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Once I bought a salsa verde from the store and unfortunately it wasn’t a hit… It was a shame that it was such a big bottle too!
Sauces in a jar can be a hit or miss for sure. I always find that for the most delicious results, you should really make your own! As you’ll see in this recipe, you can get a taste of Mexico with this simple condiment as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!
Watch the video at the bottom of this post to follow along with all the steps! It would mean a lot to me if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and be sure to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get started!
What is Authentic Mexican Tomatillo Salsa Verde?▼
Salsa verde is a salsa that is made from tomatillos, also referred to as “green tomatoes”, imparting a bit of citrus flavour, sweetness, heat, and tanginess. If you’ve never worked with tomatillos before, then here’s a warning! When I first opened the package of tomatillos, I noticed that there is a sticky film that I’ve never experienced before! I learned that tomatillos are also called the “Mexican husk tomato,” because they grow in a papery husk.The husk acts as a built-in protector to the fruit. However, when I purchased my tomatillos, the husk was already removed, but I really had to clean up the sticky residue that was left from it. This gummy texture is a natural barrier from the fruit to prevent any bugs coming to invade it!
What’s the Difference between Salsa Roja and Tomatillo Salsa Verde?▼
Simply put, the only difference between a traditional salsa and salsa verde is the tomatoes used! You use classic red tomatoes to make salsa roja (the most iconic salsa), and the tomatillos to make salsa verde.
Why You’ll Love This Salsa Verde Recipe!
- Simple: This recipe is quite easy in its procedure. You just need to roast the tomatillos, then blend those and the remaining ingredients together!
- Flavorful: I just love the sweet and spiciness of this salsa! Plus, using fresh ingredients, it’s so fresh!
- Customizable: You can add more or less heat depending on your preference!
- Quick: I’m making this Salsa Verde fast enough that you could make it whenever you feel like it, so that you don’t have to pre-plan or allocate much time to it!
- Healthy: Tomatillos themselves are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Paired with our other ingredients, this salsa verde is definitely a nutritional powerhouse!
- Versatile: Check out some serving suggestions later on in this post! You can use this salsa in a variety of recipes!
WHere Can I find Tomatillos?▼
It depends on how lucky you are! For me, I was lucky enough that a certain grocery store in my area had a 4-pack of fresh tomatillos. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend getting the canned ones. I was about to use these as a last resort if I wasn’t able to find fresh, but luckily I did! I’ve not tried using the canned ones, but my personal belief is that they won’t roast as well as fresh ones. You could try it out if you really want to, but perhaps keep your expectations low!
Do I roast All ingredients for salsa verde or not?▼
A lot of recipes will roast all of the ingredients, but I wanted to make a quick version, so the only ingredient I roasted here was the tomatillos. I’m sure that roasting everything will taste outstanding, but for the purposes to make this as speedy as possible while having excellent flavour, I’ve chosen to only roast the tomatillos.
Dietary Information for Salsa Verde
This Salsa Verde with Tomatillos is…
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Low calorie
Tools Needed
Ingredients
You only need SIX ingredients for this Delicious Salsa Verde recipe! For all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later, scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card. You can also scale the recipe based on how many tomatillos you’re using so that you don’t need to calculate any ratios!
- Tomatillos: They are green tomatoes that are referred to as “little tomatoes” in Spanish. They are different from your traditional tomatoes in that they are both sweet and tangy. We’ll be roasting our tomatillos and then blending.
- Green chillies: Thai green chillies are my favourite way to add some heat, and I put them in nearly everything!
- Onions: Red onion is my preference as it adds a subtle sweetness without being too overbearing, plus I like the strength of the “onion flavour” that comes from red onions. The difference is really subtle, so depending on what you already have on hand and what you like, you can use any onion! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if there is a suitable substitute that you should use up, then please do so before going out to the store to buy something else! No one wants to waste food, so there is absolutely no need to go out of your way to get a red onion if you already have white or yellow. You could even use shallots!
- Cilantro: Also known as coriander, this enhances the green colour of the salsa and it adds some freshness and a little extra heat.
- Garlic: No need to mince your clove of garlic. You can just throw it right in the blender since it’ll all be mashed up anyway!
- Salt: A key seasoning that is always added to taste!
How to Make Authentic Salsa Verde
Remove the husk of the tomatillos if you've purchased them with it. Then, scrub the husk residue until the tomatillos are smooth.
Cut the tomatillos in half and place them on aluminum foil on a baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the top most rack and turn on the broiler for the oven.
As the tomatillos broil, add the other ingredients except salt in the blender.
Once the tomatillos have a nice char, take them out and add them into the blender. Blend until smooth. Add extra water if the mixture is too thick.
Pour the Mexican salsa verde into a bowl and season with salt to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Most Delicious Salsa Verde
- Keep scrubbing until the skin of the tomatillos feel smooth and no longer sticky.
- You don’t have to chop the other ingredients since they’ll be added right in the blender, which saves prep time.
- Add water if needed to make the salsa smoother, if it is too thick.
Serving Suggestions
- Tacos: You can top your delicious Chicken and Shrimp Tacos or even some Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps!
- Quesadillas: Drizzle some of this salsa over Cheesy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas or Beef Quesadillas!
- Birria: I love making Quesabirria Tacos in the Instant Pot!
- Nachos and chips: Try these to top up your Paneer Pakora Nachos, Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Nachos, orLoaded BBQ Chicken Nachos, or just over some regular nacho chips!
- Eggs:Over boiled eggs, Devilled Eggs, in an Omelette, or Scrambled Eggs.
- Meat: Try it with Brazilian Churrasco, Chicken Souvlaki, or just someSimple Grilled Chicken!
- Sandwiches and wraps:This would pair really well with some tasty sandwiches, including in your Breakfast Sandwich, Spicy Mexican-Style Shrimp Wrap, Guacamole and Chicken Bruschetta, or a Spicy Indian-Style Egg Roll.
How to Store Salsa Verde▼
All you need to do is to transfer the contents of your Salsa Verde into an airtight container or mason jar. Just grab a spoon directly into the container to serve, or you can transfer the desired amount into ramekins to serve a small portion. I would keep this Salsa Verde in the fridge for up to a week.
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