Best Tomatillo Salsa Recipes

TOMATILLO SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.

SALSA VERDE: GREEN TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Whether you choose the verdant, slushy, herby freshness of the all-raw tomatillo salsa or the oil-colored, voluptuous, sweet-sour richness of the roasted version, tomatillos are about brightening tang. The buzz of the fresh hot green chile adds thrill, all of which adds up to a condiment most of us simply don't want to live without.
• For the All-Raw version: Roughly chop the tomatillos and the chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and 1/4 cup water. Process to a coarse puree, then scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.
• For the Roasted version:
• Preheat a broiler.
• Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos and chiles, including all the delicious juice that has run onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, blend to a coarse puree, and scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the tomatillos to a baking sheet along with the jalapenos and onion wedges. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast about 7 minutes. Turn the vegetables, add the garlic and roast until everything is slightly softened and charred, another 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the garlic and remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until still slightly chunky but well combined. Add the cilantro, lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until incorporated. With the processor running, stream in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil until the salsa is slightly runny but not smooth. At this point you can season with additional salt if desired.
• Serve with chips or as a salsa for tacos and burritos.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the salsa:
• On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.
• For the enchiladas:
• Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large flameproof baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
• Serve hot with Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice, the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.
• In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.
• Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Pull the husks from the tomatillos and wash them under cool water until they no longer feel sticky. Cut them into quarters and put them into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the onion and garlic and process until smooth. Add the cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice and process until the jalapeno is finely chopped.
• Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is boiled off and the salsa looks relish-y, about 15 minutes. Cool before using. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. If refrigerated, you may want to add a little salt and/or lime juice to the salsa before serving.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add tomatillos. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain., Place the tomatillos, tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and seasonings in a food processor. Cover and process until blended. Serve with chips.

ROASTED TOMATILLO AND GARLIC SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler. Arrange the whole cloves of garlic, tomatillos, and jalapenos on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler, and cook for a few minutes. Remove garlic cloves first, as soon as they are toasted, to avoid developing a bitter flavor. Continue to roast jalapenos and tomatillos until evenly charred, turning occasionally. Set aside to cool. Don't remove the charred parts of the tomatillos or the peppers. They add a really nice flavor.
• Place peppers and tomatillos in a blender with the garlic and cilantro. Add a little water to the mixture if necessary to facilitate blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

AVOCADO TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Place tomatillos into a food processor. Add serrano pepper, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt to taste. Process until smooth; adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl.

SPICY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Season chicken with cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
• Place chicken on the preheated grill and cook until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 5 to 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer to a plate and shred using 2 forks.
• Combine tomatillos, serrano peppers, vinegar, water, onion, garlic, and salt in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and chill in an ice bath until cool, 20 to 30 minutes. Add cilantro and lime juice. Blend salsa thoroughly using an immersion blender.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix shredded chicken, cream cheese, 4 ounces Mexican cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup salsa, onion, and cayenne pepper together in a medium bowl.
• Pour just enough salsa into a 9x13-inch baking pan to thinly cover the bottom. Place a heaping spoonful of filling into each tortilla, roll, and place into the pan. Try to keep them from touching. Top with remaining salsa and Mexican cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes.

RED CHILE-CITRUS MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRILLED TORTILLAS AND AVOCADO-TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• For the grilled tortillas: Brush each tortilla on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 1 minute on each side. Yield: 8 servings For the Avocado and Grilled Tomatillo salsa: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 2 cups
• For the marinade and the chicken breasts: Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a large shallow baking dish, add chicken breast and turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning once.
• Preheat grill. Remove chicken from marinade and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the breasts, skin-side down, for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the breasts over and baste with some of the reserved marinade and cook for 4 minutes. Baste, turn and baste again, cover the grill and cook the breasts for 4 more minutes. Repeat the process once more for a total grilling time of 16 minutes, or until the chicken is well-browned and cook through. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with Grilled Tortillas and Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa on the side.

ROASTED TOMATILLO, TOMATO N CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Sterilize jars and leave in hot water or dishwasher while you prepare the salsa ingredients.
• Put the tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, fresh chiles and garlic in a single layer on two large rimmed baking sheets and roast for 25-35 minutes, or until charred in spots. The tomatillos and tomatoes will be soft, collapsed, and leaking juices.
• Allow to cool slightly before blending.
• Peal the garlic cloves and place into a blender add the cilantro, roasted veggies, chipotle in adobo sauce, chiles and cilantro. Blend to a chunky or smooth (your choice) pour into a large pot add lime juice, vinegar, ( the last two are nessesary for a proper PH), sugar, salt and cumin. Boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Ladle the hot salsa into the jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more salsa to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
• Repeat with the remaining jars.
• Place jars in to the hot water bath, making sure that the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process (at sea level), and an additional minute per 1,000 ft above sea level (I live at 5280, so I boiled for a extra five minutes). Remove the jars to a folded towel and leave undisturbed for 12 hours. After an hour, check to see if the jars have sealed by pressing down on the middle of the jar lid. If it can be pressed down, it hasn't sealed and should be refrigerated immediately. Store the jars in a dark area.

SALSA DE TOMATILLO

Steps:

• Place tomatillos in a nonreactive saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer until tomatillos soften and begin to burst, about 10 minutes.
• Drain tomatillos and place in a food processor or blender with onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency.

