Salsa Verde or “Green Sauce”
Salsa verde is a staple in every Mexican kitchen. It’s great for making enchiladas verdes or for topping carne asada tacos. We also think it is great on eggs. It is a simple to make, versatile salsa.
Use it on just about anything. The taste of fresh homemade salsa puts the bottled salsas to shame. Give this one a try!
What to Expect From this Recipe
Boiled Salsas vs. Roasted Salsas
There are generally two ways that Mexican salsas are prepared, with boiled ingredients or fire roasted / pan roasted ingredients. These two methods create distinctive flavor profiles.
This is a recipe for a classic boiled salsa.
Boiled salsas tend to be milder in flavor where the taste of the vegetables are out in front. Roasted salsas are bolder in flavor where the smoky flavors from charring add a deeper element.
A Healthy Recipe
Mexican food gets a bad rep for being greasy, heavy and, unhealthy but stop and think for a second. Salsa is nothing but concentrated vegetables.
It’s the tastiest way ever to get your daily veggies. You can eat as much as you want guilt-free. It’s rare that your favorite food can be the healthiest food too. So enjoy.
How to Make Salsa Verde
Our Salsa verde recipe is really easy to make and the ingredients are available at almost every supermarket.
We prepared ours with tomatillos which look like small green tomatoes and are covered in a papery husk. You can also use larger green tomatoes, called tomates verdes. Both make excellent salsas.
The recipe calls for three serrano peppers but you can use fewer if you want to reduce the heat. We like it on the hot side. You can substitute jalapeño peppers for the serranos The flavor won’t be as bright and the heat will be milder but it will still be tasty.
HOW TO MAKE SALSA VERDE | 1-MINUTE VIDEO
Prep the Tomatillos First
First, remove the papery husks from the tomatillos.
Then rinse them under warm water to remove the sticky residue.
The preparation is really simple. Add all of the ingredients to your pot except the cilantro and just cover with water.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Notice how the ingredients change color. This lets you know that the ingredients are fully cooked.
For the next step, blend the ingredients with the cooking water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can use a blender or food processor for good results.
When blending, you want the salsa to keep a little bit of texture. It shouldn’t be liquified. Use the picture of the prepared salsa to guide you. Notice the bright green color.
The Salsa Making Secret
The next thing you are going to do is fry the salsa. This is the magic step that is used in making almost all cooked salsas in Mexico. Do not skip this step. It gives a superior result.
Heat two tablespoons of oil on high.
Slowly pour the blended salsa into the pan. This develops a deeper richer tasting salsa. This step is called “seasoning.”
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
The Importance of Salt
Add 1 ½ tsp. salt to your salsa stir well and taste. You will probably want to add more. The salsa is perfectly salted when it is just a little bit too salty when tasted by alone.
Remember that you will be adding salsa to your food to season it and once mixed with the food the salt in the salsa will bring out the flavor of the food without seeming overly salty.
Notice how the salsa darkens in color when cooked.
Now you have the perfect salsa verde!
Problems with your salsa? How to Fix It
Sometimes your salsa doesn’t come out exactly to your liking. Keep in mind that the ingredients are all-natural products and can vary in freshness and flavor due to seasonal differences and how the ingredients have been handled. One time when you buy peppers they may be super hot and the next time you buy the exact same pepper is very mild.
Here are a few methods to correct your salsa:
- Too runny? Simmer until it has reduced to the desired consistency.
- Too thick? Add water 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Too hot or acidic? Add only one of the following to reduce heat or acidity: ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons agave syrup.
- Too bland? Try adding more salt ¼ of a teaspoon at a time until you get the desired taste.
- Pale color? Try simmering for 10 extra minutes to deepen the color.
When you make adjustments, add ingredients a little at a time. A small modification can have a surprisingly large effect. Some people like to add a squirt of lime juice.
What are you going to use it on?
Chicken enchiladas, tortilla chips, pork, chops, chilaquiles, burritos, and many more dishes pair well with this salsa. Be adventurous.
Salsa Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb. tomatillos or green tomatoes
- 1 white onion
- 4 serrano chiles
- 4 cloves garlic
- 12 sprigs cilantro
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil
- 1 ½ tsp. salt + to taste
Instructions
- Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse to remove the sticky residue.
- Quarter the onion.
- Add all of the ingredients except the cilantro and salt to a large pot and just cover with water.
- Bring the water and ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Blend the cooked ingredients and the cilantro with the cooking water until smooth. (About 30 seconds)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in the pot.
- Pour the blended salsa back into the pot with the hot cooking oil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the salt and adjust if necessary.
Notes
- Too runny? Simmer until it has reduced to the desired consistency.
- Too thick? Add water 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Too hot or acidic? Add only one of the following to reduce heat: ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons agave syrup.
- Like it hot? You do not have to seed the serrano chiles. You can seed them if you want to reduce the heat of the salsa.
- You can substitute jalapeño chiles for the serranos but the flavor won’t be as bright but it will still be tasty.
- The salsa will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
- This salsa freezes very well. Make a double batch so that you always have some on hand.
- You may also know this salsa as green salsa, green sauce, verde salsa, salsa verda, or tomatillo salsa.
Nutrition
Alternate Names & Common Misspellings
You may also know this salsa as green salsa, green sauce, verde salsa, salsa verda, verde sauce, or tomatillo salsa. Whatever you call it, it’s still delicious :)
Wanda says
Hello Douglas,
This is my second time making your recipe and this time I made a double batch. It is a great salsa. My husband and I really enjoy it with my Mexican tacos. Again thanks for sharing this deliciousness.
Do you a recipe for red salsa?
Thanks,
Wanda
Annag says
This version of salsa verde is omg delicious! It must be the frying which makes it stand out from the competition.
I’ve used it on eggs, pork chops, and for dipping.
My husband wanted to know how it tasted so much better than versions we’ve had elsewhere. I’m back for my second round of making this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
Amelia says
Loved this. Thoughts on roasting/broiling the tomatillos before boiling? Also thoughts on throwing an ancho or poblano in there?