Easy Salsa Verde Recipe with Roasted Tomatillos or Green Tomatoes (Can or Freeze)
Making this salsa verde recipe from scratch is easier than you think! A simple roasting of green tomatoes or tomatillos brings out a flavor so sublime, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff. You can make this salsa as spicy as you like and then choose to water bath can it or freeze it for a burst of summer any time of year. This is perfect for a taco bar or anywhere you’d use salsa, and makes a great sauce for slow cooked chicken or pork.
✩ What readers are saying…
“I have never been a big fan of salsa verde, but I have an abundance of green tomatoes that I do not want to go to waste. So I gave your recipe a try, and oh my goodness! This is so amazing and the recipe is so easy to follow. Thank you! I now have salsa in my freezer that we will enjoy throughout the winter. This will definitely be my go-to salsa recipe!” -Debby
This homemade salsa verde recipe is made with a simple roasting technique using tomatillos or green tomatoes – it’s equally good with whatever you have on hand! The tangy, slightly spicy flavor of green salsa gives such a great flavor to easy meals like tacos and enchiladas.
I love having this salsa verde on hand as another option, along with my red tomato based favorite canned salsa, as a dip for chips and using it in other southwestern recipes (a dollop of this on Chicken Chili? Yum.)
Salsa is one of the best things you can have in your pantry for quick meals and snacks – it really has saved us many times from the drive-through.
Every time we’re in a rush, or late coming home and I think about grabbing some food along the way, I remember that we usually have chips, cheese, salsa and sometimes tortillas. It takes about 10 minutes to make nachos or black bean quesadillas with salsa. Problem solved!
Can you use green tomatoes instead of tomatillos for salsa verde?
While the traditional Mexican salsa verde is made with tomatillos, the tangy flavor and firm texture of green tomatoes is a great substitute – with the added bonus of using up any green tomatoes you have on the vines at the end of the gardening season (and you know we love that!).
So it really is equally good with either fruit – feel free to use either.
Would you like even MORE ways to use up green tomatoes? Then check out this Green Tomatoes Recipe cookbook I created that features delicious recipes to both eat right away and preserve for later!
Ingredients Needed
- Tomatillos or green tomatoes: Like I mentioned above, you can use either. You can also use a combo of tomatillos and green tomatoes, which I have done often.
- Hot peppers: Use a combination of jalapeño and mild green Anaheim or Poblano chilies, to your taste and spice level – as long as the portions are the same, it’s safe for canning. I use half jalapeños and leave the seeds in because we like it spicy – use more Anaheims and Poblanos and/or remove seeds for less spice.
- Onions and garlic: Like all recipes to can, use only the amounts listed in the recipe card below – and follow the “coarsely chopped” guideline. NOTE: if you are freezing, you are free to adjust any of the ingredients!
- Bottled lime juice (or lemon): The lime or lemon are interchangeable, but it MUST be bottled (according to the USDA because bottled is a stable acid level). The tested recipe I based this on calls for lime or lemon, which means you cannot substitute vinegar (it’s not the same acid level as citrus).
- Oregano and Cumin: Feel free to adjust these amounts to your taste (though see note below).
- Salt and black pepper: You can also adjust these to your taste, though the salt needs to be a pure sea salt or a canning salt – basically a salt with no additives.
Spice Level Note: Over the years there have been a few comments about the flavor of the oregano or cumin taking over. One reader noted that the flavor is much more blended after canning and storage, so don’t make a quick decision right away if it’s not to your taste!
Freeze or can it, let the flavors meld, and then see what you think. In the words of reader Laura: “If you are not a green salsa fan, then maybe you still won’t like it, but this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever used!”
How to Prepare Tomatillos and Green Tomatoes for Salsa Verde
Tomatillos are such a fun plant to grow! All you need is 1-2 plants to harvest enough for salsa, so if you grow tomatoes, leave room to add a tomatillo for a change.
Harvest the tomatillos when they are firm and filling out the outer husk. To prepare them, simply rub or pull off the husk. You’ll notice a sticky residue left – that’s normal, simply wash the fruit to remove as much as you can. Then chop them (no need to core – there isn’t much of a core) and add them to the roasting pan.
As for green tomatoes, wash them as needed before coring and chopping them. The biggest question I see regarding green tomatoes is:
Do you have to peel green tomatoes for salsa verde?
