Best Homemade Salsa Verde Recipe Recipe

Published: Apr 4, 2024 by seekinggoodeats · This post may contain affiliate links

I’ve got a delicious, fresh, homemade salsa verde recipe here! Enjoy the perfect flavor combination of tangy tomatillos, hot green chiles, sweet cilantro, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Use it as a healthy dip, condiment, or sauce for tacos, burritos, and green enchiladas. This salsa is a low-carb, gluten-free, and low-calorie staple!

Salsa verde recipe served in a white bowl with a side of tortilla chips.

What is Salsa Verde?

The translation of salsa verde literally means “green sauce.” It is a sauce made up of tomatillos which are actually a green fruit very similar to a green tomato. Authentic salsa verde combines all fresh ingredients, including tomatillos, hot green chilies, cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, white onion, and garlic. Blend together until smooth with some texture left with pulp and seeds.

It is used as a salsa, green enchiladas sauce, a condiment for your favorite Mexican recipes, or even a marinade for carne asada (pulled pork) or chicken.

Why You’ll Love Classic Mexican Salsa Verde

It’s a Mexican-Inspired Classic. This recipe for salsa verde is a truly classic Mexican sauce. With such simple ingredients, this delicious green sauce packs a punch of flavor!

So Many Uses! If you haven’t tried tomatillo salsa verde, you are missing out. It is a delicious green sauce with a customizable spice level that pairs perfectly with tacos, burritos, dips, enchiladas, or any other Mexican-inspired recipe—including marinades!

Healthy. This sauce is low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten free, low-calorie, paleo, and loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals. Use it as a condiment with your favorite Mexican dishes, and use low-carb tortillas to keep it low-carb and keto-friendly.

Salsa Verde Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients needed for making salsa verde on a white wooded board.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make tomatillo salsa verde:

Tomatillos: When harvested, this fruit looks like a green tomato in a husk. The flavor is fairly mild and similar to that of a green tomato. It is bright, fresh, and light and can be slightly sweet and bitter.
Fresh Hot Green Chiles: Use any green peppers based on your heat tolerance, such as serrano peppers, jalapeno, hatch, or any other green hot peppers.
Fresh Cilantro: Fresh herbs give the best flavor in this green sauce.
Yellow Onion: You can also substitute with white or sweet onion in this recipe if desired.
Fresh Garlic: For the best flavor, use a fresh clove of garlic instead of the minced jarred garlic.
Chicken Broth: Use regular or low-sodium broth, or swap with vegetable or beef broth.
Lime Juice: Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor. Limes can vary in acidity so it’s important to adjust to your taste.
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper

For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!

Be sure to pin this pin to Pinterest to save for later! 🙂

Salsa verde pinterest pin in a white bowl with tortilla chips

Variations and Substitutions

Use fresh or frozen green chilies (hatch, Anaheim, poblano, cubanelle, jalapeno), and adjust to your heat tolerance.
Add a half to a whole avocado to your finished sauce and blend in for a creamy avocado salsa verde.
Adjust any seasonings or ingredients to taste.
Substitute vegetable broth with any kind of broth preferred, or use water. You can also use regular or low-sodium varieties.
If you want to substitute avocado oil for what you have on hand, you can use any of your favorite cooking oils.

How To Make Salsa Verde

This is intended as an overview only. For detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below. Enjoy!

Add vegetables and garlic to a saucepan. Cover with broth.
Simmer until the tomatillos and chile peppers are tender.
Add cilantro and puree (with an immersion blender, blender, or food processor)
Add lime juice, then season to taste with salt. The salsa may be served warm or cold.

A white bowl of salsa verde with tomatillos and tortilla chips.

How To Use It

Use in any recipe calling for salsa verde or green salsa.
It makes a great alternative to the class red enchilada sauce.
Serve it as a condiment, warm or cold, over any favorite Mexican recipe such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, and more.
Use this homemade tomatillo salsa verde as a dip with tortilla chips or raw veggies.

Use it in the following recipes:

Top Tips

Be careful when blending hot salsa. Don’t overload the blender, and cover the top with a towel to prevent splatters. You can also let it cool before blending.
You can blend your sauce until it’s completely smooth or leave some chunks – it’s your preference!
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
If your salsa is too bitter or acidic, try adding a teaspoon or two of sugar or sweetener substitute to reduce the bitterness.

FAQs

What is salsa verde made of?

The primary ingredients in any salsa verde are tomatillos, green hot chili peppers, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. You can personalize the taste of your salsa by adding more lime juice or salt and pepper.

What is a substitute for tomatillos in salsa verde?

I always substitute green tomatoes for tomatillos.

How To Store

Refrigerator: Allow the salsa to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Freezer: Transfer the cooled salsa to an air-tight container (leave about 1″ of space from the top) and store in the freezer for 4 to 5 months. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use.

If you tried this salsa verde recipe, let me know! I’d love for you to come back and give the recipe a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let’s stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me and others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

A classic tomatillo salsa verde recipe that’s used as a dip for tortilla chips, a condiment, or as a sauce for enchiladas or tacos. You’ll love the combination of fresh tomatillos, chile peppers, and cilantro!