This easy Salsa recipe is made from tomatillos which are known as husk tomatoes. They have a dry leafy covering on them and are more acidic than tomatoes. This Easy Tomatillo Salsa recipe makes a great alternative to tomato-based salsa.

Hot Peppers and Tomatillos

Tomatillos have a more acidic taste than a tomato, which gives this recipe a different flavour than a salsa made with tomatoes.

Cleaning Tomatillos

Tomatillos have a dry leafy husk that needs to be removed. Under the husk, the tomatillos have a sticky film on them that also needs to be removed. When removing the husks, I wear rubber gloves since the tomatillos are sticky under the husks.

To clean the tomatillos, I use a large bowl of room-temperature water. As I remove the husk, I place the tomatillos in the water to soak. After all the husks are removed, I use a clean towel to wipe the film off the tomatillos as they are taken out of the water, one at a time.

Raw vs Cooked

Tomatillos can be eaten raw or cooked. This recipe calls for cooked tomatillos which are less acidic. But if you prefer a more acidic sauce, you can skip the roasting part of the recipe.

To roast the vegetables, we use the BBQ to roast the tomatillos, onions, hot peppers, and garlic. Avocado oil is our choice to roast the vegetables, but olive oil or vegetable oil can be used as well.

When making this recipe with raw vegetables, skip the avocado oil. It is only used for roasting vegetables.

Mild, Medium, or Hot

The most common hot pepper used for this recipe is jalapeno but feel free to use any kind of pepper to make it milder or hotter. Some of the hot peppers I have used include poblano peppers and cayenne peppers.

Other Ingredients

The other ingredients that are used in this recipe are the same as those used to make salsa.

White onion- sweeter than some other varieties of onion. These onions balance out the acidity of the tomatillos

Cilantro- a key ingredient in salsas. To some cilantro may taste like soap. In this case, add the cilantro to the vegetables while they are roasting. This process is said to take away the soapy taste in cilantro.

Lime juice- this not only adds flavour but also is used as a preservative that helps keep the tomatillos from browning and also helps preserve the salsa so it lasts longer.

Garlic- whole cloves are halved. More garlic can be used if you like a lot of garlic taste.

White Pepper- I prefer the taste of white pepper as it is stronger. But black pepper can also be used.

Storing Easy Tomatillo Salsa

This recipe makes three pint-sized jars of salsa. It should be stored in the fridge and used within 14 days.

It can be canned using a water bath if you would like to store it outside the fridge and for longer than 14 days. Directions for canning can be found on Bernardin’s website, using the directions for the high-acid food.

For another recipe for salsa try our Homemade Salsa.