Homemade Salsa Verde (Green Salsa)

Let’s Make Homemade Salsa Verde! Made with tomatillos, this fresh green salsa recipe is good on just about anything. Don’t miss all our favorite ways to use it below! (Naturally vegan, paleo, and gluten-free)

Some people are adrenaline junkies. I’m a flavor junkie.

I’m always after seriously amazing flavor, whether that’s a juicy ripe peach in the summer, a spice blend that gets my tastebuds dancing, or a flavorful salsa, dip, or dressing to spoon over whatever I’m eating that day.

Most weekends, I make at least one flavor booster that I can use for salads, veggies, or main dishes throughout the week. It’s an easy way to add instant flavor to raw veggies or salads, or spice up proteins or side dishes.

As a southwest-living girl, one of my favorite condiments is a good batch of salsa, and this homemade tomatillo salsa verde recipe doesn’t disappoint.

Unlike red tomato-based salsa recipes, salsa verde (green salsa) gets its gorgeous color and incredible flavor from tomatillos. The end result is smoky, tangy, bright, and special. It’s CRAZY easy to blend up and adds a bright, happy flavor to any meal or snack of the day.

Here’s what you need to make your own homemade salsa verde (and some of our favorite ways to use it)…

Gather Your Ingredients

You only need a few simple, fresh ingredients to make your own salsa verde from scratch! Let’s take a look at the ingredient list:

• FRESH TOMATILLOS. Fresh tomatillos are the base of our homemade salsa verde recipe. These little beauties are actually more closely related to gooseberries than tomatoes, and they have a bright, tart flavor that mellows and deepens when cooked. (Can’t find fresh tomatillos? Check out the FAQ!)
• ONION + GARLIC. A little white onion and fresh garlic add depth and dimension to our homemade green salsa.
• JALAPEÑOS OR SERRANO CHILES. Jalapeños are my go-to for salsa verde, though if you like things hotter, you can use serrano peppers instead. (They are hot!) To take some of the bite out of jalapeños, remove the seeds and white pith inside.
• CILANTRO. Fresh cilantro is a salsa verde staple! I love the fresh flavor it brings to the table.
• LIME JUICE (OPTIONAL). You don’t *need* to add lime juice to your salsa verde (in fact, many recipes leave it out), but I love the brightness it adds to the other flavors.
• SALT. The real key for most salsa recipes I’ve found is using plenty of salt. If your salsa is tasting flat or not quite *there,* keep adding salt.

Turn Up The Heat! If you want to turn up the spice level, you can add extra jalapeno peppers, or add another green chili pepper as well (like anaheim, serrano, or poblano)

How to Make Salsa Verde, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!

1. Preheat & Prep The Oven. To start, arrange oven rack 4-5 inches away from the heat coils on top and preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil.
2. Prep Tomatillos & Peppers. If you haven’t already, peel away and discard the papery husks from the tomatillos. Rinse the peeled tomatillos off in a colander to help remove any sticky residue or dirt & shake off any extra water. Place tomatillos on a baking sheet lined with foil. Slice jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise and use a small sharp knife to remove the stem, white membranes, and seeds if you’d like your salsa more mild. (Leave the seeds and membranes in if you want your salsa spicy). Place jalapeño halves cut-side down on the baking sheet with the tomatillos.
3. Broil. (watching carefully! Things cook fast!) for 4-5 minutes per side, until the skins of the tomatillos and jalapeño are blistered and charred. Use tongs to carefully flip the tomatillos and pepper over and broil an additional 3-4 minutes or until the second side is also charred. (Note: if your peppers char faster than the tomatillos, you can flip and remove them as needed. This is why you want to stay close by and watch them!) Removed charred veggies from the broiler and turn off the oven.
4. Blend. Add onion and garlic to a blender or food processor and immediately place the hot tomatillos and 1/2 the jalapeño in the blender on top of the onion and garlic. (The heat from the veggies will take out some of the onion-y bite.) Let the veggies cool to room temperature to avoid hot splatters or burns, and add cilantro, 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice, and salt to the blender. Blend the salsa to your desired consistency. (I like mine pretty smooth, but you can do just a few pulses to break things up if you prefer more texture.) Taste and add additional jalapeño, salt, or lime juice, to taste.
5. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away with your favorite tortilla chips or your favorite main dish. Store leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator 4-5 days.

