Try this Tomatillo Salsa recipe for an authentic, tangy Mexican salsa verde. Perfect for pairing with tacos, enchiladas or a big bowl of chips!
Why This Recipe Works
Most people think of salsa as red and tomato based. And while I love it that way, too, you simply must give this green salsa a try!
Tomatillo Salsa Verde is a bright, tangy salsa made with tomatillos, a small, green fruit that’s also called a Mexican husk tomato. They make a great base for salsa!
- It takes just 15 minutes to make this homemade salsa verde!
- Only 5 ingredients needed (plus salt)!
- This recipe is super versatile! You can use it as a topping with all of your favorite Mexican dishes – or just scoop some up with chips!
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatillos – You can find these in the produce area of the grocery store, near the tomatoes. Be sure to remove the husk from each tomatillo before cooking them.
- Onion – We like to use a white onion for this recipe. You could also substitute a sweet or yellow onion if that’s what you have.
- Cilantro – This adds tons of freshness to the salsa, plus extra green coloring!
- Jalapenos – Remove the membrane and seeds first to control the level of heat in the salsa.
- Limes – Fresh lime juice is the best! You need the juice from 2 limes for this salsa. Use the palm of your hand to roll the lime before you cut it to help release some of the juices.
Easy Instructions
STEP 1. Cook the tomatillos. Remove the husks from the tomatillos then add to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
STEP 2. Blend the salsa. Add the cooked tomatillos, along with the onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos and salt to a blender. Pulse until finely chopped and blended together.
STEP 3. Chill then serve. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator to allow the salsa to cool and allow the flavors to mingle. Then serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking the tomatillos is necessary for the best flavor. You can quickly boil them, as listed in the recipe card. You can also broil or roast them in the oven, but they lose a bit of tartness and have a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Like it spicy? Leave some of the membranes and seeds with the jalapenos to give the salsa more heat. Or you could add a third jalapeno to this recipe.
- Refrigerate the salsa, covered, to allow the flavors to marinate and allow the salsa to cool down before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Tomatillos, also called Mexican husk tomatoes, look like small, unripe green tomatoes that are covered in a husk.
They are a fruit and while they are technically not tomatoes, they are in the same nightshade family.
Yes! Because the salsa needs to chill to cool down and allow the flavors to mingle, it’s best to make it at least a half hour in advance.
The salsa can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
What to serve with Tomatillo Salsa
- Crock Pot Carnitas
- Barbacoa Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Chicken Lime Enchiladas
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Instant Pot Barbacoa
- Chicken Fajitas
Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds tomatillos
- 1 small white onion
- ¾ cup cilantro
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove husks from tomatillos. In a large pot of boiling water, add tomatillos and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos, and salt to blender. Add in warm tomatillos. Pulse until finely chopped and blended.
- Cool in refrigerator to allow flavors to mingle. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cooking the tomatillos is necessary for the best flavor. You can quickly boil them, as listed in the recipe card. You can also broil or roast them in the oven, but they lose a bit of tartness and have a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Like it spicy? Leave some of the membranes and seeds with the jalapenos to give the salsa more heat. Or you could add a third jalapeno to this recipe.
- Refrigerate the salsa, covered, to allow the flavors to marinate and allow the salsa to cool down before serving.
This is such a great salsa recipe!! Thanks.
We have made this so many times- it’s so good!
I could live on salsa and this is so good!
When I read this, I thought ground cherries were the red fruit that had been ground up!!!! When I looked it up, I found that ground cherries are like small tomatillos ( cherry tomatoes). It’s a good thing I did not grind up some red cherries to put in the recipe!!! LOL
Although to be honest, regular red cherries would be delicious I’m sure…as I have a mango salsa that is fantastic with the sweet and spicy combo 🙂
I too was confused by the “cherries “ in your recipe. Would you please clarify your recipe to say, ‘cherry tomatoes’ so people don’t think of actual cherries. Thanks
I actually describe what ground cherries are in the blog post…you know the part that most readers complain about having to scroll through, haha!