Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa
Tomato and tomatillo salsa is a delicious Mexican salsa made with tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, onion and garlic. I have wanted to try tomatillos for awhile now but was sort of intimidated by them and not quite sure how to handle them. The first recipe I made with tomatillos was salsa verde and it was wonderful! This salsa incorporates roma tomatoes which have a sweet flavor which pairs well with the tartness of the tomatillos. The vegetables in the salsa are roasted so the outside of them is slightly charred which gives them a wonderful deep smoky flavor. Everthing goes in the blender to mix it all together resulting in some amazing and unique flavors. Serve the salsa with tortilla chips or use to top your favorite Mexican dish like Pollo Asado, Taco Salad or Chorizo Egg Breakfast Tacos.
What is a tomatillo?
If you don’t know what a tomatillo is, it’s a relative of the tomato and is also known as a Mexican husk tomato. Tomatillos are a member of the nightshade family of plants. If you have seen tomatillos you’ll notice they are encased in a thin, papery green husk which is removed before eating them. They are not to be confused with a green tomato but are a relative of tomatoes.
Ingredients for Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa:
You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious salsa.
- 5 medium size tomatillos
- 3 large roma tomatoes
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers (make it as hot as you want!)
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 white onion
- Fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste
Here’s how to make Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa:
The first thing you will do is take the husk off the tomatillos by pulling or twisting it off. The tomatillos may feel a little sticky after the husk is removed so you will need to rinse them in some warm water and dry them off. I peeled the skin off the garlic because it is tough. Remove the skin from the onion and cut it in half. Leave the skin on the tomatoes, tomatillos and the jalopeno pepper. Do not core the tomatoes or tomatillos so you preserve all the juices.
Roasting methods for Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa:
There are a couple of methods for roasting the veggies for the salsa:
Roasting on the stovetop in a cast iron grill or pan:
Because it is so hot here in Las Vegas I didn’t want to heat up my oven so I chose to use a cast iron grill on my stove top lined with tin foil. You could also use a cast iron skillet if you don’t have a grill pan. This method involves cooking all the veggies, except the onion, over high heat and turning them as they char so they look like the ones in the picture below. The garlic and jalapeno will char more quickly than the tomatoes and tomatillos. You will closely watch and turn everything and remove the items when they are sufficiently charred. The tomatoes take the longest amount of time to cook. You can tell when the veggies are done because the skin will split and they will feel a little soft.
Roasting in the oven:
The other method is to roast your vegetables in the oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You can roast them in a large sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Lightly drizzle some olive oil over the vegetables before roasting them and turn them half way through the cooking time.
Cut the jalapeno in half and remove the spine and seeds. The heat of the salsa will depend on how many seeds you leave in. After the vegetables are all roasted place everything in the blender with the minced cilantro, garlic and onion. Do not remove any of the skin or charred spots. Cut up the bigger vegetables so you can fit them all in the blender.
Pulse the blender until everything is mixed together. You will see some tiny black flecks in the salsa and that is the way it is supposed to look. The black flecks give it the smoky flavor that this salsa is known for. When everything is blended together, pour the salsa into a bowl and add a little ground sea salt and pepper to taste along with a tablespoon of lime juice. You will want to chill the salsa in the refrigerator before serving. The flavors will meld together more as it sits.
Storage of fresh salsa:
- Chill the salsa before serving. Keep any leftover salsa in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing this salsa because the cilantro may become mushy.
Other recipes to try:
Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 5 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 3 large Roma tomatoes, whole
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, whole (depending on heat level you want)
- 1/2 white onion
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp minced cilantro
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ground sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the husk from tomatillos by pulling or twisting them off. Rinse all sticky residue from the tomatillos in warm water. Peel garlic. Wash and dry other veggies.
- Line cast iron grill pan or skillet with tinfoil. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic in the pan and cook on high. Char all the vegetables by turning them frequently until the outside is charred on all sides. Remove as veggies are done. The tomatoes will take the longest to cook. You can tell when they are done because skin will start to split and veggies will soften.
- Cut jalapeno in half and remove the spine and seeds. If you want a mild salsa remove all seeds or for more heat leave some of the seeds in. Place all charred veggies in a blender with the garlic, onion and cilantro (you will need to cut tomatillos and tomatoes in half to fit them into the blender). Leave all the skins and charred areas on the veggies. Pulse veggies in the blender until you reach desired consistency.
- Pour salsa into a medium bowl and add a tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Place salsa in a covered jar or bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Flavor is better when it sits longer.