The difference between salsa roja vs salsa verde is quite simple: salsa roja is red, salsa verde is green. Salsa roja is traditionally made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, and peppers such as chile de arbol or jalapeño, although there are countless variations. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos (which give the salsa its green color), cilantro, onion, garlic, and peppers such as jalapenos or serranos. Basically, the biggest difference between salsa roja vs salsa verde is what kind of tomatoes are being used.