Tomatillos
Tomatillos are tart, citrusy fruits in papery husks that are essential for authentic Mexican salsa verde. Learn how to prep, roast, and cook them.
Storage
Keep in their husks until ready to use. Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator. The husks protect the fruit and help them last longer.
Keeps For
2–3 weeks farm-fresh, refrigerated in their husks. Once husked, use within a week.
Flavor Profile
Bright, tart, and slightly citrusy with an apple-like crunch when raw. Roasting mellows the tartness and adds sweetness and smoky depth. The texture softens completely when cooked, making them perfect for pureeing into salsas.
How to Prep
Peel off the papery husk and rinse well—tomatillos have a sticky residue on the skin that needs washing off. No need to peel the fruit itself. Use raw for bright, sharp salsas, or roast for mellower, sweeter results.
Ways to Cook
- 1 Roast or broil with garlic and chiles for classic salsa verde
- 2 Blend raw with cilantro, lime, and jalapeño for a fresh green salsa
- 3 Simmer into green chile stews and braises
- 4 Add to pozole verde for bright acidity
- 5 Make chilaquiles verdes with tomatillo sauce
- 6 Use in enchiladas verdes
- 7 Char on the grill for smoky salsa
Pairs Well With
Good to Know
The sticky residue under the husk must be rinsed off. Raw tomatillos are quite tart—roasting significantly mellows them. Green tomatillos are tart; let them ripen to yellow-green for sweeter flavor. Don't confuse with unripe tomatoes.
Did You Know?
Tomatillos are native to Mexico and were cultivated by the Aztecs. Despite looking like small green tomatoes and being in the same nightshade family, they're actually more closely related to cape gooseberries than tomatoes.