Tomatillo Salsa
Zesty homemade tomatillo salsa with fresh cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and garlic is easier to make than you may think! Once you learn this recipe you won’t go back to store-bought!
If you’ve never made your own tomatillo salsa before you have to try this recipe! I promise you it couldn’t be easier, just roast all of the ingredients together then blend until smooth! The flavor is bright and citrusy with just a kick of heat from the roasted jalapeño.
This fresh salsa verde is perfect for Chilaquiles Verdes or serving alongside chips and guacamole, Creamy Choriqueso, Sheet Pan Chicken Tacos or any of your favorite Mexican dishes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make tomatillo salsa: tomatillos, fresh cilantro, garlic, onion, lime juice, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step 1. Roast the Tomatillos
Roast the tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, garlic and spices. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Step 2. Blend
Transfer the roasted vegetable mixture to a blender or food processor along with the cilantro and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if desired.
FAQs and Expert Tips:
In Spanish “tomatillo” translates to “little tomato”. Though the two look similar tomatillos are not actually tomatoes. They are a small green fruit wrapped in papery husk. Tomatillos are native to Mexico and featured prominently in Mexican cuisine.
Tomatillo salsa with stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
It can be! You can adjust the spice level in this recipe to your liking. Tomatillos themselves are not spicy, all of the heat in this salsa comes from the jalapeños Feel free to hold back or load up on jalapeños depending on your personal preference.
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Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 tomatillos - husks removed
- 1/2 white onion
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 1/2 jalapeño
- 2 tsp coriander seeds - or 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin seeds - or 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 bunch cilantro - stems and leaves
- 1/4 c lime juice - about 4 juicy limes
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Put the tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, garlic, salt and spices in a cast iron pan or baking dish. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Transfer the roasted vegetable mixture to a blender or food processor along with the cilantro and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if desired.
Notes
- What are Tomatillos? In Spanish “tomatillo” translates to “little tomato”. Though the two look similar tomatillos are not actually tomatoes. They are a small green fruit wrapped in papery husk. Tomatillos are native to Mexico and featured prominently in Mexican cuisine.
- Is tomatillos salsa spicy? It can be! You can adjust the spice level in this recipe to your liking. Tomatillos themselves are not spicy, all of the heat in this salsa comes from the jalapeños Feel free to hold back or load up on jalapeños depending on your personal preference.
- Tomatillo salsa with stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
I made this recipe this weekend and while I love the flavor, it seems slightly slimy… is there a way to fix the texture? I’ve had salsa verdes before that don’t have that sort of texture… I’m just not sure what I did wrong. Any pointers?
Hi Carley – you didn’t do anything wrong. Tomatillos have pectin in them which gives them a slightly sticky or gelatinous quality when cooked. Try adding some water to thin out the salsa to the right consistency. You could also might like this raw version: Creamy Avocado Salsa . Uncooked tomatillos produce less pectin!
How much olive oil would you recommend using?
No olive oil. Apologies for the typo. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!