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Salsa de Chile Serrano - Raw Serrano and Tomatillo Salsa

Name: Salsa de Chile Serrano - Raw Serrano and Tomatillo Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 300 g Tomatillo; 1 clove Garlic; 1 manojo pequeño Coriander; 0.25 White onion; to taste Salt; 3 Serrano chilli

10 min (10 prep + 0 cook) Easy 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Bright raw green salsa of tomatillo and serrano chilli — Mexico's most popular table salsa.

About this recipe

Raw serrano salsa is the most popular table salsa in Mexico, present in virtually every taquería, café and home across the country. With fresh tomatillos, raw serrano chillies, garlic and coriander, it is blended uncooked to produce a bright green, fresh salsa with the clean, direct heat that the serrano delivers without the bitterness of roasted jalapeño.

History & Origin

The serrano chilli (Capsicum annuum var. serrano) takes its name from the sierras of Puebla and Hidalgo where it was originally cultivated, although today it is the most produced variety of fresh chilli in Mexico after the jalapeño. With a Scoville rating of between 10,000 and 23,000 units, the serrano is noticeably hotter than the jalapeño but with a cleaner, less bitter flavour, making it the ideal ingredient for raw salsas where heat and freshness must predominate over complexity. The raw serrano and tomatillo salsa is one of the few Mexican preparations that is never cooked, as heat would destroy the freshness and bright green colour that characterise it. It is the sort of salsa an experienced cook can prepare in under five minutes and that transforms any taco, quesadilla or fried egg into something memorable. Its simplicity is precisely its genius: tart tomatillo, hot serrano, pungent garlic and herbaceous coriander in perfect proportion.

Estimated cost

£2.00

Total cost

£0.33

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

150mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them thoroughly. Cut them into quarters. Remove the stalks from the serrano chillies.
💡 Use firm green tomatillos - overly ripe ones make the salsa excessively tart.
2
Place the tomatillos, serrano chillies (with seeds for more heat, without for less), garlic, fresh coriander, white onion and salt in the blender.
💡 Start with 2 serrano chillies and add more if you prefer it hotter.
3
Blend on high speed for 30–40 seconds until you have a homogeneous salsa with some texture. Do not over-blend - the salsa should be green and fresh-looking, not foamy.
💡 If the blender does not start, add 2 tablespoons of cold water.
4
Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days (it will lose some of its green colour but retain the flavour).
💡 A squeeze of lime juice when serving brightens the colour and freshness.