Homemade salsa verde and chips taste so much better than store bought!
Homemade salsa verde has got to be one of the most versatile sauces out there. You can use it to enhance breakfast, lunch, or dinner and it’s the base of so many delicious dishes. Who doesn’t love green salsa?! I always, always go for salsa verde when presented with the choice of red or green. I just love the herbaceous brightness of it.
What is salsa verde?
There are so many kinds of salsa out there. After all, salsa means sauce and there are so many kinds of sauce out there. But, I must say, the three most common are salsa roja (red), salsa verde (green), and salsa fresca/pico de gallo (fresh). Today we’re talking about salsa verde, or green salsa. Salsa verde is a salsa made using tomatillos, a type of nightshade that looks like a green tomato, but isn’t.
How to make salsa verde
This is one of the easiest salsas to make – there’s virtually no chopping. All you need to do is prep, roast, blend, and enjoy.
- Prep the tomatillos and aromatics. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and give them a rinse so they’re not sticky. Pat them dry. Wash and dry your green chiles. Lightly coat the tomatillos and chiles with a neutral oil and place them on a baking sheet.
- Roast the tomatillos and peppers in the oven until soft and caramelized. Stem the peppers in a bowl with a lid and then remove the skins.
- Pop the tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in a blender and pulse.
- Taste, season with salt and enjoy!
Is salsa verde spicy?
The beauty of salsa verde – and all salsas, really – is that you can make them as spicy or mild as you want by adjusting the amount of chiles you put in them. If you want a bit of spice but not too much heat, be sure to remove the ribs and pith (the white parts inside the pepper), that’s where most of the spice is. This salsa verde is completely customizable because you’re going to chose which green chile peppers you want to use.
Which peppers for salsa verde?
Personally we LOVE Hatch chile salsa verde the smokiness of Hatch chiles pairs perfectly with tomatillos. You can also use jalapeños, poblanos, serrano, or Anaheim. From spiciest to mildest, it goes:
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Hatch (they go from mild to extra hot)
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Serrano
🔥🔥🔥 Jalapeño
🔥🔥 Poblano
🔥 Anaheim
What are tomatillos?
Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cooking. They come covered in a papery husk on the outside with a firm round green fruit on the inside. Eaten raw and cooked, they’re used in a variety of dishes, most well known in salsa verde. They’re also used in stews, soups, and other sauces. Tomatillos have a sweet and tangy, earthy, and slightly acidic. They’re perfect for salsa.
How to choose tomatillos
Choose bright green tomatillos with an tight, intact green husk that covers the fruit with just the bottom of the husk slightly split open. Tomatillos should be firm. Smaller tomatillos tend to be more ripe and sweet. You can find tomatillos in the grocery store, usually near the jalapeños.
How to prep tomatillos
Remove the papery husks by pulling them away from the fruit and twisting at the stem.
Rinse them under cool water until they’re no longer sticky.
Pat them dry and they’re ready to use.
Do you need to remove the skins from tomatillos?
Nope! The skins on tomatillos are thin and edible so you don’t need to peel them. Just be sure to remove the husks.
How to roast tomatillos in the oven
- Preheat the broiler.
- Prep the tomatillos by removing the papery husks, rinsing, and drying well.
- Lightly coat the tomatillos in oil.
- Place on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes until soft and lightly blackened, flipping as needed.
How to pan-roast tomatillos on the stove
- Prep the tomatillos by removing the papery husks, rinsing, and drying well.
- Heat a heavy bottom skillet over high heat.
- Add a touch of oil to the skillet and add the tomatillos and sear over high heat, flipping as needed, until the tomatillos are soft and lightly blistered.
How to air fry tomatillos
De-husk, wash, and dry the tomatillos. Cut them in half and add to a parchment paper or foil lined basket of your air fryer. Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes or until brown and lightly blistered.
What to do with salsa verde
- enjoy them with homemade tortilla chips
- make chili verde
- make enchiladas
- use as salsa for tacos
- make green chilaquiles
- enjoy on top of cilantro lime rice
- make hot honey chicken
- have it with nachos
Happy salsa verde-ing!
xoxo steph
Ingredients
- 1 lb tomatillos dehusked and cleaned
- 2 green chiles of choice
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/2 lime juice only
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil. Remove the outer casings from the tomatillos. Wash and throughly dry the tomatillos and green chiles.
- Lightly coat the chiles and tomatillos with a neutral oil and place them in a roasting dish. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until the tomatillos are soft and the peppers are blistered, flipping as needed.
- Carefully move the chiles to a bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap to let steam for 10 minutes. Rub the skins off the peppers, stem and seed (if you want a less spicy salsa).
- Place the peppers, with the roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic, and cilantro into a blender. Purée, taste, and season with salt.
- Enjoy!
