Last Updated August 11th, 2020 at 10:51 am by Lisa
Tomatillo Salsa takes 20 minutes to make. This homemade salsa uses Hatch chiles, but you can use Anaheim or Poblanos peppers with a Jalapeno in this recipe.
Homemade salsa has a fresh taste you will never get out of a jar or from any store. The fire-grilled flavor and medium heat in this homemade salsa will have people loving each and every bite…
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You Will Need…
How To Make Tomatillo Salsa:
- Clean and rinse all the vegetables in cool water. For the tomatillos, just peel off the thin papery husk and stem. Wash in cool water, and dry.
- Set the chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic either directly on the grill grate or a stainless grill tray over a hot grill. Keep turning all the vegetables to get grill marks on all sides. Allow the vegetables to blacken in spots before turning, and remove off heat to a platter once they begin to soften.
- Once cool, peel the garlic and chop the onion into large chunks.
- Remove skins, stems, and seeds from chiles, don’t rinse.
- Cut chiles, tomatoes, and tomatillos into big pieces.
- Add all the ingredients with salt in a Cuisinart or chop finely on a cutting board, or grind in a molcajete. Pulse until chunky.
- Serve with tortilla chips, on tacos, carnitas, or with grilled chicken.
Let’s Talk About Tomatillos!
Tomatillos are sometimes called Mexican green tomatoes or jam berries and have a tart, fruity flavor. They are easier to find nowadays in local markets and can be found year-round most often in Latin American grocery stores.
Overall, the tomatillo flavor is bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery than tomatoes. Cooking helps soften the thick skin and brings out even more flavor, grilling is even better and the way I like to use them.
The green “papery” husk on tomatillos comes right off very easily, and you when you rinse them under cool water, it helps to remove the slight “stickyness” of the tomatillos.
What Are Tomatillos?
Tomatillos are small tart, round, green fruit that grows on a thin stemmed plant and covered with a green husk. They look like green tomatoes but come from a totally different plant, and if allowed to ripen they will turn from bright green to yellow.
Are Tomatillos Just Like Tomatoes?
While both are members of the nightshade family, tomatillos are not tomatoes, but the fruit of a different plant and they are covered with papery husks.
Green tomatoes are hard, unripe tomatoes that can come from any variety of tomato, and although they look like a tomatillo, they are a totally different fruit variety, and yes they are actually a fruit!
How Do I Clean And Prepare Tomatillos?
1. Peel the husk off
2. Remove the stem
3. Wash under cool water
4. Dry, that is it!
How Do I Use Tomatillos In Recipes?
Now you are ready to cook with them. Think of tomatillos as tomatoes, and you can easily substitute tomatillos for tomatoes in your recipes, and they make great salsas, enchilada sauces, huevos rancheros, soup, dips, and even bloody mary cocktails.
If you are using Hatch chiles in this recipe, you can roast them right on your grill. Or you can use either Anaheim or Poblano chiles instead, with a Jalapeno if you want your salsa to have some heat.
How To Roast Hatch Chiles:
If you want more Hatch Chile recipes, you will find over 25+ amazing New Mexico Hatch Chile recipes and TONS of PRO TIPS on how to roast, prep, and freeze Hatch Chiles at home plus everything about Hatch Chiles you would ever want to know!
How To Choose Fresh Chiles?
- Choose bright green glossy peppers
- Chiles should be firm with medium to thick flesh
- Avoid soft spots or cuts
How To Store Fresh Chiles
- Refrigerate, unwashed in a plastic bag for up to 5 days.
What To Serve With Tomatillo Salsa?
Easy chicken enchiladas, tacos, chicken salsa verde tamales, taquitos,
More Homemade Salsas:
- Fresh Homemade Salsa by Cooking Classy
- Corn and Peach Salsa by Butter and Baggage
- Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo) by The Spruce Eats
Now wasn’t that easy?
Grab a bowl, and a bag of tortilla chips…and make this Tomatillo Salsa recipe. Expect lots of compliments, crunching, and munching, as people dip chips into your fresh homemade salsa!
All the Best,
Lisa XO
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Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
Hatch Chile Salsa
- 1/2 onion peeled root end intact
- 3 Hatch Chiles or sub Anaheim or Poblano peppers
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 5 medium tomatillos husked, washed and dried
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
clean the veggies
- Clean and rinse all the vegetables in cool water.
- For the tomatillos, just peel off the thin papery husk and stem. Wash in cool water, and dry.
grill the veggies
- Set the Hatch or other chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic either directly on the grill grate or a stainless grill tray over a hot grill. Keep turning all the vegetables to get grill marks on all sides. Allow the vegetables to blacken in spots before turning, and remove off heat to a platter once they begin to soften.
- Once cool, peel the garlic and chop the onion into large chunks.
- Remove skins, stems, and seeds from hatch chiles or the chiles you use, don’t rinse.
- Cut the chiles, tomatoes, and tomatillos into big pieces.
blend the salsa
- Add all the ingredients with salt in a Cuisinart or chop finely on a cutting board, or grind in a molcajete. Pulse until chunky.
- Serve with tortilla chips, on tacos, carnitas, or with grilled chicken.
Notes
peppers:
This homemade tomatillo salsa uses Hatch chiles, but you can use Anaheim or Poblanos peppers with a Jalapeno pepper in this recipe.tomatillos:
Tomatillos are really what make this recipe! You could of course use some green tomato, but tomatillos are easier to find in local stores these days. How Do I Clean And Prepare Tomatillos? Peel the husk off.2. Remove the stem
3. Wash under cool water
4. Dry, that is it!
Hatch chiles are the best and this is my favorite salsa. I have made it with both the Hatch and the Anaheims seaparately – I do like my salsa and chips! If you really want to do it up, this goes nicely with the CoronaRitas on this site. Delish!