No, you do not – no matter what you read. This recipe is based on a tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation where they state both that peeling and seeding aren’t necessary (and that you can substitute green tomatoes for tomatillos).
How to Make Roasted Salsa Verde
Step 1: Prep Ingredients. Wash, cut, and chop the tomatillos or green tomatoes, chilies, onion, and garlic placing them in a large roasting pan.
Step 2: Roast. Place roasting pan into a 425 degree oven and cook for 15 minutes. Stir ingredients and cook another 15-20 minutes until veggies are softened.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients and boil. Transferring the roasted vegetables to a stockpot, add the lime juice and seasonings, and bring to boil before canning (to freeze, let it cool and pour into freezer jars).
Chunky or Smoother?
This is the point you can choose your salsa’s texture. Leave the salsa with larger chunks or use an immersion blender in the pot to gently chop to a finer consistency. The salsa pictured was blended with an immersion blender, pulsing just a few times, so all the vegetables were more even sizes, but not all the way smooth.
Step 4: Can or freeze. Wash and prepare jars for both canning and freezing while the salsa comes to a boil. Add hot to canning jars and can according to the recipe card below or let cool and add to jars for freezing (leaving at least a 1″ headspace for freezer expansion).
Safely Can Roasted Tomatillo or Green Tomato Salsa
Making your own salsa means you know exactly what’s in it and can tailor it to you and your family’s liking.
However, you can tailor salsa only to a degree if you’re planning to can: the only ingredients you can adjust or change when canning in a water-bath canner are the dry ingredients. All the fresh ingredient ratios must stay the same to remain safe.
In adapting this recipe from a National Center for Home Food Preservation recipe, I safely changed the following:
- Roasting instead of boiling the vegetables initially to increase flavor (like my safe-to-can roasted tomato sauce).
- Keeping the same pepper-onion ratio to tomatillos/tomatoes, but increasing the peppers and decreasing the onions.
- Adjusting the dry spices.
If you would like a more garlic flavor, for instance, it will have to be added as dry garlic powder when canning or you can add it as fresh when you serve it.
More Reader Raves
“We made this salsa using 2/3 green tomatoes from our garden and 1/3 tomatillos. It was excellent! Great flavor and nice and thick. I cut the cumin in half though, and I still would reduce that slightly when we make it again next year. My husband said it is the best green salsa he’s ever tasted.” -Anita B.
“(This) is my new favorite thing!! Everyone that has tasted it asked for the recipe. I might add I’m not a great (just okay) cook and no one ever asks for my recipes. lol.” -Teri
“This recipe is amazingly flavorful. I used it first last fall when I had a huge basket of green cherry/grape tomatoes and it was going to freeze. The friends I shared it with were so crazy for it they asked to join me in making a huge batch this fall. It was, again, fantastic. It’s kind of over the top how every single person I’ve gifted this salsa to is compelled to send messages about how delicious it is. Thanks Jami!” -Laura
I hope you love this salsa verde recipe, too! If you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating so I know how you liked it!
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Roasted Salsa Verde Recipe with Tomatillos or Green Tomatoes To Can or Freeze
Equipment
- large roasting pan
- 6-12 quart stock pot
- canning or freezer jars and lids
- water bath canner optional
Ingredients
- 2 pounds coarsely chopped tomatillos or green tomatoes, about 5-7 cups, washed (husks removed from tomatillos; green tomatoes cored)
- 3 cups coarsely chopped hot peppers: a combination of jalapeño and mild green Anaheim or Poblano chilies to your taste*
- 3 cups coarsely chopped onions
- 6 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup bottled lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or canning salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste (Note: if you're sensitive to cumin, start with 1/2 tablespoon, though it does mellow after canning and storing.)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place tomatillos and/or green tomatoes in a large roasting pan. Add chilies, onion, garlic and mix.
- Roast vegetables for 30-35 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark, until the tomatillos/tomatoes are starting to break down.
- Scrape the roasted vegetables into a large stockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. While simmering, prepare water bath canner, lids and 4 pint or 8 half-pint jars if planning to can (or wash freezer-safe jars or containers for freezing).
- Blend the salsa further, if desired, with an immersion blender. Ladle into prepared jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace for canning (to freeze you'll need a good 1+ inch headspace for freezing to account for expansion).
- To Can: Wipe rims, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, turn off burner, remove lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove jars to a cloth-lined surface and let cool 12-24 hours before testing the seals, labeling, and storing for up to 18 months.
