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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Mexican

    Tomatillo Salsa -No Roasting Required!

    Published: Sep 21, 2021 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. 2 Comments

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    Did you know that you don’t actually have to roast tomatillos to make Tomatillo Salsa!!

    That is why this is the BEST Tomatillo Salsa Recipe available, no boiling, no roasting, no baking. Just give the raw ingredients a blend in a food processor or blender. That’s it. The whole recipe takes about 10 minutes!

    Tomatillo Salsa in a bowl topped with jalapeno and chips on the side

    Now if you want more of a charred flavor you can pop over to this recipe for Grilled Tomatillo Salsa, perfect for the summer grilling months!

    This tomatillo salsa (sometimes called salsa verde) is a great addition to chips and salsa, pico de gallo or guacamole (oh yay, and a margarita!

    Table of Contents hide
    1 Why It’s The Best
    2 Ingredients
    3 What Are Tomatillos
    4 Using Tomatillos
    5 Step by Step Picture Instructions
    6 Serving
    7 Choosing Your Spice Level
    8 Goes Great With…
    9 Did you make this recipe?!
    10 Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

    Why It’s The Best

    • I said it before, but I’ll say it again, no boiling, no roasting, no baking, just blend and eat.
    • The whole recipe takes about 10 minutes, that includes prep.
    • The flavor of blended, raw tomatillos is SO REFRESHING!!!! I actually like it better than roasted.
    • The raw onion and garlic add amazing allium flavors.
    • You can make this tomatillo salsa super spicy or not spicy at all, totally customizable!

    Ingredients

    Only fresh ingredients are required for this amazing Tomatillo Salsa! Grab some green tomatillos, white onion, cilantro, lime, garlic, jalapeno, and kosher salt.

    tomatillo salsa ingredients

    What Are Tomatillos

    Pronounced “tow-muh-tee-yo” and translated as “little tomato”, they are not tomatoes at all!

    A tomatillo is a round, green fruit that is covered in a paper-like husk, it turns yellow or purplish when ripe. It originated in Mexico and is also known as a Mexican Husk Tomato.

    raw green tomatillos in a bowl

    The fruit is mainly found in grocery stores and farmer’s markets as a green fruit. Most commonly used in salsas and preserves.

    Using Tomatillos

    A lot of recipes call for you to roast your tomatillos before using. Those are unnecessary steps, your tomatillos are delicious raw. They just need a little processing:

    Prepping

    You will first remove the husk of the tomatillo. Peel it back from the green flesh, then twist it at the stem, it should pull right off.

    • how to peel a husk from a tomatillo
    • tomatillos with the husks off

    Washing

    When you take the husk off there will be a sticky film over the flesh. That is the tomatillos natural defense against bugs. Obviously bugs and dirt can get stuck to that stickiness.

    You will want to give them a good rinse, and they are ready to use, it’s ok if they are still a little tacky.

    I like to quarter them before adding to the blender.

    Step by Step Picture Instructions

    Start by removing the husks from your tomatillos and giving them a good rinse. Slice them into quarters.

    tomatillos cut into quarters

    Roughly chop your onions and garlic. Squeeze the lime, and slice the jalapeno.

    Pop everything into a food processor or powerful blender.

    tomatillo salsa ingredients in the food processor

    Blend for about 30 seconds. You may need to scrape the sides half way through.

    Taste for additional salt or lime.

    blended tomatillo salsa in a food processor

    Serving

    Serve up your salsa with some tortilla chips (you can even make your own tortilla chips!). It is also great on top of Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas or Tostadas.

    chips with salsa verde

    Choosing Your Spice Level

    This recipe calls for a jalapeno, which if you pop the whole thing in it will be pretty spicy (IMO). Most of the jalapeno’s spice (capsaicin) is held in the white pith/ribs and the seeds.

    You can absolutely choose your spice levels by how your cut your pepper. Here’s how:

    • No Spice – omit the jalapeno.
    • Low Spice – only use the green flesh of the jalapeno. You could also choose a less spicy pepper, like the Anaheim or Poblano.
    • Medium Spice – use the green flesh as well as some of the white pith/ribs. Omit the seeds/
    • Spicy – put every part of the pepper in the salsa, except the stem. You could also choose a spicier pepper.

    As always, remember to not touch your face after you handle a spicy pepper!

    Goes Great With…

    • Classic Margarita on the Rocks
    • Easy Ground Beef Tacos
    • Easy Mexican Rice
    • Best 15-Minute Canned Refried Beans

    Susie Weinrich washing produce

    Did you make this recipe?!

    If you make this recipe I would love to hear your review. Pop down to the comment section and connect with me.

    Then sign up for our Weekly Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe!

    Rate This Recipe
    tomatillo salsa in a bowl with tortilla chips to the side

    Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

    No roasting required for this Tomatillo Salsa Recipe, Just blend it all together and enjoy! Only takes about 10 minutes, including prep.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved to Grow
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    Equipment

    • Food Processor or Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb fresh tomatillos husk removed, washed, quartered
    • ½ cup white onion roughly chopped
    • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
    • 1 fresh garlic clove
    • 1 jalapeno – see notes for spice levels
    • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt – more if desired, after tasting
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    Instructions

    Prep

    • Start by removing the paper husks from your tomatillos, then give the green tomatillos a rinse (you will notice a tackiness on the flesh, that is ok, most of it will rinse away).
      Quarter the tomatillos.
    • Roughly chop your onion and garlic.
    • Squeeze and measure the lime juice
    • Cut your jalapeno depending on spice level preference:
      Low Heat- Green parts only. Or use a Poblano or Anaheim pepper which are less spicy.
      Medium Heat – no seeds, keep the with pith/ribs
      Spicy – put everything but the stem in the salsa! Or grab a pepper hotter than a jalapeno ( if you do, you are stronger than me!).

    Blend

    • Add all the ingredients to a powerful blender or food processor.
      Blend for about 30 seconds. You may need to scrape the sides down to make sure all the bits are in the salsa.

    Serve

    • Serve with tortilla chips or as a topper for tacos, burritos, quesadillas and tostadas!

    Storing

    • Keep in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to a week.

    Notes:

    Goes great with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo or Restaurant Style Salsa!
    ON THE GRILL: if you like a char flavor in your salsa pop over to this recipe for Grilled Tomatillo Salsa! 
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
    Jump to Comments

    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

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    1. Jess

      September 22, 2022 at 3:01 pm

      3 stars
      You have failed to mention that raw tomatillos can give people an upset stomach or make them sick if they are not ripened all the way. The reason for roasting or boiling them is to ensure that it does not make anyone sick.

      Reply
      • Susie Weinrich

        October 14, 2022 at 9:58 am

        I haven’t heard or read that anywhere. Actually to the contrary I have read that tomatillos are perfectly safe to eat raw and not fully ripe (in the green state). I know in Mexico they eat raw tomatillos often. I will have to look into this.

        Reply

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