🟡 Tomatillo Salsa Verde
The Only Salsa Recipe PBT Is Making This Summer.
Tomatillos have been in Mexican kitchens for centuries, and this salsa is a five-minute reminder of why. Tangy, a little smoky, and can be drizzled on beans, chips and more. Consider this the sauce that makes everything in the fridge taste like it was planned.
🟢 Ingredients
6 serrano peppers
2 poblano peppers
4 tomatillos
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 C (120 ml) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, to taste
1 avocado
🟢 Equipment
Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker with steam rack/trivet
Blender or food processor
Rimmed baking sheet and broiler or toaster oven (if skipping the Instant Pot)
Measuring cups and spoons
Cutting board and knife
🟢 Preparation
Prep the tomatillos: Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse them thoroughly in warm water to remove their sticky, natural residue.
Place the ingredients (except for the avocado and cilantro) in an Instant Pot with the steam rack at the bottom. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water to the Instant Pot. Set to “pressure cook” for 3 minutes. Release the pressure and remove the rack.
Blend: Add the avocado and cilantro. Pulse in a blender or food processor until you reach your desired consistency, smooth or slightly chunky.
Serve: Let it cool to room temperature, then taste and adjust the salt or lime juice if necessary.
🟡 Tips & Tricks
Use lemon instead of lime if that is what is on hand.
Add store bought peeled garlic if preferred.
No serranos in sight? Jalapeños work as a milder substitute.
No Instant Pot, No Problem: Roast the same ingredients under the broiler or in a toaster oven. Spread the tomatillos, peeled garlic, and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet and roast about 4 inches (10 cm) below a hot broiler until blotchy brown on one side, about 6 minutes, then flip and roast the other side.
🟡 Serving Suggestions
As a dip: Serve it with warm, crispy tortilla chips.
As a topper: Drizzle it over tacos, burritos, fajitas, and nachos.
In cooking: Use it as a base sauce for enchiladas.
At breakfast: Spoon it over a tofu scramble or breakfast burrito.
🟡 Ingredient Spotlight
Poblano Peppers: Mild, earthy, and only occasionally spicy, poblanos bring depth without setting anyone’s mouth on fire. They are the same pepper that becomes an ancho pepper once dried, so this salsa is technically working with a chile of two names.
Tomatillos: Related to the tomato but wrapped in its own papery lantern, the tomatillo brings a tartness closer to green apple than anything else in the produce aisle. That tang is what gives this salsa its signature brightness instead of the usual tomato sweetness.
🟡 Final Thoughts
This one takes about five minutes of effort and rewards it for a week. Save it, share it, or make it every Sunday.
🟡 Tried This Recipe? Let Us Know!
Drop your variations in the comments. Tell us what you ate it with.
🟡 Clicking Your Way Out
Miss our last recipe? The Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar Copycat is a perfect pairing with this salsa.
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Will it hurt to cook the cilantro in the instant pot? I wouldn’t normally do this, but with the cyclospora outbreak in the US, I’m a bit nervous about it.