Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This homemade tomatillo salsa recipe (salsa verde) is bright, tangy, and packed with fresh green chile flavor. Simply chop, simmer, and blend for a delicious sauce that's perfect for tacos, enchiladas, chicken, eggs, and more. Make extra and freeze it for quick meals.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: salsa, Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: yield 5-6 cups

Calories: 29kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

blender
large pot with lid like a 5 ½ quart dutch oven

Ingredients

2 ½-3 pounds green tomatillos
1 medium onion
1 large Anaheim chile pepper
1 large jalapeno chile pepper
2 large garlic cloves chopped
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch optional

Instructions

Prep Tomatillos, Onion, and Chiles

Remove paper husks from the tomatillos, wash and chop them. Roughly chop the onion. Split the chiles in half lengthwise, remove seeds and membrane, then chop. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.

Cook the Tomatillo Salsa

Add everything to a medium (4-5 quart) saucepan with the water, cumin, oregano, coriander, and salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to low. Cover and simmer with a lid on for approximately 15-20 minutes, until it all falls apart and gets very soft.

Blend and Store

Carefully transfer the hot salsa to a blender. Secure the lid, allowing steam to escape safely, and blend to your preferred consistency. Work in batches if necessary.
Use as is (warm) or cool and refrigerate, or portion and freeze. Salsa will last 5 days in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer. To thicken, see note below.

Notes

How to Thicken Tomatillo Salsa

If you prefer a slightly thicker salsa with more body, you can thicken it right in the blender. With the salsa is still hot, add 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch directly to the blended sauce and pulse until smooth. It thickens almost immediately and evenly, without the extra step of making a slurry.

Arrowroot also holds up much better through freezing and thawing, keeping the salsa smooth and stable. Cornstarch can break down after freezing, making sauces watery or separated.

Nutrition