- To Freeze: Let salsa cool and then transfer to clean freezer containers. Label and freeze for a year for best flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Your Questions Answered
Many people have asked me about adding fresh cilantro to this recipe. The tested recipe does not include it so the standard answer is no. The NCHFP website (where the recipe is from) suggests adding cilantro when serving since it doesn’t keep its flavor as well with canning.
If you have an abundance of tomatillos and can’t process them all while they’re at their ripest, you CAN freeze them for later. You freeze tomatillos similar to tomatoes, either whole or cut. Remove the husks, wash, dry and lay out on lined cookie sheets to freeze until firm before adding to freezer baggies/containers.
TIP: If you want to use in a canning recipe, do like tomatoes and weigh them first, writing it on the bag before freezing.
If you’re going to freeze this only, it IS okay to add more fresh garlic, fresh cilantro, more peppers, or whatever you’d like to your heart’s content.
You wouldn’t be able to can it after doing these changes, though. The good thing is, it freezes great, so it’s really your choice!
Safe canning recommendations are that you can substitute bottled lemon/lime juice for vinegar, but not the other way around – you can’t substitute vinegar for lemon/lime juice as the acidity of lemon is higher and the recipe has been tested with that (source). So it’s not safe to use vinegar in this recipe instead of (or partially) the lemon or lime juice.
Tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, any and all Southwest, Tex-Mex, or Mexican themed meals! It also makes a great sauce for chicken or pork in a slow cooker – simply add the meat, top with a jar of salsa and set to cook (so good!).
More Easy Preserving Recipes To Try
This recipe has been updated- it was originally published in September of 2015 and updated in 2019 and 2024.
Can I add Cilantro to this and be safe?
I have to say no, since it wasn’t written/tested that way. However, if you wanted to add just a couple tablespoons of chopped cilantro you could try removing some of the onion to keep the low acid food balanced with the recipe. Personally, I don’t think that would be a problem safety-wise, but I can’t say that officially. 😉
Wonderful! I made two batches on two days! Friends and family are happy!
So glad! Thanks for the review!
I doubled it and got 9 pints exactly. I used 2 cups jalapeños and 4 cups green peppers. I also used half white and half red onions, so there are flecks of color throughout. Btw, immersion blender didn’t cut it so I ladled it in food processor and pulsed a few times. Yum!
Great – glad you liked it and that the blender worked for you!
Flavor is really excellent. But save yourself the hassle, and use the freezing option. I’m draconian about following canning recipes, but only got 2 pints and a half cup out of the recipe, not worth the energy and effort of putting in a canner.
That’s interesting, Amy – maybe you cooked it down more? 11 cups of produce plus a cup of juice should definitely get more than 2 pints…
I just made the salsa verde and it came out much thicker than I expected. Did I do something wrong? Perhaps cook it too long?
It is a thicker salsa, Yvonne, since we like it that way for dipping. You can always add more lime/lemon juice or just water if you’d like it thinner.
Far too much oregano in this recipe. Oregano is all you can taste. Masks the tomatoes entirely.
Feel free to adapt to your taste with less oregano!
Can you combine tomatillos and green tomatos for. Salsa Verde?
Yes! I’ve often done that.
Can i mix red and green tomatoes for this recipe?
I don’t see why not, it just won’t be salsa ‘verde’ then since it won’t be green. 🙂 It will still be a wonderful salsa, though, I bet!
This is excellent! I have a different recipe I have used in the past, but it never really turns out the way I want it to. So today I found this recipe and it is a keeper! I halved the recipe and reduced the peppers by more than half because I can’t do too hot. But it has the proper balance of sweet, tart, and spicy that I was looking for. We are going to freeze the leftover for enjoyment through the year. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad to know this, Laurie! I’m making a batch tomorrow, too. 🙂
I’m really excited to try this recipe! Will post my results, but I’m pretty sure it will be fab, as I have made a lot of Jamie’s recipes and found them to be exceptional!
Hope you like this, Sue!
There is no peppers in this recipe! Was that on purppose?
Did you look at the full recipe, DeeDee? (Click on the arrows to the printable recipe) There are 3 cups of peppers called for. 🙂
Im going to try this recipe for canning, i have @50# of green tomatoes to use up. I plan on roasting all my tomatoes and onion and peppers on the grill to give it a more smoky taste. Question is, do i then remove the skins from the tomatoes or blend them up, core, seeds and skins?? Thanks so much.
