Tomatillo salsa verde is one of my favorite Mexican salsas, it’s so bright, verdent, and herbaceous. Tart tomatillos are roasted and combined with sweet onion, spicy jalapenos, cilantro and garlic to create a wonderful sauce that is perfect for serving as a dip, using as a marinade, and more. The great thing about this salsa verde is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it for when you need it. Keep some of my tomatillo salsa verde in your fridge and you’ll have an awesome flavor bomb in your arsenal whenever you want to put a Mexican twist on a dish.
Let’s talk a bit about tomatillos. These gorgeous green globes are native to Central America, so you will definitely see them used in many forms, especially in Mexican cooking. Although they look and sound similar, they are not actually related to tomatoes. Tomatillos are part of the gooseberry family, and come wrapped in a papery husk that must be removed prior to cooking. The tomatillo has a tangy flavor when raw, but turns a bit sweeter once cooked. You will notice a sticky film when peeling the husk off of a tomatillo, simply rinse them under water to remove the film.
When choosing tomatillos, touch the fruit and gently squeeze its flesh, as it should be firm and taut. Texture is important when choosing a tomatillo. Under the husk, the skin of the fruit is thin, thus it should be easy to feel any soft spots. When cutting the tomatillo open, the inside should be a pale green and meatier than a tomato. Softness in the fruits can indicate that the fruit is past its prime, and a squishy texture can indicate the beginning of decay. Smaller tomatillos tend to be sweeter, so I usually go for those between 1-2 inches in size.
1 pound tomatillos, peeled and quartered
2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup water (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the chopped tomatillos, onions and jalapenos onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatillos, onions and jalapenos for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatillos soften and turn an olive green color, and the onion and jalapenos are caramelized on the edges.
Place the roasted tomatillos, onions and jalapenos into a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and garlic cloves.
Puree the mixture until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is a bit too thick for your taste, add 1/4 cup of water.
Serve my tomatillo salsa verde with chips, over grilled chicken or fish or use it as a sauce for enchiladas!
Print Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- 1 pound tomatillos, peeled and quartered
- 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¼ cup water (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the chopped tomatillos, onions and jalapenos onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Roast the tomatillos, onions and jalapenos for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatillos soften and turn an olive green color, and the onion and jalapenos are caramelized on the edges.
- Place the roasted tomatillos, onions and jalapenos into a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and garlic cloves.
- Puree the mixture until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is a bit too thick for your taste, add ¼ cup of water.
- Serve my tomatillo salsa verde with chips, over grilled chicken or fish or use it as a sauce for enchiladas!