QUICK GREEN TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat broiler, positioning a rack at the highest setting under the heat. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place tomatillos on top, stem side down. Broil 2 to 5 minutes, until charred on one side. Turn tomatillos over and broil 2 to 5 minutes longer, until charred. Transfer tomatillos to a blender, tipping in any juice that may have accumulated on the foil.
• Add chiles, onions, garlic (if using), cilantro and 1/4 cup water to blender and blend to a coarse purée. Transfer to a bowl and thin out as desired with water. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to develop.

GRILLED MAHI-MAHI WITH TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA AND PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Spray grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).Blend next 5 ingredients in processor to coarse puree; season salsa with salt.
• Brush fish with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Top with salsa and pineapple.

CHILAQUILES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Special equipment: 4 individual casserole dishes
• To make the salsa:
• Preheat the broiler or oven to 550 degrees F.
• Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove the stickiness. Put the chiles, garlic, onion and tomatillos on a baking sheet. Season with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Put on a rack about 1 or 2 inches from the heat, and cook, turning the vegetables once, until softened and slightly charred, about 5 to 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and pull off the tops of the chiles. Add all the broiled ingredients to a blender along with the fresh cilantro and puree. Pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth and blend to combine. Add more broth, if needed, for desired consistency.
• To make the chilaquiles:
• Pour about 1/3 cup vegetable oil into a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas, working in 2 or 3 batches, and cook until lightly browned and nearly crisp. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and discard the remaining oil. Wipe the pan with a paper towel.
• In the same pan, add the tomatillo salsa and bring to simmer over low heat. Add the tortillas and cook until soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the mixture among 4 individual casserole dishes. Top with the cheese crumbles and onion rings. Drizzle with Mexican crema, sprinkle with some chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
• *Cook's Note: Salsa Verde means "green sauce" and is typically made with tomatillos, green chiles and cilantro. Make your own fresh, or you can also find it canned at most supermarkets.
• Tomatillos are a small green fruit encased in a tissue paper-like husk. They should be used when they are still green, before they are ripe and the husk has turned brown. Before using, remove the husk, rinse and dry the fruit. (They do not need to be seeded.) They are found in most supermarkets
• **Cook's Note: Chilaquiles is a Mexican brunch dish invented to use leftovers. It is made with day old tortillas (cut or torn into chips) and salsa verde. They are cooked together until the tortillas are slightly softened. Chilaquiles are eaten alone or with beans, eggs or shredded chicken.
• ***Cook's Note: Queso fresco is a white, mild, fresh Mexican cheese with the texture of fresh farmer's cheese in the US. Queso fresco can be found in many supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online. It can be substituted with a mild feta cheese.

GRILLED SWORDFISH TACOS WITH TOMATILLO-MANGO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Place mango pieces in a bowl. Scoop out 1/4 of the pieces and place in a blender with the juice of 2 limes and orange juice. Blend until smooth.
• Place tomatillos, red onion, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in the bowl with the diced mangoes. Sprinkle salsa with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Pour the pureed mango mixture over the salsa and mix well.
• Lay swordfish on a plate and sprinkle with the remaining lime juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper.
• Place swordfish on the hot grill and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side. Spoon salsa over fish.

QUICK ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the tomatillos on top, stem side down. If you wish to roast the chilies, place them on the baking sheet as well. Place under the broiler at the highest rack setting and broil two to five minutes, until charred on one side (the chilies will be charred after a minute or two). Turn over and broil on the other side for two to five minutes, until charred on the other side. Remove from the heat. If you have roasted the chilies, peel and stem them, and coarsely chop.
• Transfer the tomatillos and chilies to a blender, tipping in any juice that may have accumulated on the foil. Add the onion, cilantro and 1/4 cup water to the blender and blend to a coarse purée. Transfer to a bowl and thin out as desired with water. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

AVOCADO AND ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place tomatillos in pan and toast until charred on 1 side, about 10 minutes for a medium or large tomatillo. The color in the middle should be fading from pale green to olive. Turn tomatillos over and continue to grill until charred on the other side, about 10 minutes, but not for so long that they burst. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place chile(s), garlic clove and onion slice in skillet and toast, turning often, until chile is lightly charred and garlic is charred in spots and softened. The onion should be lightly colored on both sides but not charred black (that will make it bitter). Remove from heat. Peel the garlic and transfer, with the onion and chiles, to a blender. Add tomatillos and any liquid that may have accumulated in the bowl.
• Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve.

THREE CHILE DRY ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Place the tomatillos, chiles, garlic cloves, and onion in a dry, cast iron pan. Toast, turning occasionally over medium-high heat until the husks of the tomatillos have blackened and their skins turn translucent. The goal is to soften the tomatillos by blackening the skin without allowing them to split. Remove from pan, and allow to cool slightly.
• Remove the husks from the tomatillos and the stems from the peppers. Place into the bowl of a food processor with the cilantro and salt to taste; process to desired consistency. Pour the salsa into a saucepan, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes to mellow the flavors and remove the raw taste.

TOMATILLO-CHIPOTLE SALSA

Steps:

• Position an oven rack 6" from broiler; preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange tomatillos, onion, and garlic cloves on prepared sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until soft and slightly charred, 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Peel garlic; transfer to a processor. Add tomatillos, onion, and any juices from foil, along with the chipotles. Purée until mixture is as smooth as you like. Transfer salsa to a bowl. Stir in cilantro; season with salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let come to room temperature before serving.