Bright, bold, and packed with flavor—this zesty green salsa made with tomatillos and jalapeños is your new go-to for taco night, chips, and everything in between.
Hold the sugar, please
Don’t ask me why…but I just do not like sweet green salsa. You can add that to my long list of things people are surprised that I don’t like: doughnuts (except for cronuts), cinnamon rolls, marshmallows, anything slimy, overcooked veggies, innards (but who is surprised by this?), iceberg lettuce (not that I won’t eat it…I just prefer other varieties), coconut water, and there is more, I am sure. I am just not thinking of it right now.
Fresh, chunky, and absolutely irresistible
Green salsa, savory, bright, and zesty. THAT is something I can eat anytime, anywhere, anyplace. I love to roast the veggies if I have time, but even if I throw them all in raw, I still love this simple and fresh version of green salsa. It pairs perfectly with chicken, chips, beans, anyplace you would serve a red salsa, this can go in its place or alongside it. Yum!
Caution: this salsa bites back (in the best way possible).
The basic recipe is pretty mild and not sweet (you can add sugar as desired, I prefer it without)! The recipe is yummy without roasting but if you have a few extra minutes, throw the onions, jalapenos and tomatillos onto a cookie sheet and roast in a hot oven on broil and let them blister before throwing them all into the food processor or blender (cut off stems of the jalapenos, and leave seeds in or not, the ribs and seeds are where the heat are…I left about half the seeds in). I left half of the tomatillos raw and roasted the other half. Delish!
For an easy dinner, I used the leftover salsa from a triple batch and cooked some chicken breasts with homemade taco seasoning in the air fryer basket. I served it with rice on the side and some fajita-style peppers and onions, a dollop of sour cream on top and voila, we had a quick and easy and delicious dinner! We ate it as a Mexican bowl but you could just as easily fold it into a tortilla and add some cheese. The Supreme Commander (aka my hubby) often prefers to enjoy a utensil-free meal!
Why You’ll Love It
- From the food processor to the bowl (minimal cleanup!)
- Fresh & zesty (you control the spice level)
- Pretty addictive (you’ve been warned!)
- Quick & easy –ready as fast as you can chop & blitz
I love me some salsa. Green, red, chunky, smooth, you name it, as long as it isn’t too hot, salsa is my happy place. With chips, on eggs, to cook chicken in, to pour over a Mexican bowl or casserole…so many ways to enjoy it.
This zesty green salsa proves that real flavor doesn’t need to be fancy–just fresh, fun, and a little feisty. Real food. Real kitchens. Real love. –The Food Civilian
Zesty Green Salsa
Equipment
- food processor or a blender
Ingredients
- 1 bunch cilantro washed and bulk of stems removed
- 1 lb tomatillos husked and halved or quartered
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds seeds & ribs in for more heat
- 1-2 *pasilla peppers (optional, will add some heat) seeds & ribs in for more heat
- 1 medium onion rough chopped
- 1 4oz *can green chiles (optional, will add some heat)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½-1 tsp salt
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced. Include both white and green parts. only need to rough chop if you want them to run through the food processor or blender
- 1 TBS white vinegar optional, but highly recommended
Instructions
- Rough chop any ingredients you are putting into the food processor or blender.
- Place rough chopped onions and peppers onto a baking sheet & mist with neutral oil.
- Broil @450 until blistered. Cool.
- Add cooled, roasted onions and peppers and remaining ingredients into food processor or blender.
- Pulse or blend until the consistency is how you want it.
- Taste with a chip. Adjust seasonings as needed.