Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa has tomatillos, roasted green chiles, red onion, cilantro, and lime, and this is perfect to make with fresh tomatillos. Use canned roasted green chiles if you don’t have time to roast your own!

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If you ever plant tomatillos in your garden, I promise that soon you’ll be trying to think of ways to use them, and this easy-to-make Fresh Tomatillo Salsa is a delicious option for using tomatillos. And if you don’t have fresh tomatillos from the garden, this easy recipe is worth picking up tomatillos from the grocery store to make some salsa!

I’m going to give you two versions of this tasty fresh salsa that has tomatillos, roasted green chiles, red onion, cilantro, and lime. Make the salsa with chopped ingredients that are just mixed together in a bowl, or if you want a more combined salsa like you see in the photos above just buzz the Tomatillo Salsa for a short time in the food processor!

And feel free to skip the cilantro if you’re not a cilantro fan! Remember, making salsa is an art and not a science, so if you’d like a little more or less of one of the ingredients, feel free to improvise.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• finely diced tomatillos
• roasted green chiles
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• finely diced red onion
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link)
• fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

What are Tomatillos?

Tomatillos are an interesting fruit that’s called husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry in different parts of the world. They’re easily recognizable from the husk that surrounds the fruit, and tomatillos are easy to grow (but you need two plants to pollinate each other.) When I grew tomatillos for the first time and wasn’t sure how to tell when they were ripe. Now I know that when they fill out the paper husk, they’re ready to pick. If you leave them too long, they’ll remind you by breaking through the husk but they’re still good even at that stage. And if you grow tomatillos, you’ll have volunteer tomatillos the next year!

How are Tomatillos used in cooking?

Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Latin American green sauces, and the flavor is sharp, slightly lemony, and tart. The tomatillo is a key ingredient in Chile Verde, a Mexican stew made with pork and also in my favorite Cafe Rio Salad Dressing. And I love the tangy flavor they add to Instant Pot Chicken Tomatillo Soup.

Where to get fresh tomatillos for the Fresh Tomatillo Salsa:

I originally made this salsa with fresh tomatillos from my garden, but tomatillos are pretty widely available all year in the grocery store.

What are Roasted Green Chiles?

In the United States green chiles usually refers to Anaheim chiles which are only slightly spicy. I made this fresh tomatillo salsa with green chiles I roasted on my barbecue grill, and I had fun experimenting with that when I had lots of green Anaheim chiles in my garden. But you can definitely use a 4 oz. or 7 oz. can of diced green chiles (affiliate link), which will make the recipe much easier.

How to Serve Fresh Tomatillo Salsa:

• I served the Fresh Tomatillo Salsa over Grilled Halibut the first time I made it.
• It would also be delicious with Grilled Cod, Grilled Shrimp, or Grilled Salmon Burgers.
• The salsa would taste amazing on Roasted Salmon.
• I’d love the Fresh Tomatillo Salsa with any kind of Grilled Chicken.
• It would taste great with Chile-Mustard Grilled Pork, or Grilled Flank Steak.
• You could also eat Tomatillo Salsa with any kind of Tacos (including Breakfast Tacos).
• It would also be good with a breakfast dish like Zucchini and Green Chile Breakfast Casserole or Egg Burritos.
• And of course, this will be delicious just scooped up with corn chips if you don’t mind a few carbs!

How to Make Fresh Tomatillo Salsa by hand:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe with both methods. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Because I had a lot of tomatillos I used three cups for this recipe, diced quite small.
2. You’ll also need chopped roasted green chiles or canned diced green chiles (affiliate link), chopped red onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. 
3. For best flavor put those ingredients into a bowl, combine, and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
4. While ingredients rest, wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, then finely chop to make 1 cup cilantro, or as much as you prefer. (photography fail for that step!)
5. Then add Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and fresh-squeezed lime juice (or fresh-frozen lime juice) to taste, and stir in the chopped cilantro (if using). 
6. I let mine sit for about 20 minutes more before I ate any.
7. This will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.

