Whip up taqueria-style salsa verde with tomatillo to enhance your favorite comfort meals. It’s perfect alongside Instant Pot carnitas, carne asada tacos, ceviche de camaron tostadas, and savory enchiladas, or as a dip for homemade corn tortilla chips. For more green sauces, try skhug, shatta sauce, chimichurri with cilantro, serrano crema, or avocado green goddess dressing.
What is Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde is a vibrant Mexican salsa that translates to ‘green sauce.‘ You can see why because traditional recipes for the salsa call for ripe tomatillos, jalapeño peppers, cilantro leaves, onion, and fresh garlic.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tomatillos: What is salsa verde with tomatillo without fresh tomatillos? They are in season from summer to early fall, or you can use canned tomatillos to ensure the salsa is fresh.
- Onion: Use white onion for this recipe.
- Garlic: I suggest using two fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Jalapeño: Include two to four jalapeño peppers, depending on how spicy you want the salsa to be. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder salsa. Substitute the jalapeños with serrano peppers if you enjoy a spicier salsa.
- Cilantro: Brighten the sauce with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.
- Salt: A little bit of salt goes a long way.
How to Make Tomatillo Salsa
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the broiler or a gas grill to high heat. Arrange the tomatillos, onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeño peppers on a rimmed baking sheet or directly on the grill grates.
Step 2: Roast until the vegetables char and soften, for 5-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Once charred, remove them from heat and let them cool slightly.
Step 3: Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender, and add the cilantro, salt, and water. Process until smooth.
Step 4: Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Select ripe tomatillos and fresh jalapeños for the best flavor. The tomatillos should be firm and have bright green husks with a slightly sticky texture.
- Refrigerate the salsa for at least 30 minutes, letting the flavors come together.
If you enjoy the dip, serve it with one of these Mexican recipes!
What Do you Eat with Salsa Verde?
Salsa verde with tomatillo is the kind of sauce you can pair with just about anything! This vibrant green salsa is a must-have at the table, perfect for drizzling on tacos, grilled meats, nachos, and enchiladas.
Don’t stop there—the fresh salsa is a fantastic dip for crunchy tortilla chips or air fryer pita chips.
And you can serve it with breakfast recipes like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, scrambled eggs, breakfast tacos, and chorizo burritos.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover salsa verde in an airtight container or glass jar for one week.
- Freeze: I like to divide the salsa into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container or bag. The salsa will freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the salsa in the refrigerator overnight.
- Repurpose: Use the leftover salsa to make enchiladas verde, carne en su jugo, chicharrón en salsa verde, or tamales de pollo en salsa verde.
More Salsa Recipes:
Salsa Verde with Tomatillo
- 6 green tomatillos, husked removed, washed
- 2-4 jalapeño peppers, stemmed
- ¼ white onion, peeled
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups water
- Preheat the broiler or a gas grill to high heat. Arrange the tomatillos, onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeño peppers on a rimmed baking sheet or directly on the grill grates.
- Roast until the vegetables char and soften, for 5-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Once charred, remove them from heat and let them cool slightly.
- Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender, and add the cilantro, salt, and water. Process until smooth.
- Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
- Select ripe tomatillos and fresh jalapeños for the best flavor. The tomatillos should be firm and have bright green husks with a slightly sticky texture.
- Refrigerate the salsa for at least 30 minutes, letting the flavors come together.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.