recipes

Easy, 8-Ingredient Salsa Verde Recipe

Name: Homemade Salsa Verde
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3lbs tomatillos, remove husk and cut in half; 1 medium-sized onion, peel and cut in half; 2 jalapeños, remove stem and seeds; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons olive oil; Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 tablespoons of lime juice; Salt to taste (I use up to ¼ teaspoon to keep it lower-sodium); Souper Cubes Half-Cup Tray

by Michelle Sendowski | September 27, 2020

Table of Contents

salsa verde on an open beef taco with avocado, rice, and black beans

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One of my best friends introduced me to Trader Joe's salsa verde a few years ago and, ever since, I’ve been hooked on it. If you haven’t had it before, Salsa Verde (verde means “green” in Spanish) is a delicious sauce popular in Mexican cuisine that is made with tomatillos and peppers.

Some of my favorite ways to use Salsa Verde include:

Breakfast burritos
Bean and cheese burritos
Steak or chicken tacos
Chips and salsa
Salsa Verde chicken enchiladas

The only thing I don’t love about the Trader Joe’s brand of Salsa Verde is their sodium count -- 1 tablespoon of the Trader Joe’s brand has 145mg of sodium. Since we're a low-sodium household, I wanted to see if I could make these from scratch with all the flavor but a fraction of the salt.

While this salsa requires few ingredients and is easy to make, my preference is to prepare a large batch and freeze it in smaller portions.

Do you have a favorite salsa? Comment below.

Freezing Salsa Verde

Yes, you can freeze Salsa Verde. In fact, I intentionally prep a large batch so I can freeze in smaller individual portions. My preference is to freeze in half-cup portions.

salsa verde frozen in souper cubes half-cup tray

Once the Salsa Verde is frozen, I prefer to pop the frozen cubes out of the Souper Cubes tray and place in a freezer-safe bag. You can fit 5 half-cup cubes in a standard quart-size bag.

To thaw Salsa Verde from frozen, you can:

Let it thaw on the counter for one hour
Let it thaw in the fridge overnight
Microwave in 30-second bursts until fully thawed.

Cleaning Tomatillos for Salsa Verde

Tomatillos often come with the husk still on in most grocery stores. You’ll want to remove the husk and discard it before cooking with tomatillos.

To clean the tomatillos so that they are ready for the salsa:

Peel off the husk. The tomatillo skin will be a bit sticky.
Clean the tomatillos with water.
Cut each tomatillo in half.

How To Make Salsa Verde

Gather and Prep All Ingredients

ingredients to make salsa verde on a wooden plate. includes: tomatillos, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt

Salsa Verde requires very few ingredients but is packed with flavor.

Ingredients

Tomatillos
Jalapenos
Salt
Lime Juice
Onion
Garlic
Cilantro

Place tomatillos, onion, and jalapeños in the oven and broil until slightly charred

sheet pan of charred vegetables for salsa verde

Transfer ingredients to a blender, add cilantro. Season with salt and lime juice.

charred vegetables in a blender for salsa verde recipe

If your salsa is looking too liquidy, you can reduce it in a pot. Simply heat up a pot or pan (make sure it's large enough for all the salsa), add a couple tablespoons of oil, and then add salsa. Stir for 3-5 minutes until salsa has reduced to a desired thickness and consistency.

Chill salsa in a refrigerator, then serve

Freeze Leftovers in Souper Cubes Tray

image of salsa verde in a half-cup souper cubes tray with 6 frozen half-cup portions in a ziploc bag to the side.

One batch of this homemade Salsa Verde yields about 4 cups.

Homemade Salsa Verde

Servings

8 half-cup portions

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

This salsa verde recipe is perfect for breakfast burritos or just to enjoy with chips. My favorite is that it's easy to make, requires only 6 ingredients (plus salt), and is freezer meal prep friendly! Be sure to check it out.

Ingredients

3lbs tomatillos, remove husk and cut in half
1 medium-sized onion, peel and cut in half
2 jalapeños, remove stem and seeds
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons of lime juice
Salt to taste (I use up to ¼ teaspoon to keep it lower-sodium)

For Freezer Meal Prep

Souper Cubes Half-Cup Tray

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Directions

Char Vegetables. Turn on broiler on oven. Place 3lbs tomatillos, 3 garlic cloves, 1 medium-sized onion, and 2 jalapeños on a sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil until charred and the vegetables have started to blacken. About 15-20 minutes. Check every 6-8 minutes.
Blend Vegetables. Transfer charred ingredients to a blender or food processor. Add fresh cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
Cool Salsa. Transfer to a refrigerator and cool for 2-3 hours before serving.
Freezing Salsa Verde. Pour remaining Salsa Verde in your preferred Souper Cubes tray. Place lid and freeze overnight. To defrost, leave in fridge overnight or microwave in 30 second intervals.

Recipe Note

To thicken your Salsa Verde, you can reduce it in a pot. I learned this trick from Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats. You’ll want to heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pot or large pan. Once the oil is hot, add the Salsa Verde and stir for 4-5 minutes.

If your prefer to have a spicier version of this salsa, you can add an extra jalapeno or keep some of the seeds from the 2 jalapenos.