Homemade Salsa Verde or Green Salsa “restaurant style” is so easy and delicious, you will never buy it in a jar again. It is perfect on enchiladas, tacos, green chile pork or anything that calls for Mexican Salsas.
My family loves salsa. Any kind. Forget the tacos, just hand them a bag of tortilla chips and a cup of “sauce” and they are happy. Ok, so give me a cupcake along with them and I’m happy, too.
I have been making this Authentic Salsa Verde recipe in my air fryer for a while now and it really makes it fast and easy—no boiling pots of water, no pans to wash—just throw the ingredients in the air fryer then put them in the blender and hit frappé. You can use a food processor, but I think the blender is easier to clean up.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde or Green Salsa
This recipe uses fresh tomatillos and jalapeños to make a delicious salsa for chips.
Salsa Verde also makes great enchilada sauce for Enchiladas.
It’s great on Tacos and spooned over Burritos Enchilada-Style with melted cheese.
Use this for Chilaquiles or use it instead of red salsa for my Huevos El Diablo.
Are Tomatillos the Same as Tomatoes?
I am often asked, “What is a tomatillo? Is a tomatillo a green tomato?”
No, a tomatillo looks very much like a green tomato with a papery wrapping on it. However, it is actually a cousin to the gooseberry. Tomatillos are nightshade family.
Look for fresh tomatillos in the produce section of your grocery store, I usually find them near the fresh chiles.
You will recognize them by the thin, light green/brownish wrapper around the tomatillo.
When you peel back the “wrapper” you will find the bright green, firm tomatillo. It will have a “stickiness” on the skin, that is perfectly normal. The stickiness washes right off.
Salsa Verde or Green Salsa in the Air Fryer
Do I need to have an air fryer? No. Setting your oven to broil or 450 degrees works just well, too.
I love using the air fryer to roast the ingredients for the Salsa Verde or Green Salsa.
The air fryer is so fast and easy with less clean up and you don’t have to heat your whole kitchen by broiling them in the oven.
Roasting the ingredients gives you that deep flavor without the mess of grilling them out doors.
Many recipes for Salsa Verde call for boiling the ingredients and then sautéing the salsa after you puree it into sauce, that’s a lot of mess.
PLUS, I think boiling the ingredients waters down, or dilutes the flavor.
Roasting the tomatillos and chiles intensifies the flavor.
How to Make Green Tomatillo Salsa Verde in the Air Fryer
Making the Salsa Verde in the air fryer is as easy as rinsing off the ingredients and placing them in the tray of an air fryer.
Note: Do NOT put the cilantro or salt in the air fryer, save the cilantro until the end.
First-Preheat the air fryer to 390F degrees.
Place the ingredients in a single layer on the tray ( you may need to roast them in batches).
Cook the ingredients for 5 minutes. Carefully open the tray and gently remove the garlic and roasted tomatillos (they should be soft and the skin should be wrinkled and loose with brown spots). Place them in a bowl.
If the jalapeño is softened and brown, as well, remove it. If not, leave it for another 2 minutes.
Turn the onion over and return it to the air fryer to cook for another 3-4 minutes,
Puree Roasted Tomatillos and Ingredients
After roasting the tomatillos, jalapeño, onion and garlic in the air fryer or oven, place them in a bowl to cool.
When the ingredients are almost to room temperature, layer them in the blender.
Note: you may remove the skins of the tomatillos and jalapeño but, it is not necessary.
Add the cilantro.
Don’t forget the salt!
If you are using cumin or coriander, add it now.
Place the lid on the blender and blend until the salsa verde is smooth.
Tips for Authentic Mexican Salsa Recipe-
Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde is not always super hot. In fact, Mexican food is not as hot as Tex-Mex or New Mexico cooking.
This recipe has medium heat. If you would like your salsa milder, remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeño BEFORE cooking them in the air fryer.
If you would like it hotter, trade the jalapeño for two of the smaller green Serrano chiles. You can use half of a Hatch chile, if they are in season.
I do not recommend adding another jalapeño, it will change the texture and flavor too much, use a hotter chile instead.
Authentic Salsa Verde should be a little tart. Taste the salsa before adding lime juice. Add the juice a little at a time.
The lime juice adds acidity to the salsa, it also helps to keep the salsa from oxidizing and turning brown.
Refrigerate the salsa verde in an air tight container with a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the salsa for up to 1 week.
I hope you love this recipe, it just might become your new favorite Mexican Salsa.
Let me know how you like it, you can leave a comment here on this post or on Everyday Southwest’s Facebook Page.
I love hearing from you!
Sandy
Salsa Verde Recipe in the Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb. tomatillos peeled and rinsed
- 1 large jalapeno or 2 green Serranos for spicier salsa
- 1 clove garlic optional
- ½ small white onion
- salt to taste I added a large pinch
- pepper to taste
- handful of cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teas cumin optional
- 1 tbsp Fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp water optional, to adjust thickening
Instructions
- Place the tomatillos and onion into the air fryer basket, depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to do this in batches. Close the machine and set temperature to 390F for 5 minutes. Carefully open the air fryer and very gently remove the tomatillos, place them on a small bowl. If the jalapeno has also softened and browned a bit remove it too from the air fryer.
- Leave the onion in the air fryer but flip it over. Set temperature to 390F and time to 3 minutes. Once time is up check on the onion, it should be softened and a bit browned on the edges. Allow the ingredients to cool before placing them in a blender. Add the salt, pepper and cilantro on top. Any liquid that was released by the tomatillos while they cooled should also be added. Blend until you have a smooth salsa.
- Taste the salsa verde, if it needs a little more acidity, add lime juice a little at a time.
- If the salsa verde is too thick, add a tablespoon or 2 of water.
How about on scrambled eggs for breakfast (or brunch, or supper)? My mouth is watering!
If I had one of these tamales , I would smother it in this salsa—if I had some salsa