Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (2024)

Published: · Updated: by Mely Martínez

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This recipe for salsa verde is my version of an authentic Mexican salsa recipe! The main ingredients for a salsa verde are tomatillos and serrano peppers. But, there are many variations and techniques to make a salsa verde. Here's how to make it!

Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (1)

When it comes to salsa verde Mexicana (or Mexican green sauce), there are several types of salsas and different recipes depending on where you are from and family adaptations.

In This Post
  • Different Types of Salsa Verde
  • Tips On How To Make The Best Mexican Green Salsa
  • Homemade Salsa Verde Recipe
  • How To Make Salsa Verde Mexicana: Step By Step Tutorial
  • More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

This Mexican green sauce is ideal for tacos, but it has many uses like for making enchiladas verdes, chicken chilaquiles verdes, pork in salsa verde, and chicken tamales in green sauce, just to mention a few.

Different Types of Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (2)

Types of salsas with tomatillos are:

  • Roasted salsa verde - where all or some of the ingredients are roasted. The flavors of the roast ingredients give the salsa a smokey flavor taste.
  • Blend - everything goes fresh into the blender or molcajete.
  • Fried tomatillo salsa - all the ingredients are fried first, you boil the tomatillos with the peppers and then fry them.
  • Boiled your salsa - the most popular way to serve this table salsa.

I almost forgot the mention the creamy green sauce, the one made with avocado!

Fun fact: Salsa verde is also known as tomatillo salsa outside of Mexico. So you might hear it both ways!

Tips On How To Make The Best Mexican Green Salsa

When it comes down to making this homemade salsa, there are a few things you can do to make sure you make the best tasting batch every single time:

  • Just remember to buy the freshest produce to make your meals. Old tomatillos will render a bitter taste and really just ruin your salsa.
  • Choose the tomatillos that have loose husks. This helps remove the husks easier and lets you know they are ready to be used.
  • Make it as spicy as you like. Depending on how you like your salsa, whether it's mild or spicy, you can reduce or increase the number of serrano peppers to your liking.

Homemade Salsa Verde Recipe

Here is the list of ingredients you will need...

  • Green tomatillos (you can also use these canned tomatillos if you are not able to find them.)
  • Chopped white onion
  • Garlic clove
  • Serranos peppers (or jalapeno peppers)
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Chopped cilantro (optional)

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Salsa Verde Mexicana: Step By Step Tutorial

To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.

Prep The Tomatillos

  • Before you start cooking the tomatillos, make sure to remove the papery husk all around the tomatillos and wash them thoroughly. Also, take this time to wash the serrano peppers as well.

Cook The Tomatillos And Peppers

  • In a big enough saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
  • Add the serrano peppers and tomatillos to the boiling water.
  • Simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes.

Make The Green Sauce

  • After the tomatillos and peppers have finished boiling, drain all the water from the pot, reserving ¼ cup of water of the liquid for later.
  • In a blender or food processor, add the peppers, tomatillos, garlic, and chopped onion (add the cilantro as well if you are using it).
  • Puree everything together.
  • Add the reserved liquid if needed to get a saucier texture, a traditional green sala is usually chunky rather than watery. But you can always add more or less water to the desired consistency.
  • Transfer the salsa to a bowl and add salt to taste.
Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (3)

How To Store Salsa Verde Sauce

This green salsa should be stored in an airtight container to really maintain its freshness. It can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can also be stored in the freezer to eat at a later date.

Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (4)

What To Serve With Mexican Green Salsa

There are a few different ways to use and serve this tomatillo salsa.

When I have company over, I love to make a batch of this salsa with some of my fresh salsa roja and serve it alongside some fresh crispy tortilla chips. All of my guests tend to want to take some of these chips and salsa home with them because they love it so much!

I also like to use this green tomatillo salsa in other dishes like scooped on top of some tacos (like these beef tongue barbacoa tacos) or enchiladas (like these enchiladas rojas but swapping out the red sauce for this Mexican green sauce).

I also like to cook with salsa verde like this recipe for lengua en salsa verde and chicharrones en salsa verde!

Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (5)

More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for tomatillo salsa, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

  • Pan Scrambled Eggs With Poblano Peppers And Green Salsa
  • Red Salsa En Molcajete
  • Green Tamales With Chicken
  • Super Spicy Salsa With Puya And Arbol Peppers
  • Chicharron In Red Salsa

I hope you make this recipe for Mexican green sauce! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!
Mely

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📖 Recipe

Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (6)

Spicy Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Mely Martínez

Easy Homemade Salsa verde, made with tomatillos, serrano o jalapeño peppers. This authenticMexicansalsa is the way we make it in Mexico. Goes great with carnitas, steak tacos, and grilled chicken.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salsas

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 16 Servings ( 2 tablespoon each)

Calories 5 kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 tomatillos husked and washed. About 2 cups.
  • 3 tablespoon of chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 or 3 serranos peppers if using Jalapeño peppers use 1
  • Salt to taste
  • About 3 cups of water to cook the tomatoes and peppers.
  • 4 tablespoon Chopped Chilantro Optional

CHECK THE RECIPE VIDEO

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the pepper and tomatillos, simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes.

    • Drain, reserving ¼ cup water of the liquid.

    • In a blender, puree the peppers, tomatillos, garlic and chopped onion, the cilantro if using, then add the reserved liquid if needed to get a saucier texture.

    • Transfer to a bowl and add salt to taste.

    This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can also be frozen.

      Video

      Notes

      • This recipe makes 2 cups of salsa verde
      • In some places, fresh tomatillos are not available. You can buy canned Tomatillos as an option.
      • Chopped cilantro is an excellent addition to this sauce; it could be added to the final process in the blender, or at serving time.
      • If you are using a food processor, only pulse a few times to avoid making the salsa too watery.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 2tablespoonCalories: 5kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 2.1mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg

      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

      Salsa Verde Recipe | Tomatillo Sauce Recipe | Mexican Hot Sauce (2024)

      FAQs

      What is green hot sauce made of? ›

      Ingredients. Jalapeño Pepper, Water, Sugar, Salt, Poblano Pepper, Acetic Acid, Garlic Powder, Jalapeño Powder, Xanthan Gum, Poblano Pepper Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative) and Sodium Metabisulfite (Preservative).

      Is salsa verde always spicy? ›

      Some are indeed mild, others surprisingly hot. Unless you grow your own hot peppers, always give them a taste before using. That way you can easily adjust the heat level. I actually prefer my Salsa Verde on the mellow side, so I use 1 or maybe 2 mild Jalapeños.

      What is Mexican green sauce made of? ›

      Salsa verde is really easy to make from scratch, all you need are tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro. To make the salsa verde, you will need to cook the tomatillos, which you can do by either boiling them, broiling them in the oven, or pan roasting them.

      How do you spice up store bought salsa verde? ›

      At the very least, a little fresh lime juice and some minced cilantro can wake up even the sleepiest of salsas, ushering back in the flavor of just-squeezed citrus and herbs that taste like they came from a living plant. Beyond that, a crunchy raw vegetable or two never hurts.

      What hot sauce do Mexicans use the most? ›

      Amongst some of the most popular bottled hot sauces in Mexico, as well as in the US, are Valentina, Cholula, El Yucateco, and Salsa Búfalo. The Valentina is a popular hot sauce in Mexico - in fact, in many movie theaters, there are dispensers filled with Valentina so that you can pour it on top of your popcorn!

      What is the green hot sauce at Mexican restaurants? ›

      Spicy Tomatillo Salsa Verde

      Easy Homemade Salsa verde, made with tomatillos, serrano o jalapeño peppers. This authentic Mexican salsa is the way we make it in Mexico. Goes great with carnitas, steak tacos, and grilled chicken.

      What is the difference between salsa verde and chili verde? ›

      Chili verde is a whole dish with ingredients like slow-cooked pork shoulder, tomatillos, and sometimes potatoes. Most people would consider it a stew, more than a soup. Its flavors come from a sauce called salsa verde.

      Why does my salsa verde taste sour? ›

      Raw tomatillos can be acidic, you want your finished salsa to be tangy, but not mouth-puckeringly sour. If your finished salsa is too sour, add more sugar, ¼ teaspoon at a time until the flavor is more balanced.

      What is the difference between salsa Mexican and salsa verde? ›

      Salsa verde, or green salsa, is growing in popularity as more people are willing to try different salsa beyond the common salsa roja. Instead of red tomatoes, salsa verde uses tomatillos. Tomatillos are closely related to tomatoes, but it is important to know that they are not simply unripe or baby tomatoes.

      What is Mexican hot sauce called? ›

      As a small evidentiary sampling, consider the classic Mexican-style bottled hot sauces, or “salsas picante,” such as Cholula, Valentina, and Tapatío; and the Louisiana-style bottled hot sauces such as Crystal, Tabasco, and the eponymous Louisiana.

      Which Mexican sauce is hotter red or green? ›

      Cilantro often makes an appearance in both, but more so in green salsas, which feature an overall herbal flavor. Typically red salsas are served slightly chilled, while green salsas can be served chilled or as a warm sauce. Another general rule? Red salsa is hotter than green.

      What is green devil sauce? ›

      This hot sauce is crafted with a tangy lime juice base, and an infusion of flavorful herbs, white habaneros and ghost pepper. It pairs exceptionally well with soups and stews, delivering a bold and zesty kick that will leave your taste buds craving for more.

      How do you make jarred salsa verde taste better? ›

      Citrus: Add a splash of fresh lime or lemon juice to brighten up the flavors and provide a tangy kick. Garlic: Roast or sauté garlic before blending it into the salsa verde to give it a rich and slightly sweet taste. Onions: Consider using.

      How do you thicken salsa verde? ›

      Thicker Consistency: salsa verde can be a little on the thin side, which I don't mind, but if you want to thicken it, simply let it simmer over medium heat on the stove top to allow it to reduce!

      Which of the following items is the main ingredient in salsa verde? ›

      The main ingredient in salsa verde is tomatillo. Also known as a “Mexican husk tomato”, the tomatillo is related to the traditional red tomato, but—as you may have guessed—it's green.

      What is the difference between red hot sauce and green hot sauce? ›

      Red also typically has what many people describe as a more “earthy” taste, while green tends towards a “fresher” taste. In addition, most verde sauces are combined with citrus juice like lime, which accounts for a lot of the flavor profile people are used to.

      What does green hot sauce taste like? ›

      (Most run of the mill green hot sauces are made only with jalapeños.) The green jalapeño provides fresh, grassy notes, while the poblano rounds out the undertones, providing an earthy sweetness underneath the heat. There's a bit of garlic in green pepper Cholula, too.

      What's the difference between red and green hot sauce? ›

      The difference between the two sauces is actually how it's prepared. When making the sauces, if the seeds and the veins of the pepper are removed, the sauce won't be as hot. A red pepper is riper than a green pepper and so it can have a sweeter taste, while a green sauce may have a more herby flavor.

      Why is some hot sauce green? ›

      Green hot sauces are a type of chili pepper-based sauce that gets its color from either unripened peppers or from green herbs and vegetables such as cilantro, tomatillos, and avocado. While there are many different types of hot sauce, green hot sauce is unique in its flavor profile and in the way it is used.

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