How to Make Fresh Tomatillo Salsa with a Food Processor:

1. 1. If you prefer a more finely-blended salsa you can add the step of buzzing it in the food processor for a minute or two after the ingredients are mixed.
   2. Start with three cups or diced tomatillos as above. 
   3. Stir the chopped roasted green chiles or canned diced green chiles (affiliate link), chopped red onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper into the tomatillos.
   4.  You can let those ingredients sit at room temperature or not, I felt that processing the ingredients blended the flavors enough that I only let it sit for a few minutes. 
   5. Wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, then finely chop to make 1 cup cilantro, or as much as you prefer.
   6. Then put ingredients into the food processor, add Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), lime juice to taste, and stir in the chopped cilantro (if using).
   7. Buzz with the steel blade of the food processor for 10-15 seconds at a time, check the consistency, and stop processing  when it’s as finely combined as you prefer. 
   8. Processing time will be less than a minute if you want the still slightly chunky salsa you see in my top photo.
   9. This will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.

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Yield: 8 servings

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa with roasted green chiles, garlic, red onions, lime juice, and cilantro is a tasty way to use your garden tomatillos! Or buy some tomatillos at the store to make this tasty salsa!

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely diced tomatillos (about 10-12 tomatillos)
• 4 oz. roasted green chiles (see notes)
• 1 T minced garlic (see notes)
• 2/3 cup finely diced red onion (more or less to taste)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. green Tabasco (to taste, see notes)
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (more or less to taste, see notes)
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)

Instructions

To Make Fresh Tomatillo Salsa by Hand:

1. Dice tomatillos, roasted Anaheim chiles (if you're not using canned diced chiles), and red onion into same-size pieces.
2. Make the pieces about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick, depending on how chunky you like it.
3. Put chopped ingredients into bowl with minced garlic and salt and pepper, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or more.
4. While it sits wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, then finely chop to make 1 cup cilantro, or as much as you prefer.
5. After it sits for 30 minutes add Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and lime juice to taste and mix into salsa. Then stir in the chopped cilantro.
6. I let mine sit for about 20 minutes more before I ate any.
7. This will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.

To Make Fresh Tomatillo Salsa with a Food Processor:

1. Dice tomatillos, green chiles, and red onion as above. (I still did most of the processing by hand because I wanted the finished salsa to still have a chunky texture. You can chop some individual ingredients one at a time in the food processor if you prefer.)
2. Add minced garlic, salt, and pepper and let ingredients sit for a few minutes. (I didn't think the resting time was as essential when ingredients were blended together in the food processor.)
3. While it sits wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, then finely chop to make 1 cup cilantro, or as much as you prefer.
4. Then put ingredients into the food processor, add Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), lime juice to taste, and stir in the chopped cilantro (if using).
5. Buzz with the steel blade of the food processor for 10-15 seconds at a time, check the texture, and stop processing when it's as finely combined as you prefer.
6. Processing time will be less than a minute if you want the still slightly chunky salsa you see in my top photo.
7. This will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa can be made with  with green chiles roasted on a grill or a can of diced green chiles (affiliate link), whichever you prefer. Minced garlic from a jar is fine for this. I wouldn't make this without a little Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link), but if you use plenty of chiles you can probably make tasty salsa without adding it. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice for this recipe.

I thought the flavor was even better after it was in the fridge overnight. Nutritional information based on 1/4 cup serving size.

Recipe adapted from Tomatillo Salsa by Mark Bittman.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 18Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet South Beach Suggestions:
This Fresh Tomatillo Salsa is a great condiment for any phase of the South Beach Diet as well as other low-carb and low-glycemic eating plans. Tomatillos do have some carbs, but you’re not eating huge amounts.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Sauces or Fresh Herbs for more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2009. I’ve made it many times since then, and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

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