This griddle grilled tomatillo salsa is so easy to make! Just “blister” the tomatillos, onions, and jalapeños on the flat top grill, and blend all of the ingredients together. Serve this awesome tomatillo salsa with your favorite griddle tacos or fresh fried tortilla chips!
If you own a griddle, chances are that you’ve made at least one Mexican recipe on it. Whether it’s Blackstone steak fajitas or quesadillas, or a whole ton of ground beef taco meat.
So why not griddle up a popular Mexican condiment also?
This grilled tomatillo salsa recipe combines the natural tanginess of tomatillos with the perfect char that you get from the solid surface of a flat top grill. The skins of the tomatillos caramelize a bit as they cook, resulting in a rich depth of flavor that you don’t get from traditional store-bought salsa. Perfect for adding to a variety of Mexican dishes or just serving with tortilla chips!
Here’s how to make this awesome griddle grilled tomatillo salsa:
Why this Grilled Salsa Recipe Works:
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This delicious tomatillo salsa recipe is so easy to make in just two steps: grill the produce and blend it up!
- The flat top grill is perfect for “blistering” the vegetables. No grill? No problem! Add the tomatillos and all of the vegetables to the griddle with a bit of oil.
- Easy homemade salsa for all of your Mexican griddle recipes. Store-bought salsas just don’t compare to homemade. And this tomatillo salsa is the perfect accompaniment to your other griddle favorites, like steak fajitas or tacos!
What is Tomatillo Salsa?
Tomatillo salsa, also known as salsa verde, is a type of salsa that is made primarily from tomatillos. Tomatillos are small green fruits that are similar in appearance to green tomatoes, but they have a distinct tart flavor. Tomatillo salsa is a popular condiment in Mexican cuisine and is known for its bright and zesty flavor.
To make tomatillo salsa, tomatillos are typically roasted or simmered until they soften and their skin blisters, which helps to mellow their tartness and develop a smoky flavor. Other common ingredients in tomatillo salsa include onions, garlic, jalapeños, and cilantro. These ingredients are often blended together to create a smooth, green sauce.
Tomatillo salsa can vary in spiciness, depending on the type and amount of chili peppers used. It can be used as a condiment for a wide range of dishes, including tacos, enchiladas, grilled meats, and more. It adds a tangy and slightly spicy kick to dishes and is a versatile and flavorful addition to many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes.
Tomatillo Salsa Ingredients
This grilled tomatillo salsa starts off with your basic red salsa ingredients, except instead of using vine-ripened red tomatoes, you substitute these beautiful bright green tomatillos. Here’s everything you need to whip up a quick grilled tomatillo green salsa:
- Tomatillos. These small neon green fruits will probably be near the tomatoes in the produce section of your grocery store.
- Onion. Sweet Vidalia onion or regular white or yellow onions – take your pick.
- Jalapeños. You can use as many fresh jalapeños as you like. For a milder salsa, remove the seeds before adding the grilled jalapeños to the blender.
- Garlic. We used whole peeled cloves of garlic, because we toasted them on the griddle, and the whole cloves were just easier to transfer to the blender cup.
- Cilantro.
- Lime Juice.
- Salt.
How to Make Grilled Tomatillo Salsa on the Griddle
Thanks to the large cooking surface of the flat top grill and the quick work of the blender, this griddle grilled tomatillo salsa is a cinch to whip up for your next Mexican craving. Here’s how to make it:
Prepping the Salsa Verde Ingredients
The tomatillos and vegetables are super easy to prepare for this salsa recipe. Just follow these steps:
- Peel and quarter the onion. You can leave the individual slices all together to make it easier to rotate them on the griddle.
- Take the tops off of the fresh jalapeños and cut them in half. For a spicier salsa, leave the seeds in the peppers.
- Peel the individual garlic cloves. You will toast the cloves whole on the griddle.
- Halve the limes. Set the limes to the side to squeeze into the blender later.
Grilling the Tomatillos and Vegetables
The next step is to “blister” the tomatillos, vegetables, and garlic on the griddle.
Just heat the Blackstone griddle or other flat top grill to about 400-425 degrees F. Then, add a bit of your favorite cooking oil and spread it around with your griddle spatula. No need to use a large amount of oil for this recipe… You’re only looking to lubricate the flat top grill just a bit and get a very thin coat of oil on the tomatillos as they’re charring on the griddle.
Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, and quartered onions on the oiled surface and allow them to char on the first side before rotating.
Then, begin to rotate the ingredients to soften the skins of the fruits and vegetables and to develop a nice char on the other sides. This is as easy as rolling the tomatillos and jalapeños across the hot surface every few minutes or so.
If needed, you can add another squirt of oil to the griddle surface, and use a dome to help create steam and further soften the skin of the tomatillos. This will also help to speed up the cooking process.
As the tomatillos cook down, you’ll notice a change in color. The fruit will go from a bright and vibrant neon green to a muted yellow-green color like this:
When the tomatillos and other ingredients are about 75% done, add the whole peeled garlic cloves to the griddle. You don’t want to add the garlic to early, because it will burn.
Then, as the different salsa ingredients are done on the flat top grill, transfer them to a blender cup. The tomatillos will probably take the longest amount of time to char and tenderize.
Blending the Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Once all of the grilled ingredients are done and added to the blender, add in the cilantro, lime juice, and a good pinch of salt. Then, blend for just a few seconds. Remember, the tomatillos are already soft so they won’t take long at all to reach the perfect salsa consistency.
I prefer my salsa verde to be a bit thicker, so I only used the “pulse” button on my Ninja blender just a few times to quickly blend the green salsa ingredients.
After you blend the salsa for a few seconds, taste for seasoning. You may need to add more salt, lime juice, or cilantro, based on your personal preference.
Then, just pour the tomatillo salsa into a serving bowl, and it’s ready. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
What to Serve with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Verde
This grilled tomatillo salsa is perfect served with store-bought tortilla chips, but if you really want to up your appetizer game, try frying your own yellow corn tortillas to make fresh-fried chips. Trust me, you may never buy another bag of Tostitos again!
You can see how I fry my own tortillas to make the best corn chips seasoned with Tajin in this video on my YouTube channel. Or check out some of my favorite Mexican grill and griddle recipes that would be perfect for this tomatillo salsa verde:
Smoked Pork Carnitas Tacos
This grilled tomatillo salsa is the perfect topping for smoked pork carnita tacos. In fact, when I originally made this griddle salsa recipe on my YouTube channel, I was serving it with these smoked carnitas:
Blackstone Steak Fajitas
The bright and zesty flavor of this tomatillo salsa would pair perfectly with my wife’s favorite steak fajitas! Get the full recipe for the awesome fajita marinade and learn how to make the best griddle steak fajitas here.
Griddle Grilled Tomatillo Salsa Recipe
Want to save this recipe to make when you’re cooking up some fajitas or carnitas tacos on the griddle? Just print the recipe card down below and add it to your list of easy griddle appetizers for game day or Taco Tuesday!
Griddle Tomatillo Salsa
Equipment
- blender and large blender cup
Ingredients
- 10-12 tomatillos
- 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
- 2 whole jalapeños tops removed
- 4-6 whole garlic cloves peeled
- ½ bunch cilantro
- lime juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat the griddle to about 400-425 degrees F.
- Add about 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil to the heated surface, and spread it out in a thin even layer with your spatula.
- Place the whole tomatillos, quartered onion, and jalapeños on the oiled surface. Allow to cook and "blister" on the first side before rotating.
- When you notice a nice char, begin to rotate the ingredients to soften the skins of the fruits and vegetables and to develop a nice char on the other sides. *This is as easy as rolling the tomatillos and jalapeños across the hot surface every few minutes or so. If needed you can use a melting dome and a squirt of water to create steam and to speed up the cooking process.
- When the tomatillos and other ingredients are about 75% done, add the whole peeled garlic cloves to the griddle to toast.
- As the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and onion are done charring on the griddle, transfer to a large blender cup. *The tomatillos will go from a bright and vibrant neon green to a muted yellow-green color.
- Add cilantro, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt to the grilled ingredients in the blender. Cover the blender cup and pulse for a few seconds, or until the tomatillo salsa is blended to your desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, cilantro, or lime juice if you wish.
- Pour into a bowl and serve.
Notes
- For a more mild tomatillo salsa, remove the seeds from the jalapeños before grilling.
- Store leftover salsa covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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