Jalapeño Salsa Verde

This simple recipe for Jalapeno Salsa Verde is so much more flavorful than what's available to buy in grocery stores. Using fresh ingredients like jalapeno peppers and tomatillos, it's the perfect condiment for homemade tortilla chips, Mexican dishes or anything else you usually top with salsa.

Good for You Ingredients

I like making my own salsa for two reasons.

First, because I know the ingredients in my salsa. Commercially produced salsas contain mystery ingredients and additives. I like to stick with quality produce like tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic, and pantry staples like vinegar that give this salsa a fresh flavor.

I also like to make my own salsa because I can make a smaller batch of salsa that I know we can eat up in a few days' time.

My hubby used to get the Costco sized salsas which we'd use a quarter of and then after a week or two we'd have to pitch because of mold.

What's a Tomatillo?

Never had tomatillos before? A lot of folks think they're a small green tomatoes. But actually, they're related to gooseberries because of the papery husk around them.

When you pull the paper skin off, the surface of the tomatillo is a little bit sticky. Just rinse it under water to clean off the sticky residue. When they're ripe, they have a bitter sour kind of taste and are perfect for adding that fresh zing to your salsa. You'll see them used a lot in Mexican cuisine.

What is Salsa Verde?

Salsa is a broad category of condiment. The different types of salsas are generally named for their color or distinct ingredients. Verde means "green" in Spanish, referencing the bright green hue of this salsa.

There's also Salsa Roja which is "red" salsa like my Fresh Homemade Salsa. There's also Pico de Gallo which translates to "beak of the rooster". It's a fresh salsa made from diced tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onion, salt and serrano pepper.

Adjust the Spice Level

If you are not into spicy foods you can adjust the recipe to your personal tastes. To make it milder salsa, skip the jalapenos and instead, use two poblano peppers or you can use Anaheim peppers. They're mild peppers that will still give you great flavor.

If you want a little extra spicy flavor, toss in a habanero pepper or other spicy variety of peppers.

I do the same thing with other recipes like my Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip and Spicy Dill Pickle Dip.

Roasting The Vegetables

There are different ways to make salsa, but I personally like to roast the vegetables first.

Add the tomatillos, fresh garlic, poblano pepper, and jalapeno peppers to a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and roast them at 400F for a total of 30 minutes.

Roasting helps to bring out the natural sugars in the jalapeno peppers, creating caramelization and gives them the best flavor. This is what makes this salsa so addictively delicious.

Blending the Fresh Salsa

Once the roasted vegetables are done, the most important step is to add them to a blender along with oil (I use avocado oil or olive oil), lime juice, vinegar, water, salt and cilantro and blend it all up until you have a smooth green sauce.

If you're more a chunky style salsa fan, then you can blend it less or make this in the food processor. The consistency of your salsa is up to you.

Storing Jalapeño Salsa Verde

Enjoy this salsa room temperature or cold with something like my Instant Pot Pork Carnitas along with tortillas, sour cream, and guacamole. It's also fabulous on Breakfast Tacos.

You can keep it in an airtight container, like mason jars, in the refrigerator up to one week.

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