Everyone has their favorite dishes when they go out to eat at a nice local Mexican restaurant. Maybe it’s the savory fish tacos on homemade tortillas or the nachos piled high with seasoned beef and tangy queso sauce. All good choices, but for us and many others, nothing would really be the same without that unmistakable and unbeatable Mexican salsa verde.

Salsa verde or tomatillo salsa is a spicy and tangy sauce used on or to complement tons of different Mexican dishes. Unlike the more traditional red salsa which is served with fresh and uncooked ingredients, this particular recipe is made from things that are cooked ahead of time before blending into a smooth sauce, one of these ingredients being the tomatillo itself (sort of like a green tomato).

If you’ve never had it before, you owe it to yourself to fix that mistake. Short of going out right this instant to get some at a restaurant, there’s always the option of making it at home.

Whether you’re just learning about this delicious salsa or have dreamed of this moment for years but never made the jump to finding a recipe, here’s our guide on how to make tomatillo salsa to go with all your most beloved Mexican dishes.

Step #1. Prepare Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Serrano chili pepper, stemmed, seeded & minced
• 2 1/2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp. oregano, chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups water
• Blender

Step #2. Place Tomatillos in Saucepan

Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chili pepper into a saucepan with the water.

Step #3. Add Seasoning

Add the cilantro, oregano and cumin to the pot.

Step #4. Bring Tomatillo Mixture to a Boil

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until tomatillos are soft (10 to 15 minutes). Remove tomatillos, onions, etc. with a slotted spoon into a blender jar.

Step #5. Pulse

Pulse the cooked tomatillos, onions, garlic, cilantro, and chili pepper in a blender until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season with salt, to taste.

Step #6. Serve

You can chill it or serve warm with tortilla chips and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Now you’ve got everything you need to make amazing tomatillo salsa right at home whenever you want. Just one bite scooped up with a tortilla chip or dolloped onto a taco and you’ll see exactly why you needed this recipe in your rotation in the first place.

There’s really nothing quite like a homemade tomatillo salsa, especially one made with fresh ingredients that you cooked yourself. This salsa emits such a wonderful aroma while cooking, you’d think you were actually in a Mexican restaurant.

Like with any recipe you take on in your own kitchen, it gives you a new level of freedom to experiment with flavors and amounts that you couldn’t get at a restaurant or out of a jar. Want some more spice? Add some more cumin or another pepper. Missing some sweetness? Try a touch of brown sugar.

Try serving it with our Grilled Halibut Tacos! What’s your favorite way to eat tomatillo salsa? Make up a batch today and let us know!

How to Make Tomatillo Salsa

Joss D

Unlike the more traditional red salsa which is served with fresh and uncooked ingredients, this particular recipe is made from things that are cooked ahead of time before blending into a smooth sauce, one of these ingredients being the tomatillo itself (sort of like a green tomato).

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Condiment

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8 1/4 cup servings

Calories 29 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 pound tomatillos - chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup onion - chopped
• ▢ 1 garlic clove - minced
• ▢ 1 Serrano chili pepper - stemmed, seeded and minced
• ▢ 2 ½ tbsp. cilantro - chopped
• ▢ 1 tbsp. oregano - chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ▢ Salt - to taste

Instructions

 

• Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chili pepper into a saucepan with the water.
  
• Add the cilantro, oregano and cumin to the pot.
  
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until tomatillos are soft (10 to 15 minutes). Remove tomatillos, onions, etc. with a slotted spoon into a blender jar.
  
• Pulse the cooked tomatillos, onions, garlic, cilantro, and chili pepper in a blender until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season with salt, to taste.
  
• You can chill it or serve warm with tortilla chips and enjoy.
  

Equipment

Blender

Saucepan

Slotted spoon

Notes

If you enjoy more heat, don’t remove all of the serrano chili pepper seeds/membrane, as that is where the majority of the heat comes from.

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcalCarbohydrates: 5gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 8.8mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1.3mg

Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

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