How To Master Cooking With Tomatillos (2024)

Despite the name and appearance, tomatillos are not in fact small green tomatoes. A tomatillo is a delicious and verdant fruit that is its own thing entirely. Part of the nightshade family, they're usually about the size of a plum and covered in a soft, leafy husk. When peeled, they resemble small, unripe green tomatoes but are firmer and have less water content.

The tomatillo is native to Mexico and Central America and has been a staple crop there for millenia. Tomatillos have countless applications, from salsa verde to stews like pozole verde. For a full breakdown on how to buy, store and eat tomatillos, read on below.

What do tomatillos taste like?

Eating tomatillos raw is less common (though no less delicious) and resembles a firmer, tarter and more vegetal young tomato. When cooked, tomatillos lose a little bit of their bright green color and their natural fruity, sweetness intensifies.

How do I shop for tomatillos?

Tomatillos can be found year round in many supermarkets throughout the states. When looking through the bin you should seek out fruit that is almost completely covered by husk. Though most commonly green, you will sometimes see both yellow and purple varieties. When buying green tomatillos, the skin should have a bright green color, like a Granny Smith apple. They should also be firm, unlike a ripe tomato that might have a bit of give to it. We also recommend searching for smaller tomatillos as they will pack a bit more flavor and sweetness.

How should I store tomatillos?

A huge appeal to tomatillos is that they are a pretty resilient fruit. When kept inside their husks, in the fridge, tomatillos can keep for 2 to 3 weeks! So if your plans to make that perfect tomatillo centered recipe are dashed, you should have plenty of time to try again. They can even be frozen; if you pop them in a zip top bag they should remain perfectly good for cooking for up to 6 months.

How do I prep tomatillos?

The first thing you’re going to want to do when prepping tomatillos is gently peel off the leafy husk. The fruit itself can also develop a bit of a sticky film which should be rinsed off before eating. When you cut into the fruit you will see tiny whitish seeds. Those are edible!

How do I cook tomatillos?

Firstly, you can simply chop up tomatillos and eat them raw. Though less common this can be a tasty, acidic addition to lots of dishes. You can dice some up with some onions, fresh cilantro and cover with lime juice and oil to make a verde pico de gallo that is a refreshing spin on the original. You could even slice them thinly and place them on a piece of toast with jammy, soft boiled egg for a killer breakfast.

Tomatillos are often cooked to contribute their natural sweetness to a dish. You see this most commonly in a salsa verde, where whole tomatillos are roasted along with other veggies like chiles and onion, then blended into a dippable, spreadable (and spoonable) sauce. It's great to serve over grilled fish, a spicy pork chop or alongside a bowl of tortilla chips. But applications don’t stop there, you can add them to stews and curries or serve them grilled on a burger or piece of roast chicken. There are truly countless ways to use tomatillos.