This bright and tangy Hatch Chile Salsa Verde is packed with fresh flavors and will leave you craving your next bite. It makes the best dip for tortilla chips and can also be used in a variety of recipes!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Bright Fresh Flavor: The earthy flavor of fresh Hatch chiles is blended with bright tomatillos for a salsa that highlights seasonal ingredients. This tastes so much better than store-bought salsa, you may never buy it from the grocery store again!
- Simple to Make: Who knew fresh salsa was so easy? 10 minutes of roasting and then everything goes into a food processor or blender!
- Versatile Recipe: You will love eating this green chile sauce on its own, but it also turns everyday dishes into extraordinary recipes!
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients, including measurements.
Tomatillos - Tomatillos are a bright green fruit native to Mexico. They are brighter in flavor than a tomato, and a little less sweet. This fruit is the foundational ingredient of salsa verde. When shopping for fresh tomatillos, the fruit should have a firm texture and be completely covered with the husk.
Hatch Chiles - Hatch chile is a type of chile pepper that grows in New Mexico's Hatch Valley region. It has a unique earthy flavor. These peppers have a rather short harvesting season, so if you cannot find Hatch chiles you can use Anaheim chiles or any type of New Mexican chile. Or substitute one 4-ounce can of diced green chiles.
Jalapeno Pepper - This is an optional ingredient that adds heat. Skip if you want milder salsa. If you are really brave, replace the jalapeno with a serrano pepper to amp up the heat level!
White Onion - Roasting the onion cuts down on a little bit of the sharpness, but it still contributes great flavor. If you prefer a sharper onion flavor, use raw onion instead of roasting it.
Lime Juice - Fresh lime juice is best as it adds acidity and enhances the brightness of the ingredients.
How to Make Hatch Salsa Verde
1) Prep Ingredients
- Peel the papery husks from the tomatillos and discard them.
- Wash the tomatillos, Hatch chile peppers, and the jalapeno pepper.
- Dry the tomatillos and peppers before roasting them for the best char and texture.
- Cut the onion into 4 wedges.
- Use a knife to smash each garlic clove, then remove and discard the skin.
2) Roast
- Line a large baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper but aluminum foil will work too.
- Evenly space the tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic on the baking sheet.
- If desired, spray lightly with oil. This is not necessary but does help the roasting process.
- After the skin on the tomatillos and peppers has blackened and blistered remove them from the oven. Immediately transfer the Hatch peppers to a bowl and cover them with plastic wrap.
- Let the peppers steam in the bowl at room temperature for 15 minutes, then remove the skin. For more insights on this process, review this full guide to roasting Hatch green chiles.
3) Process the Ingredients
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.
- I like a well-blended salsa with just a little bit of chunks, but you can make it chunky or completely smooth, depending on your preference.
- Taste and add more salt or lime juice, if desired.
Variations
- Use Anaheim, Poblano peppers, or canned green chiles instead of Hatch chiles.
- Replace the jalapeno with a serrano pepper for an extra spicy flavor, or leave out the jalapeno for a milder salsa.
- Add one avocado for a creamier texture.
- Stir in ½ cup of sour cream to make a thick and creamy salsa verde sauce.
Can I Use Canned Green Chiles?
While fresh roasted Hatch chiles make the most authentic and flavorful salsa verde, you can substitute 4 ounces of diced canned green chiles in place of the roasted chiles called for in this recipe. Just note that the salsa won't have quite the same depth of chile flavor and roasted taste as it would with roasted Hatch chiles.
Ways to Use Salsa Verde
- The salsa is so good on its own. Simply serve it with tortilla chips!
- This Green Chile Enchilada recipe uses Hatch salsa in both the filling and the creamy avocado sauce.
- If you don't feel like rolling tortillas then use the salsa as a topping on this Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole!
- Use as a topping on eggs.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, keep your salsa verde in the refrigerator and it will last up to 2 weeks.
You can use raw tomatillos instead of roasting them. The recipe will have a sharper flavor with a little less smokiness. The Hatch peppers do need to be roasted, but you can purchase roasted Hatch chiles if you do not want to roast them at home.
If you do not like the flavor of cilantro or don't have any on hand, you can use parsley instead. Or simply leave the cilantro out completely! It will not have the same flavor, but if you aren't a cilantro fan then you likely won't mind.
Recommended Recipes
Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind-the-scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!
Recipe
Hatch Chile Salsa Verde
Recipe by:Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos (7-8 medium tomatillos)
- ½ small white onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 Hatch chiles
- 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse and dry the tomatillos and peppers.1 ½ pounds tomatillos
- Slice the tomatillos in half. Cut the onion into 4 chunks, and smash the garlic, removing the peel.½ small white onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Lay the tomatillos cut-side-down on a large parchment-covered baking sheet. Add the green chile peppers, jalapeno (if using), onion, and garlic to the pan. Place the pan 6-8 inches from the broiler and broil on low (450°F, 230°C) for 5 minutes.3 Hatch chiles, 1 jalapeno pepper
- Remove garlic and set aside. Turn the tomatillos, peppers, and onion over and broil an additional 5 minutes, or until both the tomatillos and peppers are blistered.
- Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle and then remove the skin of the Hatch chiles and the seeds of the Hatch and jalapeno peppers.
- Place all of the ingredients, including lime juice and salt in the food processor. Pulse until the salsa is your desired consistency.½ cup chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Deb says
Is there a recipe for canning this salsa?
Erin says
I do not have a recipe on my site, but you can follow the same directions as water bath canning for other types of salsa.