I always core tomatoes before roasting, so I don’t know first hand how it would be if left in. I do know I’ve had other readers tell me they don’t core. You don’t need to worry about the skins and seeds of green tomatoes – I just leave them in all the time. Maybe do a small batch first with the cores or try to remove them before roasting?
I’ve had over 50 yrs of cooking and canning but tomatillos are a more recent item for me. I would like to draw on your knowledge and experience – may I use half green tomatoes and half tomatillos as long as I follow the rest of the balance of ingredients?
Yes you can, Jan – they are interchangeable in this recipe.
I found your recipe for Green Tomato Salsa and I just wanted to let you know I linked to your recipe from my post about using green unripe tomatoes. I’m definitely going to try this recipe next year.
-Amber
Thank you Amber! I shared your article on FB. 🙂
hi Jami, is fresh lime juice ok for this recipe when canning?
Sorry, Jeff, no. The USDA says that fresh limes and lemons don’t have the standard of acidity that bottled juice does. They’ve been tested to contain 4-5% acidity, so they stress to only use bottled.
Thanks for the advice, I made this with a big bowl of tomatillos from the garden along with some habaneros and it really is amazing. Love the citrus and tart flavour. Thank you for the recipe!
Super happy it turned out for you Jeff, thanks for letting me know!
I followed the recipe and found it tasted strongly of bottled lime juice. I thought one cup seemed like a lot but figured the recipe should be followed to the letter. I think the tomatillos should have been roasted whole and not cut up as they ended up releasing all of their juices and mostly steaming. I am going to try to do more roasted tomatillos today in an effort to salvage it.
One thing that’s nice about cooking your own food is adapting it to your tastes. 🙂 Roasting the tomatillos whole may be a good option, just not one I’ve tried.
As far as the flavor from the lime juice, you can try all lemon or half lemon, but you can’t substitute vinegar since it’s less acidic than citric juices. This recipe has been tested with this ratio only by the extension office. You were right to follow it to the letter – salsa canning is a science, not an art. 🙂 Of course, this is only for canning – to freeze it you can add what you’d like.
So, if I plan on freezing the salsa I don’t need to add the lime/lemon juice? I can also add fresh garlic or whatever and it will still freeze just fine?
Yep! All the safety issues with canning are to be able to keep it at room temperature. You can freeze any combination without worry.
I too live in the northwest (Portland area) and after an unusually long cold wet spring, now am starting to enjoy ripe tomatoes—every day—alas, we leave in a week for some length of time—-so I just found this recipe for the roasted green tomatoes—-I will bring in all those two days before I travel–process and then freeze in qt zips. So happy for this. My mother used to make a green tomato relish that she canned—it was on the sour side as my family didn’t care for sweet relishes—it was a crisp green color and tasted very good on meat. I am still looking for that one. Thanks for these great recipes.
This sounds like the perfect solution for your situation, Sharon. I’m glad you found it – I think you’ll love this flavor!
Hey Jami — and Happy New Year!
Say… I made the green tomato salsa recipe back in October, and wondered at that time if I was reading correctly: Is it really TABLEspoons of salt and cumin? I used TABLEspoon as printed, and ended up adding 2 more pans (triple volume veggies) to balance the salt + cumin. At least to my and my husband’s (love-spicy-food-guy) taste.
ANYHOW, I got rave reviews from several folks, so Kudos and thanks! I’ll be makin’ it again next fall!
Ha, it’s actually 2 Tablespoons salt! 🙂 And we don’t find it salty or too cumin-y with the 1 TB cumin. But that’s what’s great about making things yourself, right – you get to tailor it to your own tastes! Happy New Year to you, too!!
I made this and doubled the recipe. I did not get the 8 pints I was planning on. When I was making it, it seemed really thick and like not enough, so I added 3 cups of water to get a better consistency and volume. Then I added the lime juice, and boy, it tasted sour at first, but mellowed a bit as it simmered. In the end, I only got six pints. I think my tomatillos didn’t give off enough juice or something? I’ll have to try this again, but I’m thinking I may need more tomatillos for this recipe next time.
Hmm, maybe so, Lani. I’ve made this many times and while I just barely get the 4 pints, I do get them and I’ve never added water. Maybe adding more would work for you!
Never even thought about freezing. Probably make some w/the volunteer toms which are just setting fruit. What a summer it has been for the garden.