onion, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, garlic and jalapeno in a blender. Add tomatillos and blend until the salsa is smooth. Salt to taste. Add more jalapeno if you like it spicier. Add more sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy with fresh tortilla chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
This was a perfect addition to our Mexican dinner. I topped tacos with this salsa and it was delicious!!