Easy Tomatillo Salsa Fresh From the Garden!

Tomatillos are super easy to grow and more resistant to pests than tomatoes due to their little husks. They grow well here, so of course I’ll be using them to make a lot of this fresh tomatillo salsa recipe.

While I struggle to grow tomatoes here in this humid climate, tomatillos do really well. I’ve got three plants in the ground and producing right now, with more seedlings started.

What are tomatillos?

Sometimes called Mexican husk tomatoes, tomatillos are from the nightshade family — same as a tomato — but are a different fruit entirely. Tomatillos grow inside a papery husk that seems to help foil the bugs in my neighborhood.

They’re small — 1-2″ in diameter for the most part — and are usually green, though there is a purple variety as well. The fruit has a sticky residue that you’ll notice when you’re peeling them.

Tomatillo salsa recipe

I harvested some fresh tomatillos this morning and decided to experiment with a tomatillo salsa recipe. It got raves from my guys, and frankly, if I can’t have my fresh tomato salsa all the time, this is a very acceptable substitute! It’s a bit tangier than your standard tomato salsa, and the tomatillos maintain their crunchy texture, but this one? Is a winner!

This tomatillo salsa recipe is pretty flexible and quantities should definitely be eyeballed rather than measured. No need to dirty one more dish!

I’m easy like that.

This recipe makes a chunky salsa, but if you’d prefer you’re welcome to toss the ingredients into a blender or food processor to make a finer end product.

Serve this tomatillo salsa up with chips, just like you would your favorite tomato salsa. Spoon some into a burrito. Or top off your favorite egg dish. Its fresh flavor will perk up most dishes.

★ Did you make this tomatillo salsa recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

5 from 2 votes

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Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

This recipe is a bit tangier than your standard tomato salsa, and the tomatillos maintain their crunchy texture.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 29 kcal

Author Kris Bordessa

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh tomatillos
• 1/4 cup onion (I used a red onion)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 medium sized red tomato (optional - I had one I wanted to use up)
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon or lime
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Chop vegetables into 1/4" dice. You can do this by hand or use one of these as a shortcut. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

2. Serve with chips or spooned on top of my family's favorite refried beans.
   

Recipe Notes

If you'd prefer a less chunky salsa,  toss the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse to the desired consistency. 

Serve this tomatillo salsa up with chips, just like you would your favorite tomato salsa. Spoon some into a burrito. Or top off your favorite egg dish. Its fresh flavor will perk up most dishes.