• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Latina Mom Meals logo

  • Puerto Rican Recipes
  • Cuban Recipes
  • More Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Puerto Rican Recipes
  • Cuban
  • Main Dishes
  • Soups
  • Desserts
  • Appetizers
  • Side Dishes
  • Drinks
  • Submit A Recipe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Puerto Rican Recipes
    • Cuban
    • Main Dishes
    • Soups
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Drinks
    • Submit A Recipe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Tasty Recipes

    March 25, 2019 Side Dishes

    Salsa Verde Recipe

    Roasted tomatillos, garlic, onions, cilantro, and spices come together to create this mild salsa verde recipe that is perfect in quesadillas, over tacos, and dipped with tortilla chips. 

    What is salsa verde?

    Have you ever wondered what salsa verde is? You see it on tacos from authentic Mexican restaurants and you even find salsa verde in glass jars near the tortilla section. But is salsa verde spicy? Is salsa verde a sauce or a marinade? Can salsa verde be frozen?

    Salsa verde is a sauce that is made with roasted tomatillos, onions, garlic, cilantro, and a mixture of spices. For a nice kick many people people choose to add jalapeno to their salsa verde.

    Did you know tomatillos are not green tomatoes? They're cousins of tomatoes! Tomatillos have a husk on them, which when you're ready to cook, just pull the husks back and rinse the tomatillos. They're a beautiful bright green color! 

    For salsa verde, you do not have to cut the tomatillos, keeping them whole is essential for preserving the juices. For a more smokey taste, you'll want to roast the tomatillos until they're pretty dark in patches. I personally put them under the broiler for a minute at the end of the roasting time, since I love the salsa verde recipe to have a little smokey taste. 

    When making this homemade salsa verde recipe, remember to not peel the garlic before roasting. Roasting the garlic still whole keeps the garlic from burning. Plus, it's so much easier to pop out the garlic cloves after it have been roasted. Quick note, you're only roasting half of your cilantro. Try to keep the cilantro together and under some onions and cilantro to keep the leaves from burning. If it's excessively burnt, you can toss those leaves and keep the ones that are only slightly crisp. I swear, it adds to the depth of flavor. Plus, the fresh cilantro will balance the salsa verde sauce.

    For this salsa verde recipe, I've chosen to use ground oregano since I couldn't find the dried oregano, and I am happy I did! Ground Dominican oregano is bolder in flavor profile than regular dried oregano flakes. Want to learn more about the differences in oregano? If so, I highly suggest you watch Chef Zee's video where she breaks down the differences in oregano!

    Remember, you want to make sure you're not chopping your vegetables, outside of your onion, where it's still going to be a large chunk. With roasting, your vegetables naturally shrink a little, and you want to have a great smokey flavor, not burnt!

    Using a food processor to make salsa verde is a must! Blenders are officially only good for shakes and coquito or flan. From now on, making salsa verde, sauces, and sofrito will only take place in a food processor. The speed and how fine everything gets pulsed can't be beat.

    Common questions for making salsa verde

    Can Salsa verde be frozen?

    Yes, salsa verde can be frozen if properly stored in an airtight container or in a freezer Ziploc bag will all of the air removed. If you choose to freeze salsa verde, the thawing stage will create a thinner consistency which isn't great for dipping, but perfect for adding to quesadillas, 7 layer dips, or add some avocado to make the salsa verde thicker.

    Can salsa verde be made in advance?

    Salsa verde, if stored properly can be canned to last for months, can be refrigerated up to 6 days, and can be frozen up to a month. If you're making it for a party, I suggest making it the morning of to give it a few hours for the flavors to infuse together. 

    When to use salsa verde?

    If you're wondering when to use salsa verde, the answer is now! Adding a dollop of salsa verde to scrambled eggs, over Spanish rice, or even dipping celery sticks into it are all great ways to use salsa verde for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snack time.

    salsa verde in a food processor

    Mild Salsa Verde Recipe

    Tasty and fresh, this salsa verde recipe is the perfect sauce dip for tacos and chips!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories:
    Author: Neyssa

    Ingredients

    • 12 to matillos husk removed
    • 1 ⁄2 Spanish onion
    • 1 head of garlic or 6 cloves
    • 1 cup of cilantro
    • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon of cumin
    • 1 teaspoon of ground Dominican oregano
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • In a large bowl, toss all ingredients except for the lime juice and 1⁄2 cup of cilantro together.
    • Add tomatillo mixture to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tomatillos have
    • roasted.
    • Remove from the oven, remove garlic from the skin, add all ingredients, plus the lime juice and
    • remaining cilantro into a food processor and pulse.
    • Place into a container and store in the refrigerator.

    More Tasty Recipes

    • Frituras de Malanga | Malanga Fritters
    • Coffee Flan
    • Camarones Enchilados | Shrimp Stew
    • Spaghetti with Pork Chops

    Keep up to date!

    Receive weekly emails with free recipes, advice, and more!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    looking for something?

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Guided by taste, not measurements, I strive to recreate classic Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes treasured by those that have come before us. Read more about me!

    Summer Salad Recipes

    white bowl with pickled bananas over white and black cloth

    Guineos escabache con mollejas

    chayote egg salad in a white bowl

    Chayote Egg Salad

    Shrimp Macaroni Salad

    Shrimp potato salad in blue bowl

    Shrimp Potato Salad

    pasta salad with radish slices

    Mexican Spicy Pasta Salad

    Puerto Rican potato salad in a blue bowl with cilantro as garnish

    Puerto Rican Potato Salad

    Chayote Tuna Salad Recipe

    Avocado Caprese Salad Recipe in a white bowl

    Summer Avocado Caprese Salad

    Instant Pot & Slow Cooker

    oxtails with corn and potatoes

    Puerto Rican Oxtail Stew

    Pollow a la barbacoa chicken on a teal plate

    Pollo a la Barbacoa (Cuban Soy Butter Chicken)

    Refried beans in a blue bowl with pico de gallo on top

    Instant Pot Refried Beans

    barbacoa taco on parchment paper

    Instant Pot Barbacoa Tacos

    Puerto Rican Kidney Beans in a white bowl

    Puerto Rican Kidney Beans

    Navy Beans With Ham

    ropa vieja in a black spoon

    Instant Pot Cuban Ropa Vieja

    Instant Pot Cuban Pernil Recipe | Instant Pot Cuban Pulled Pork Recipe

    Cuban Pernil Instant Pot Recipe (Cuban Pulled Pork Instant Pot Recipe)

    Rice & Beans

    pantry staples such as rice, flour, and seasonings

    Puerto Rican Pantry Staples

    Pinterest image of rice in a bowl

    Puerto Rican Rice Recipes

    garbanzos in a pot

    Puerto Rican Garbanzos Guisados

    risotto with chorizo and asparagus on a black plate

    Chorizo Risotto

    Achiote Oil | Annatto Oil

    Basic Puerto Rican Rice

    Arroz Con Leche (Rice and Milk)

    rice and shrimp stew in a blue plate

    Asopao de Camarones | Shrimp Stew

    Stay in the know!

    Follow along for weekly emails with new recipes, meal plans, and more!

    Looking for something?

    • Privacy Policy

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme