These Tomatillo Recipes Bring Brightness to the Dinner Table (2024)

Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes but they are actually related to the Cape gooseberry. Their papery husks should be removed before eating. You may know these tart, refreshing fruits, which are a staple in Central American cuisine, from their starring role as the main ingredient in salsa verde. However, you'll also find them used as a pizza topping, a key ingredient in enchilada sauce, sliced thin and served with cheese, or grilled and served simply alongside seafood. Here, we're sharing our all-time favorite tomatillo recipes that go well beyond salsa. But fear not, salsa fanatics: There are recipes for that classic dip here, too.

Tomatillos are plentiful throughout the summer, up until the first frost. When shopping for this vibrant green fruit, choose small, firm, bright-green tomatillos with green to brownish-green husks that are more or less intact (it's okay if the husks are split, but they shouldn't be peeled off). Once you bring them home, you can keep tomatillos at room temperature for a few days, or up to a week in the refrigerator, stored in a paper bag. Leave the husks on until just before preparation.

When you cook with tomatillos, remove the husks, rinse them clean to remove the sap, and then dice, chop, or thinly slice them. We often sauté them with garlic and onions to soften them and bring out their flavor before puréeing them with other ingredients such as chile peppers and fresh herbs for a salsa. You'll become quickly acquainted with this husk tomato in no time at all as you cook through these recipes.