Salsa verde, also known as green sauce or tomatillo salsa, is a green salsa made with all-natural ingredients. Make this homemade salsa verde recipe in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
This is a true slow cooker (or Instant Pot) recipe in the sense that you throw everything, stir, and let it cook. Since it’s all going to be blended down, you don’t even need to chop the vegetables if you don’t have time.
WHAT IS SALSA VERDE?
Verde means green in Spanish. Salsa verde literally means green salsa. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos as the main ingredient while ‘regular’ salsa is made using red tomatoes as the base.
before (slow cooker)
What Are Tomatillos?
Tomatillos are Mexican husk tomatoes. Tomatillos can be eaten raw or you can cook them. A common misperception of tomatillos is that they’re spicy. They are not. When eaten raw, they’re a little tart. When cooked, they have a mild yet slightly sweet flavor. Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cooking, mainly used in salsas & sauces.
after (slow cooker)
Picking Tomatillos For Salsa Verde
There are a few things you will want to take into consideration when choosing tomatillos for salsa verde:
- Pick tomatillos that are a darker green with no light spots.
- Pick tomatillos that are firm. If they’re soft, they’re too ripe.
- Pick tomatillos that have their full husks around them.
TAILOR THIS SALSA TO YOUR LIKING
How do you like your salsa verde? Spicy or mild? Chunky or restaurant-style? This is an easy recipe to tweak to your liking. As-is, this salsa verde recipe is fairly mild. If you want to add more heat, you can add some sliced jalapeño with the seeds in. Personally, I like mine medium – not too chunky, not too watery. When the salsa verde is done cooking, let it cool and then blend it down to your desired consistency. To blend this down, you can use a blender, food processor, etc. I like to use a handheld immersion blender directly in the slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot). Like chunky salsa? Mash it with a fork rather than using a blender.
Other condiments recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot BBQ Sauce (Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Ghee (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Coconut-Curry Sauce (Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Salsa (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
I use a 3.5 quart slow cooker or a 6-quart Instant Pot (the only size I have).
PIN FOR LATER
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, cleaned & chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt (or more)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 1-2 hours or LOW 2-4.
- Let salsa verde cool. Once cooled, blend to desired consistency.
- Add all the ingredients to the pressure cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 15 minutes. Quick release remaining pressure.
- Let salsa verde cool. Once cooled, blend to desired consistency.
Notes
You do NOT need to add a cup of liquid to the Instant Pot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
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