Salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)

Name: Salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 450 g tomatillo, husked and rinsed of their sticky coating; 2–4 green chilli, stems removed, left whole; ¼ onion, roughly chopped; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 15 g coriander leaves, washed, roughly chopped; ¾ tsp salt; 60 ml water (optional)

Vegetarian

Salsa verde

Tart Mexican green salsa of simmered tomatillos and serrano chiles blended with raw onion, garlic, cilantro and salt.

Salsa verde (tomatillo salsa) is a Mexican condiment from Mexico, ready in about 22 minutes and made with tomatillo, green chilli and coriander leaves. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Close-up of Mexican nachos with green salsa and sliced jalapeños on a rustic tray. — Photo: Los Muertos Crew / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 22 min
Serves: 10
Level: Beginner
Calories: 17

Ingredients

10 servings (about 50 g each)

450 g Tomatillo (opens in a new tab), husked and rinsed of their sticky coating
2–4 (12–24 g) Green chilli (opens in a new tab), stems removed, left wholeSerrano chiles.Swap: Jalapeño (Milder.)
¼ (28 g) Onion (opens in a new tab), roughly choppedWhite onion.
1 clove (4 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), peeled
15 g Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), washed, roughly choppedLeaves and tender stems.
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
60 ml Water (opens in a new tab) (optional)Use some of the cooking water to thin.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Put the tomatillos (opens in a new tab) and chiles in a saucepan (opens in a new tab), cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the tomatillos turn from bright to olive green and soften but don't burst.
- 10 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels
2
Step 2
Drain, keeping a cup of the cooking water, and let cool for a few minutes.
- 2 min
3
Step 3
Blend the tomatillos (opens in a new tab) and chiles with the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab) and salt until fairly smooth, adding a splash of cooking water if needed.
- 2 min
- Blender (opens in a new tab)
4
Step 4
Taste for salt and heat. The salsa thickens as it cools.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Mexico · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from Mexico
Dish: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Sauces
Cooking method: Boiled, Blended
Taste: sour, spicy (chilli heat), fresh, herby
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Everyday · Make-ahead
Cook more with: Tomatillo · Green chilli · Coriander leaves · Onion · Garlic
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

17 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 52 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

Protein 10%
Carbohydrate 66%
Fat 23%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	17 kcal	33 kcal
Protein	0.5 g	1 g
Carbohydrate	3.2 g	6.1 g
Net carbohydrate	2.2 g	4.3 g
Sugars	2 g	3.8 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1 g	1.9 g
Fat	0.5 g	0.9 g
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0.1 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	176 mg	339 mg
Salt equivalent	0.4 g	0.8 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 138 mg
Calcium: 6 mg
Iron: 0.3 mg
Magnesium: 10 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 8 µg
Vitamin C: 9 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 5 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Optional ingredients are not included: water.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Blend hot ingredients in a vented blender with a towel over the lid.

Common mistakes

Boiling the tomatillos until they burst — they turn watery and the salsa loses body.

Serve with

Tacos, enchiladas verdes and chilaquiles
Grilled meats and eggs

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days.

Variations

Salsa verde cruda (Mexico): Blend raw tomatillos for a sharper, brighter salsa.
Salsa verde asada (Mexico): Char the tomatillos and chiles on a comal first for smoky depth.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Tomatillo, husked and rinsed of their sticky coating450 g
Green chilli, stems removed, left whole2 piece · 12 g

Used in steps 1, 3

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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