FAQ + Tips and Tricks For The Best Salsa Verde

HOW TO CHOOSE RIPE TOMATILLOS. You’re looking for tomatillos that have mostly filled their husks. You want the papery husk itself not to be in rough shape–if it’s brown, limp, shriveled, squishy, or spotty, it’s not a great tomatillo. (Remember that tomatillos are NOT the same thing as green tomatoes!)

WHERE DO YOU FIND TOMATILLOS IN THE STORE? It will naturally vary store to store, but at my grocery stores, I can often find fresh tomatillos near the tomatoes and avocados. (They’re often kept close to other salsa or guacamole ingredients.)

HELP! I CAN’T FIND TOMATILLOS. CAN I USE CANNED TOMATILLOS FOR SALSA VERDE? Absolutely. The flavor isn’t as vibrant, but they’ll totally do in a pinch. I use canned tomatillos all the time when fresh tomatillos aren’t available or I forgot to pick them up. La Costeña, El Mexicano, and Embasa brands have typically been winners for us! An 11 oz. can of tomatillos is a good substitute for 1 pound of fresh tomatillos. See the notes section in the recipe for using canned tomatillos.

CAN YOU FREEZE SALSA VERDE? You can! Just know that the texture will be *slightly* softer upon thawing. (This usually isn’t a big problem for me.)

HOW LONG WILL THIS SALSA VERDE STAY FRESH? Fresh salsa usually lasts about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container or jar for the best results!

More Homemade Salsa Recipes To Try

Homemade Salsa With Canned Tomatoes

Easy Avocado Salsa

Fresh Corn Salsa (Better Than Chipotle!)

How To Make Pico De Gallo

Homemade Salsa Verde (Green Salsa)

5 from 3 votes

Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life

Made with tomatillos & just enough heat, this fresh green salsa is good on just about anything. Don't miss all our favorite ways to use it in the post! (Naturally vegan, paleo, and gluten-free)

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 3 cups Salsa

Calories: 21kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh tomatillos (About 12-14 tomatillos)
• 1-2 jalapeño peppers sliced in half lengthwise (remove seeds and ribs for mild salsa)
• 1/2 cup white onion chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2-1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (this is really to taste. Feel free to add less or more)

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep The Oven. To start, arrange oven rack 4-5 inches away from the heat coils on top and preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil.
• Prep Tomatillos & Peppers. If you haven't already, peel away and discard the papery husks from the tomatillos. Rinse the peeled tomatillos off in a colander to help remove any sticky residue or dirt & shake off any extra water. Place tomatillos on a baking sheet lined with foil. Slice jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise and use a small sharp knife to remove the stem, white membranes, and seeds if you'd like your salsa more mild. (Leave the seeds and membranes in if you want your salsa spicy). Place jalapeño halves cut-side down on the baking sheet with the tomatillos.
• Broil. (watching carefully! Things cook fast!) for 4-5 minutes per side, until the skins of the tomatillos and jalapeño are blistered and charred. Use tongs to carefully flip the tomatillos and pepper over and broil an additional 3-4 minutes or until the second side is also charred. (Note: if your peppers char faster than the tomatillos, you can flip and remove them as needed. This is why you want to stay close by and watch them!) Removed charred veggies from the broiler and turn off the oven.
• Blend. Add onion and garlic to a blender or food processor and immediately place the hot tomatillos and 1/2 the jalapeño in the blender on top of the onion and garlic. (The heat from the veggies will take out some of the onion-y bite.) Let the veggies cool to room temperature to avoid hot splatters or burns, and add cilantro, 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice, and salt to the blender. Blend the salsa to your desired consistency. (I like mine pretty smooth, but you can do just a few pulses to break things up if you prefer more texture.) Taste and add additional jalapeño, salt, or lime juice, to taste.
• Serve & Store. Enjoy right away with your favorite tortilla chips or your favorite main dish. Store leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator 4-5 days.

Notes

*USING CANNED TOMATILLOS? Canned tomatillos have already been cooked, so there’s no need to add them to the oven. Instead, just drain off the excess water and add them right to the blender.

Video

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keyword: green salsa, green salsa recipe, homemade green salsa, homemade salsa verde, salsa verde, salsa verde recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup Salsa | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 167.2mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 2.5g | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 6.3mg

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

Find it Online:

https://www.onelovelylife.com/homemade-salsa-verde/