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.
I ended up with 18 pints and it turned out delicious. Thank You for the recipe…
Glad you liked it!
I made this as written, and I would caution folks to add the cumin in stages…I dumped in the whole 4 tablespoons and the salsa tasted just a bit bitter. I canned it anyway, and maybe it will mellow out by the time I take it out to use. Next time I may leave out the cumin and add some before serving. I do have a LOT of green tomatoes to use up still this fall!
Four tablespoons? We’re you quadrupling the recipe? Wow! Yes, I do think it mellows, but I did advised using it “to taste” since I’ve discovered there are people more sensitive to it than others, lol. I’ll make it a bit clearer!
I’ve made green tomato salsa several time but never tried roasting the tomatoes. I’m trying it today, still can’t seem to be able to peel the tomatoes.
Hope you enjoy them roasted, John. I don’t try to peel them – the skin is too thin and it doesn’t make a difference. I just remove the blossom end and stem end and core if there is one.
Jami, do you peel your green tomatoes? If so what process do you use?
No, I don’t peel the tomatoes. The peel of green tomatoes if very thin and not noticeable at all in recipes (I don’t peel them for any recipe).
I am planning on making this with my green tomatoes. I was wondering if you roast and/peel poblanos if you use them? Also, do you chop the ingredients in a food processor? Thank you, I have loved all the recipes of yours that I have tried so far.
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my recipes, Linda!
I don’t take the time to roast and peel the peppers for this and I’m not sure how you’d do it since the recipe calls for cups of chopped peppers (instead of pounds)?
I do chop the onions and peppers for this since the measurements are for “coarsely chopped” and more fine would result in more low-acid ingredients. I have used one of those manual choppers this year for the first time and it makes the chopping go QUICK, though!
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.
Wonderful – that’s high praise! Thank you, Anita for rating and reviewing it.
Jami, check out THE ALL NEW BALL BOOK OF CANNING AND PRESERVING, page 162-163 for their green tomato salsa verde canning recipe. For a 2 pound ratio, they call for 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (I thought fresh wasn’t safe for water bath). They also add 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and much less onions/garlic/peppers. I’m thinking I might adjust the acid in yours. What do you think? I’ll be using frozen green tomatoes too.
I wouldn’t use fresh lime juice even though they list it – I’d just play it safe with bottled (but that’s me).
As for the ratios, yes, I don’t like cilantro so left it out, but my ratios are similar to the National Center for Home Preservation’s green salsa. Green tomatoes have more acid than red, too. You can certainly try their version!
My son gave me a bunch of frozen tomatillos. I’m planning to make this recipe. Since the tomatillos need to be chopped I’m thinking I’ll need to thaw the tomatillos. Have you made this recipe from frozen tomatillos and were you satisfied with the outcome?
Thanks for any insight on this.
I haven’t made this with frozen tomatillos, but I know when I make things with frozen tomatoes, they are already broken down from the freezing to not need chopping. I’d just cook them from frozen, thawing just a bit to cut in half if they’re big. As they cook, they will break down further. Then I’d just use an immersion blender for any larger chunks that remain.
Hope this is helpful!
Jami, thanks for the reply. I had the same sort of thoughts as you so we’ll see how it all works out.
Great!
Have you tried citric acid in lieu of some of the lime juice?
Thanks,
Jayne
ps: Also, I think having a ph tester helps you determine that your end product is below 4.6 ph. My green tomatoes are often in the 3.5 range (after cooking as salsa) but I was curious if others checked theirs?
I like the flavor that the lime juice brings, but you can definitely add citric acid as well to each jar before canning.
That makes sense that that green tomatoes are 3.5 – they are more acidic than ripe tomatoes.
Have you ever tried mixing both the citrus and vinegar? Like 1/2 cup each? Just wondering how much it would influence the flavor as I just went to town and with the amount of green tomatoes on my vines I’m going to need more juice! And I live very rural and don’t want to ha e to go back into town if I don’t have too!
So with safe canning you can substitute bottled lemon juice for vinegar, but not the other way around – you can’t substitute vinegar for lemon juice as the acidity of lemon is higher and the recipe has been tested with that. So it’s not safe to use vinegar in this recipe instead of (or partially) the lemon or lime juice. (see: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/salsa_ingredients.html)
Sorry – I understand the dreaded trips to town! 🙂
Do I need to peel the green tomatoes before canning? University extensions and Ball say I need to because the skins can contain bacteria but no one I have talked to has ever peeled their green tomatoes before canning.
I’m going to keep saying you don’t need to skin them, especially in this recipe since there is added acidity (vinegar and citrus). Plus, I did some quick research and there’s nothing really about green tomatoes, only red and then I can’t find any actual research (and what I have heard is only for recipes that are sauces, not salsas that have added vinegar).
Personally, I don’t and would never bother – the skins are so thin they are hard to peel anyway. I don’t really understand this new recommendation, anyway – everything in the garden would have bacteria then, and we can’t peel a lot of them (green beans, etc.). Wash them well and proceed as usual. 🙂
My thought exactly. I have canned pickled cucumbers both dill and relish and never needed to peel them so it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that tomato skins would hold more bacteria than cucumber skins. Thanks for your reply. 🙂
Yes! In fact with it’s bumpy texture it would seem the cucumber would hold more than smooth-skinned tomatoes…
I’ve been canning for 60+ years and I never used a pressure canner and could not see the purpose for green beans, since I’d done it in a water bath canner for years, as did my grandmother. Nobody ever died from it. However….that being said….I reluctantly gave in because the scientific explanations were valid enough that I did not want to take the chance on the botulism spores being able to survive and grow in the jars. As for red tomatoes, it’s mostly in the core/stem area where the problem comes from. I always cored and slipped the skins because I didn’t want any skins in my finished products anyway. But that’s the reason….it’s the c.botulinum spores that require the specific temperature under pressure for a specific length of time required to kill it. Better safe than sorry, and that’s why I now have two pressure canners.
