Ready for a fresh new salsa to spice up your kitchen? This Salsa Verde, or tomatillo sauce, is the super simple and super versatile sauce you need!
This is the one you’ll want to slather all over your tacos, burritos, enchiladas and even burgers. Plus, you can use it as a base for some awesome dishes, like our upcoming chile verde.
So grab a handful of tomatillos from the market, and welcome this great salsa into your home!
We love sauces here at GypsyPlate. If you have some handy, they just make it so easy to add flavor to your food. From our fiery hot salsa taquera to the herby chermoula sauce to the cool and refreshing mint chutney, we love our flavor enhancers.
Today, we’re bringing you something very authentic from Mexico…
What is Salsa Verde?
Translating to “green sauce”, salsa verde is a Mexican sauce used for a variety of purposes. While red salsas have tomatoes as their base, green salsa uses tomatillos.
You’ll find many Americanized versions of salsa verde. For example, the variation common in New Mexico has much more green chilis, instead of tomatillos. But we wanted to create something similar to the fresh salsa verde that flies off the shelf at our local Mexican grocery store.
It’s a common accompaniment to many Mexican dishes, but can also be used as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips.
Is Salsa Verde spicy?
In some Mexican restaurants, you may find some extremely spicy salsa verdes. That being said, when making homemade you can customize it to your preferences.
My version uses serrano peppers, which are more traditional. If you wish to cut down on the heat level, you can replace them with jalapeños, which are considerably milder.
You’ll also find that salsa verde is tangier than red salsas, which get sweetness from the tomatoes.
Ingredients for Salsa Verde
- Tomatillos – Also known as “husk tomatoes” or “Mexican green tomatoes”, they are a more sour cousin of the tomato.
- Serrano peppers – Again, for milder salsa verde, substitute jalapeños.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Salt
How to make Salsa Verde
Now, there are several different methods for preparing salsa verde. The primary are:
Raw – This salsa has the freshest flavor, where the veggies stand out the most.
Boiled – The most common variation. The tomatillos and peppers are first boiled, resulting in a sweeter flavor.
Roasted – All or some of the ingredients are first roasted, resulting in a bolder, slightly smoky, flavor.
We’ll go through the details in the recipe card. But once all of the ingredients are prepared according to your chosen method, the ingredients are ground in a blender or molcajete, which is a Mexican version of mortar and pestle.
Once blended to your desired consistency, water can be added to thin it down if you wish a saucier salsa. And, of course, taste and adjust for salt.
Uses for Salsa Verde
- As with any salsa, it’s great for dipping your favorite tortillas.
- It can also be used as a sauce for tacos or burritos.
- One very common use is the making of green chicken enchiladas.
- A very popular dish in Mexico is chicharrons in salsa verde.
- We made this batch with something specific in mind: Chile Verde, a pork chili with salsa verde as a base. If this bowl looks delicious to you, check out our Chile Verde recipe!
How to store Salsa Verde
If you make a big batch, you can keep this tomatillo sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. Just take it out and dip some tortillas or use it with your favorite Mexican recipe.
There you go, one more great homemade sauce to keep in your repertoire. Pin or bookmark this authentic Salsa Verde recipe so you always know where to find it. You’re going to keep coming back to this one!
Salsa Verde, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great sauces and salsas!
Louisiana Style Remoulade
Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Cuban Mojo Marinade
Mango Salsa
Chipotle Mayo
Pico de Gallo
Guasacaca (Venezuelan Guacamole)
Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Sauce)
Ready for a fresh new salsa to spice up your kitchen? This Salsa Verde, or tomatillo sauce, is the super simple and super versatile sauce you need!
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2-3 serrano peppers
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Raw (Fresh) Method
- Add tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and a couple of tablespoons of water to a blender or food processor. Blend to desired chunkiness.
- For a saucier salsa, blend in additional water until it is to your liking.
- Taste and adjust for salt.
Boiling Method
- In a saucepan, bring about 3-4 cups of water to a boil. Add the tomatillos and serrano peppers and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Add tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion and cilantro to a blender or food processor and blend until you have a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust for salt. If you desire a saucier consistency, add in a little water.
Roasting Method
- Set the oven rack to 4-6 inches from the top and preheat broiler on high.
- Arrange tomatillos, serrano peppers, onion and garlic (with husk on), on a sheet pan. Broil 10-12 minutes, turning half way through.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Place tomatillos, serranos, onion and peeled garlic in blender or food processor along with cilantro and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse until smooth. If you prefer a saucier consistency, continue adding water in 1 tablespoon increments. Taste and adjust for salt.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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