Published: · Modified: by Joss Dyckson · This post may contain affiliate links ·
You will often see both homemade and restaurant-style dishes that marry tomatillos with sour (lemons and limes), bitter (cilantro), and savory (meats and beans) ingredients. The best tomatillo recipes complement these flavors and bring out the mild sweetness of the tomatillos.
When tomatillos come to mind, you probably think: salsa! But there is so much more you can do with this little green fruit. This is why I compiled a list of 20 recipes to give you plenty of tomatillo recipe ideas.
Why do we use tomatillos in so many Mexican recipes? They are among the most versatile vegetables. With their ability to fulfill the acidic niche nicely and their tendency to release an unusual complexity of flavors upon cooking, they are staples in Southwestern and Mexican cuisine.
They are quickly becoming popular in North America, hence why I can now find them regularly in local grocery stores and I even grow them in my own garden.
So grab a bag of tomatillos and have a look at all of the unique, fresh and delicious options I compiled below. Two of my favorites on this list are the grilled halibut tacos and easy tomatillo hot sauce. Enjoy!
Jump to:
- What are Tomatillos?
- Unique Tomatillo Recipes
- Tomatillo Recipes with Chicken
- Tomatillo Salsa Recipes
- Canned Tomatillo Recipes
- Conclusion
- Tomatillo FAQs
What are Tomatillos?
Tomatillos are small, round, green fruits in the nightshade family. Their name says, “Little tomato,” and they are shaped liked tomatoes but they are really only distantly related.
They are tangy and only slightly sweet. In addition, you must shuck them of a paper-like husk as if they were part of the corn family.
Unique Tomatillo Recipes
1
Grilled Halibut Tacos with Salsa Verde
Create an easy dairy-free and gluten-free meal with these grilled halibut tacos. The halibut is marinated, grilled and then brightened up with fresh mango and a homemade, roasted salsa verde.
Get the Grilled Halibut Tacos Recipe
2
Life's Ambrosia
Fried Green Tomatillos
Incorporate tried and true classics. For many of you, the fried green tomatoes dish is a staple. Substitute tomatillos for tomatoes and enjoy a southwestern twist on a traditional classic. A creamy chipotle dip compliments their tangy bite.
3
Girl Gone Gourmet
Salsa Verde Taco Soup
Catch up on some quality time and comfort food. Enjoy an intimate lunch with none other than tacos in a bowl. Browning the ground beef is the most difficult part. The soup comes out tasty whether cooked stovetop or in an Instant Pot. Garnish with sour cream andguacamole.
4
Kevin is Cooking
Stuffed Green Chili Meatballs
These turkey meatballs are simple. Baking them in tomatillo sauce makes them tender and juicy while giving them a hint of spice and tang. They taste unbelievable over rice with a side of corn on the cob.
5
Food Faith Fitness
Grilled Mexican Corn Salad With Tomatillos
Corn salad is a nice side for electric skillet steak! Pan-searing gives the corn and red onions a smoky taste and nice grill marks. Add raw tomatillos and avocados, and you get a delectable mix of crunchiness, smooth creaminess, and savory warmth.
6
Love and Lemons
Green Cucumber Tomatillo Gazpacho
It's time for a pool party! For those of you who have never heard of gazpacho, it is acold soupthat uses raw vegetables blended together. Tomato and watermelon gazpacho are common, but have you tried a green cucumber tomatillo gazpacho?It makes for refreshing summer fare. It is a variation on the raw vegetable mantra as you grill or roast the tomatillos, onions, and jalapenos before tossing them in the blender.
7
Simply Recipes
Baked Shrimp With Tomatillos
True hosts serve appetizers first...Add tomatillos to a shrimp saganaki and you instill a Southwestern flair into a Greek appetizer. Tomatillos add acidity to the sweetness of the shrimp and the saltiness of the cheese. Cilantro rounds it out with bitterness, providing pure deliciousness!
8
Love and Olive Oil
Green Tomatillo Shakshuka
A fresh take on poached eggs for breakfast. Fitting for any meal of the day, this shakshuka utilizes the tangy green tomatillo instead of the traditional red tomato. Fresh herbs add to the intensity of the olive color, but the North African roots are clearly evident in the poached eggs scattered throughout the sauce.
9
Easy Tomatillo Hot Sauce
This is a unique and easy take on hot sauce, with tomatillos being the star ingredient. There is no fermentation required; the ingredients are cooked, blended, strained and ready to spice up or add flavor to any dish!
Get the Easy Tomatillo Hot Sauce Recipe
10
Onion Rings & Things
Pork Chili Verde
Chili night! Chili verde is a favorite meal among so many. Pork ribs meat and tomatillo sauce make this a filling stew for even the largest appetites. It seems to have been specially made to go with rice and tortillas. This is a great crock-pot tomatillo pork recipe.
11
Carlsbad Cravings
5 Minute Blender Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Looking for a unique dressing recipe to liven up your next salad? You can whip up this tomatillo avocado ranch dressing in only 5 minutes in the blender! No need to stop at salads alone; try it over tacos, burritos or any Mexican dish really. This may just become your go-to summer dressing.
Tomatillo Recipes with Chicken
When you look at the most commonly used ingredients in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, a few foods stand out. Could you cook every dish with cumin, cilantro, tomatillos, avocados, and chicken, beef, or pork? Just add tortillas, cheese, and corn and call it a day? Of course, you would not, but these mainstays show up again and again.
