Authentic 5-ingredient Mexican Salsa Verde for your tacos, enchiladas, or breakfast eggs. Plus, a trick on how to adjust the spiciness to your liking.
How spicy is salsa verde
The answer is simple: as spicy as you want it to be.
I usually prepare a large batch and divide the base salsa in two, to make two batches. A batch of kid-friendly salsa verde and a batch of spicy salsa verde for the adults.
The trick is to cook tomatillos and garlic in one pan (or first), add to the blender and set aside. And your Jalapeños and/or Serranos in a different the pan (or after).
Blend the ingredient without the chili and then add one deseeded and deveined jalapeño at a time until you reach your desired spiciness.
My kids will eat a salsa verde with one seedless jalapeño (they don’t eat spicy AT ALL). I pour out about half of the salsa verde into one bowl or jar and then I add the serrano chili(s) one at a time until the salsa is as spicy as my husband and I like it.
The problem with chilis is that they always have a different degree of spiciness, which is why I like cooking several then adding one at a time.
How long does salsa verde last
As long as it is stored in an airtight container or jar and refrigerated, fresh homemade salsa verde is good for 4 to 6 days.
To be honest, though, I’ve never been able to keep it that long in the fridge staring at me. We are usually through a batch within 3 days of making it. It’s too delicious to keep sitting in the fridge.
Can salsa verde be frozen
Yes! Absolutely. Make sure you use a freezer-friendly air-tight container or silicone freezer bag and fill it to about 4/5th of the way up (liquid expands when freezing).
Salsa lasts very well in the freezer for up to two months. After two months it’s still good for consumption but the quality is less ideal.
What can salsa verde be used for
Salsa verde is great in and on any kind of taco such as Pinto Bean Tacos. It makes for the best enchiladas verdes.
And it tastes out of this world with eggs. You can either just drizzle it over a fried egg or you can make Huevos Divorciados (“Divorced Eggs”). Huevos divorciados are basically 2 eggs, one on a tortilla with salsa verde and one on a tortilla with salsa roja.
Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 6 large tomatillos
- 2-4 jalapeño chilis and/or serrano chilis
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro
- salt
Instructions
- Peel and wash tomatillos, leave as whole but cut out the hard top middle white section like you would with a strawberry. Be careful because the white part is very hard but the tomatillo's flesh is soft and the knife slips easily.
- Peel garlic and wash and deseed jalapeño chiles.
- Place tomatillos as a whole, garlic cloves as a whole and chilis as a whole in a pan with a lid and add about an inch of water. (If you want more control over spiciness, cook tomatillos and garlic in one pan and chilis in another).
- Bring water to the boil and once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Cook until tomatillos are very soft (about 20 minutes).
- Wash cilantro and cut off bottom part of stalks.
- Add cooked tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, and about half a teaspoon of salt to a blender and blend for about 30 seconds, then and chilis cutting off the stem first (and deseeding if desired) one at a time until you reach desired spiciness. Blend until smooth.
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Jessica Gavin says
I’ve been looking for a good salsa verde and I can’t wait to make this one! Can it be used for enchiladas as well? Yum!
Lorena says
Hi Jessica, yes!! It’s the same sauce used for enchiladas :D
Denise says
Thanks for the recipe. Love finding new ways to make salsa! It’s nice finding a blog for healthy recipes for Mexican dishes.
Lorena says
You are very welcome Denise :)