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Sweet Salsa Verde is a delicious salsa recipe made from tomatillos, jalapeƱos, sugar, & cilantro. It is sweet and spicy and takes just minutes to make.

Delicious, sweet and spicy green salsa is great for any Mexican dinner. It’s as much of a staple as our guacamole and homemade red salsa! We also love to use it to make Salsa Verde Chicken.

Salsa Verde aka green salsa in a small bowl with tortilla chips.

aka Green Salsa

I LOVE Salsa!!

We have it for so many of our meals and we love the flavor it adds to these dishes. We have loads of salsa recipes on the site by out go-to’s are our classic Homemade Salsa and Black Bean + Corn Salsa, AND today’s salsa verde.

But, what is salsa verde?

Salsa verde, aka Green Salsa, is a sweet and spicy salsa made with tomatillos, cilantro, sugar and jalapeƱos. It is very popular in areas like Arizona and is served at many of its Mexican restaurants.

Not only is this salsa addicting, but it takes just about 2 minutes to throw together. Quick and easyā€”my kind of recipe!

Green Salsa Ingredients - tomatillos

How to Make Salsa Verde

You can’t beat recipes that take just minutes to make. This green salsa is so easy and requires just 4 INGREDIENTS, including: canned tomatillos, cilantro, sugar and jalapenos.

BLEND! To make this salsa, just combine all of the ingredients in the blender or food processor and pulse until blended well.

You can adjust the sweetness and spicy-ness based on the amount of sugar and jalapeƱos used.

**NOTE**: If you are looking for a salsa that is similar but does not have the sweetness, be sure to check out our Tomatillo Salsa. It’s more savory than this recipe, and similar to what is found at the grocery store for green salsa.

Using Fresh Ingredients

Wat to use fresh tomatillos and fresh jalapeƱos?

I like to use the canned tomatillos and jalapeƱos for convenience. If you prefer to use fresher ingredients, you certainly can. Just prep the ingredients and throw them in the blender. 

  • Tomatillos: One 28-ounce can contains 4 servings and 1 serving is about 4 tomatillos. So you will need about 15 fresh tomatillos. Prep them by removing the papery husk and stem, then rinse in warm water to remove the sticky residue. Cut them in quarters and put in the blender. Raw tomatillos are more tart and acidic. When roasted they take on a more mellow and sweeter taste so adjust the amount of sugar used.
  • JalapeƱos: Youā€™ll need 1-2 jalapeƱos. Wear rubber gloves when working with this hot food. Slice the jalapeƱos in half and remove the seeds and veins. Slice the jalapeƱos and add them to the blender. 
  • To roast: This is not necessary, but some people like to roast them beforehand. Place the tomatillos, jalapeƱos and 2-3 unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Place the rack about 8 inches from the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until nicely charred. Discard the garlic and add remaining ingredients to the blender.
How to Make Green Salsa - salsa verde ingredients

TIPS + FAQ

How long does green salsa last? If stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, salsa verde can last for about a week. If properly canned and not opened, this green salsa can last even longer in the fridge.

Can you freeze salsa verde? You can freeze green salsa by placing it in a covered airtight container or in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. This should keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. For more tips about freezing salsa, CLICK HERE.

What to serve with it? We love serving this salsa verde recipe with tortilla chips (and Frito’s), but also love it with:

Sweet Salsa Verde recipe aka green salsa in a bowl with tortilla chips.

For more salsa recipes, check out:

4.98 from 49 votes

Salsa Verde Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Sweet Salsa Verde – a delicious salsa recipe that is sweet and takes just minutes to make. Ingredients include tomatillos, jalapenos, sugar, & cilantro.
Servings: 12
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomatillos (about 15) drained
  • Ā½-ā…” cup sugar
  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2-3 tablespoons diced jalapeƱo

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until blended to the consistency you desire.
  • Add additional jalapeƱos for more spice, or add more sugar if you like it sweeter.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4ā€“6 days.
Seeding Tomatoes: To prevent watery salsa, seed the tomatoes before adding to the blender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 33kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 0.03g, Fat: 0.04g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g, Sodium: 0.2mg, Potassium: 7mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 38IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 0.01mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Make it a Gift

Turn this recipe into a gift just by throwing it in a jar and attaching a printable!!

NOTE: I often store my salsa in mason jars and give it as gifts. Be sure to let those you give it to know that they should NOT put the jar in the pantry unless it has been properly bottled and has a sealed lid.

I made this print for you that is cute and simple! It doesn’t need to be used just for salsa. It can be used for anything!! Attach it to a jar of candy or a box or plate of cookies.

TO SAVE & PRINT MERRY CHRISTMAS TAGS:

To Save, CLICK on the tag you like. Then, RIGHT-CLICK and SAVE. Open it in a program like WORD, RE-SIZE, PRINT, cut out and attach. We have made both a turquoise and a green print version for you and you can choose to use a square sized version or a larger tag version as well.

download your free “we wish you a merry christmas” tags now

Fill out the form below and the FREE printable will be sent to your email.

I attached mine with some glue dots and added some ribbon around the lid. EASY!! Hope you enjoy!

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iā€™m the mom of SIX stinkinā€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinā€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momā€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iā€™m one of the many crafty ā€œLilā€™ Lunasā€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




74 Comments

  1. Iā€™m one of the weird people that cannot eat anything with cilantro. It tastes like soap to me. What can I use instead of the cilantro?

    1. You could try to substitute it with parsley. The flavor of the salsa verde will be slightly different obviously. You could also omit the cilantro too. I haven’t ever tried it these ways, so you’ll have to let us know what you do and how it turns out!

  2. 5 stars
    Made this using a large, fresh, roasted Jalapeno and about 1/4 of the sugar. So easy and actually delicious! Going to use some to make enchiladas and keep some aside for dipping.

    1. Thanks for sharing what you’re doing. I bet they’ll taste great with enchiladas and definitely yummy for dipping!