Chicken, in particular, is easy to complement with vegetables and spices because its own flavor is unassuming. We all know how fancy chicken becomes in the hands of some Latin chefs. The relatively delicate meat of chicken lends itself well to soups and salads and blends remarkably well with citrus-based lemon and zesty tomatillos.
12
Kitchen Confidante
Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Soup
Liven up your soup with this roasted tomatillo recipe. Roasted tomatillos provide so much robust flavor in this soup, you can choose whether or not to add heat. You can also experiment with corn, beans, or chicken with this soup. You can have it ready in a little less than an hour.
13
Two Peas & Their Pod
Chicken Chile Verde
Chicken chile verde is one of my favorite dinner meals. I've made this recipe for my family over and over again. Similar to the popular pork chile verde, roasted tomatillos enhance the flavors of the other spices and the hot peppers in the sauce. You can eat the sauce much like salsa with chips or make a heavy meal of it with rice and black beans (my fave way). Yum.
14
Little Spice Jar
Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Pie
More a casserole than a pie, this hearty dish is reminiscent of a tortilla bake. The tomatillos add depth of flavor to the creamy garlic-based sauce. Layering ensures every bite is replete with chicken, tortilla, tomatillo, and cheese.
15
Girl Gone Gourmet
Tomatillo Chicken Pasta
Roasted tomatillos create a smooth, tasty sauce, unlike either marinara or pesto. However, the slightly acidic mildly sweet flavors lend themselves well to spaghetti or fettuccine pasta and traditional additions of cheeses and garlic.
16
Good Life Eats
Chicken Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas
You can readily enhance the boldness of flavors by contrasting them against each other. A sour cream sauce brings forth the savory spiciness of the black beans. A tangy tomatillo sauce provides a stark contrast to both and complements the bitterness of the spinach.
Tomatillo Salsa Recipes
Salsa verde is a classic sauce and tomatillos are the star ingredients. You can use green tomatoes in a pinch, but nothing quite substitutes for the distinctive tart taste of the tomatillos. It is almost as if they were created for salsa.
17
My Latina Table
Authentic Mexican Salsa Verde
This salsa verde relies on jalapenos for its heat and broiled tomatillos for its rich tangy flavor. You can control the spiciness by the number of jalapenos you add to the blender. It serves as an easy-to-prepare dip or you can use it to garnish tacos or rancheros. You can make different varieties if you wish.
18
How to Make Tomatillo Salsa
This particular recipe takes you step by step through the process of making tomatillo salsa. Rather than roasting, it calls for cooking all of the ingredients that make up the salsa ahead of time, such as tomatillos, onions, a serrano chili pepper, etc.
Get the How to Make Tomatillo Salsa Recipe
Canned Tomatillo Recipes
Sometimes you just have to put yumminess in a jar and seal it up. Canning does a good job of preserving tomatillos and salsas for months if the seal remains undisturbed. It is also good for areas where it may be difficult to locate tomatillos.
You can use two methods to preserve tomatillos. There are others, but I found these most useful and delicious. If you make a salsa, which you will probably use a lot of anyway, you can it for future enchiladas or Rellenos. You can also pickle them and jar them in a more direct manner.
19
Grow a Good Life
Canned Tomatillo Salsa
Remember all that salsa verde you made? Can it! If you enjoy home canning, tomatillo salsa verde is perfect for this. Salsa verde is so prominent in Southwestern recipes, it is ideal to always have a good supply on hand. Once you open a jar it is still good in the refrigerator for up to a week. An unopened sealed jar is good for longer.
20
Mexican Please
Pickled Tomatillos
There is more than one way to can tomatillos. If you grow tomatillos, you may find it challenging to keep up with the excess. Tomatillo plants have high yields. A great solution is to pickle and can them. This tomatillo preserving recipe adds tartness to the natural acidity in the vegetables. For optimal results, leave tomatillos in the brine for a full 24 hours.
Conclusion
Did you enjoy this list of unexpectedly easy ways to prepare tomatillos? Does it make you want to cook up some tomatillos right now? As you can see there are many ways to get creative. Hopefully, you learned some interesting things about tomatillo dishes and have a few to add to your meal plan.
Tomatillo FAQs
Are tomatillos OK to eat raw?
Absolutely, raw tomatillos are edible. They will have a tart and slightly sweet flavor. You can slice or dice them for salads, tacos, salsas or as a condiment. Some prefer eating them whole.
What happens if you don't wash tomatillos?
Underneath their outer layer, tomatillos have a sticky sap. Although it's unnecessary to wash it off until you're ready to use them, keeping it helps protect the tomatillos in the refrigerator. However, make sure to wash it off before you begin cooking.
Should tomatillos be refrigerated after picking?
For optimal storage of ripe tomatillos, leave the husks on and place them in a paper bag within your fridge's crisper drawer. This will help to preserve their moisture and freshness for up to three weeks.
If you ❤️enjoyed this Tomatillo Recipes List or any other recipe on my website, please let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. And please share the post!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
sound of Text says
These tomatillo recipes look delicious! I can't wait to try some of these dishes at home.
Reply
Joss Dyckson says
Yes, they're delicious! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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Lydia Priest says
How can I see the actual recipes? I click on the picture and nothing happens. Please help.
Reply
Joss D says
Hi Lydia, you need to click on the links below the pictures where it says 'photo and recipe credit' or 'full recipe'.
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