Yes – good for you, Sharon, to be willing to learn and adjust when it seems the thing to do (it’s not always…).
my tastes must be changing because I never liked salsa Verde until last year my sister made salsa Verde pork and spooned it over rice. so I thought I’d try this recipe. It’s 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. since I’m freezing I haven’t been paying particular attention to measuring. I also substituted apple cider vinegar for half the lemon juice at my sister’s suggestion. added about two cups of Cilantro. now I just need some fat free tortilla chips because I can’t stop eating this! today I am using up 33 pounds of green tomatoes just picked before last night’s frost. the first batch (doubled) is totally cherry tomatoes. I’m curious to see if there’s a difference.
I’m so glad to know you and everyone likes this! Since you are freezing, you’re right – add all the things you want. 🙂
Such a great way to use up green tomatoes, right?
Just made this and LOVE the flavor!!
It turned out super thick and only made 2 1/2 pints. Any tips on how to get the 11 cups of veggies to fill all 4 pints? Could I thin it out with water? Or lime/lemon juice? And if so, would this affect the canning?
I want to make sure I’m being safe, but I would also really like to get more salsa to show for all the veggies that go into this recipe!! Thank you!
You could chop the veggies by hand and the salsa would be thinner. I have added cider vinegar and/or more lime juice in the past if it seems thicker than normal. It’s okay to do that, or to add a bit of water (but only 1/2 cup or so so the lime juice/vinegar is more than the water). I just made this again myself this year and got 5-1/2 pints from a DOUBLE batch, so I think I’ll add a note to the recipe about processing vs. chopping.
Made this salsa today and followed the recipe against my better judgment. All I can taste is lime juice. So now I wasted a whole day and am going to have to spend another day cutting it with more tomatillos & peppers in order to make it taste palatable. I cannot believe people think this tastes good with so much life in it. It’s all there is flavor wise!
Some people (like me) enjoy the flavor of lime and don’t feel it overtakes other flavors here. Others (like my husband) would agree with you which is why I suggest lemon as an alternative. There are flavors I feel the same about (cilantro for one) and when I see it in a recipe I omit it or use a lot less because I know my tastes, which is why I enjoy making things so I can tailor them. 🙂
Hopefully you can use lemon and more produce to make this work for you (it may not be safe for canning, though, depending on how much you alter the recipe, FYI).
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. We added roasted habanero and poblanos to kick it up a few notches. I ordered 20 lbs green tomatoes from a local farm and they were happy to sell them, and cheap! 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!
Wow, this is wonderful, Laura! I love that you get messages about this. 🙂
This is a delicious, flavorful salsa. I used green tomatoes we picked before it froze. I doubled the recipe and got 5 pints exactly! I measured, did not weigh. We sampled the salsa before processing and all agreed it is wonderful. I’ll make it again and get a kitchen scale to see whether I get a different outcome.
Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you like this, Robin!
Thanks so much for the review.
Can I have a mix of tomatoes and tomatillos? Does it have to be one or the other?
Yes, you definitely can mix them – I do that all the time if I’ve grown tomatillos.
Finished salsa verde is 2 1/2 pints with a couple of tablespoons I put in the frig for later. I did weigh the tomatillos and measured the other ingredients. The cups of peppers and onions were full. Not sure what to do with the next batch, I have #2 more of tomatillos. Jaime, have you weighed and measured at the same time to see if consistent? Will try again.
Hmm, I’ve made this numerous times and get the pints listed. My tomatillos are just starting to ripen – I’ll weigh this year to see if that makes a difference!
Making now….simmering away on stovetop. Aroma is really good. Not sure I will get 4 pints. I weighed the tomatillos and my scales are correct and I tared the container….so will see. I do want to make more but will get back with the final amount. I am water bath processing. Thanks.
This was absolutely the most horrible recipe I have ever tried. I followed it to the letter, going against my judgement about the amount of oregano and cumin. I wasted half a day and all the ingredients making this. The whole mess has been dumped in the trash.
Must be an individual taste thing, Cheryl – I make this every year and everyone I serve it to loves it. It’s certainly easy to adjust the dry ingredients to your taste, though.
FYI, the first time I made this I did not like the taste before canning so much – specifically the oregano flavor bothered me. After it had been sitting for a bit, however, the flavors melded and it tasted completely different. 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!
Just made this but tweaked the recipe. One cup of acid sounded bonkers to my taste, so I halved it and added cilantro but forgot the oregano. Flavor was great! I doubled the recipe (used green tomatoes) and only got 5 1/2 pints. So a few things seem pretty off about this recipe to me…. I have a pressure canner so I wasn’t worried about less acid, BTW.
Without the same amount of lime juice (or lemon), you wouldn’t get the same yield, though yours does seem low. I made it yesterday – doubled – and got 7 1/2 pints. The acid is required for the water bath canning of this recipe.
From what I’ve read, even pressure canned foods should be from tested recipes.