Tomatillo Poblano Sauce

This Tomatillo Poblano sauce is made by boiling serrano pepper, poblano peppers, tomatillos, garlic, red onion, and blending with cilantro and lime.

Are you a red salsa or green salsa type of person? This Tomatillo Poblano Sauce is my favorite salsa of all time. My mom has been making this since we were very young and you can adjust your spice level by adding more or less serrano peppers. You can use either serrano or jalapeños. You can add this salsa to chilaquiles or carnitas.

There are three ways to make this salsa: Roasting, sautéing, or boiling – the latter is what I did. Roasting the tomatillos bring out a ton of flavors, but I always found boiling tastes a lot the same and it requires less work and supervising.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Tomatillo Poblano Sauce
• Food safety

Why you will love this recipe

Versatile: You can switch up the ingredients and it is pretty much full proof. You can add more lime if you prefer a tangier sauce, or take out the serrano seeds for a milder sauce. Get creative and use any variation you prefer.

Full of flavor: When making Mexican food, you know it will always have so much flavor. This was my mom's recipe growing up for the longest time.

Great for warm weather: I love making this in the summer months and dipping in some tortilla chips. I also use this sauce to makes a couple of dishes.

Serves a crowd: Just place the sauce in a bowl and surround with chips. Make this for your next get together!

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Tomatillos
• Poblano pepper
• Garlic
• Red onion
• Serrano peppers
• Cilantro
• Limes

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Hint: Take seeds out of peppers if you prefer a milder sauce.

Substitutions

Tomatillos: If you would rather make a red sauce, feel free to use red tomatoes instead of tomatillos. This will be a similar taste, but I will always prefer the green sauce. Tomatillos and tomatoes boil for the same amount of time.

Garlic: Make sure to buy a head of garlic and not a jar of minced garlic. I have tried to use the latter, and boiling the garlic clove and eventually blending it gives it the kick that the sauce needs.

Cilantro: If you do not have cilantro, you could possibly use green onion or chives. For best result, use cilantro.

Limes: If you do not have limes, you can use lemon, but the traditional salsa verde uses limes.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - Use all the seeds for a spicy sauce.
• Deluxe - serve the sauce on shredded pork or chicken and make a taco.

Check out this Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I used my Oster blender and just a regular saucepan. Make sure the contents cool before blending.

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Take the seeds out for a milder sauce or use them for a spicy sauce.

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.