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Home / Holidays and Events / 4th of July

Abuelo’s Copycat Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

4.97
/5
5 minutes
51 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 10/17/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

This copycat of Abuelo’s tomatillo salsa is so close, you’ll think you’re actually at the restaurant!  Bright and fresh, this salsa is a “must try”!

Abuelo’s is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, not only for the meals and margaritas, but for their salsas!!

This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

When I was pregnant with my son, I craved their “green salsa” quite literally, every single day.  I’m pretty sure I drove my husband insane lol.  Over time I learned that it was a tomatillo lime salsa, and started trying to make it at home!

WHAT IS A TOMATILLO?

If you haven’t seen a tomatillo before, here’s what they look like:

This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

They look like little green tomatoes with papery husks on the them.  I find mine next to the regular tomatoes in my grocery store, which is because they’re in the tomato family, even though they’re more closely related to gooseberries!  There are two things to remember about tomatillos.

  • First, after you remove the husk, you need to wash them thoroughly.  There’s a sticky residue on the outside of the flesh… and it’s stubborn!  
  • Secondly, when picking your tomatillos, try to go for the smaller, lighter in color ones.  They tend to be sweeter and have better flavor!

IS THIS TOMATILLO SALSA A SALSA VERDE RECIPE?

It is, but probably not the type you’re thinking of.  Most salsa verdes use tomatillos that have been roasted first.  Which are delicious, but the cooking process results in a duller color and a smoother taste.  The bright fresh green color, as well as the piquant zing of this salsa comes from the fact that you don’t cook these tomatillos at all!

Two white bowls of tomatillo salsa

I didn’t really take any step by step photos for this recipe because guess what?  It’s about the simplest thing ever!  You wash the tomatillos, roughly chop them, toss them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients, and pulse until it’s a salsa consistency.  Viola!  The salsa is finished!

I like my salsas easy to make, with no real prep or cooking time… like my 5 Minute Restaurant Salsa!

Tortilla chip scooping tomatillo salsa

See, there I am, digging in mid-photoshoot!  It’s that good you guys… all the flavors really work together here.  The tart freshness of the lime, brightness of the fresh tomatillos, spiciness from the jalapeno, classic salsa flavor from the cilantro and a kiss of sweetness from the honey and pineapple.  Ahhhhhh-mazing!

This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

This is an older recipe of mine, back from 2015… and the original photo is below.  You can see how fresh the salsa is by the little air bubbles in the dish from all the ingredients being whirred together in the food processor.

Copycat Abuelo's Tomatillo Salsa | The Chunky Chef (http://thechunkychef.com) | This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant! Bright and fresh, this salsa is a "must try"!

HOW MUCH TOMATILLO SALSA DOES THIS RECIPE MAKE?

The recipe make a lot… I want to say about 2 cups or more… probably more like 3.  But you won’t want to share!  You may find yourself sliding the bowl to the back of the refrigerator so no one else sees that it’s in there and you can snack on it as much as you’d like 😉

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING FRESH TOMATILLO SALSA:

  • Make sure you scrub the tomatillos thoroughly.  The sticky substance on the flesh of the tomatillo is really stubborn!
  • You can use either a food processor or blender for this recipe.  Use whichever you have on hand.
  • As far as the consistency, feel free to chop the ingredients up as finely or roughly as you’d like.  Traditionally, in Abuelos’ restaurants, the salsa is very fine (like in the photo above), but sometimes I want more texture.
  • The amounts of the ingredients are sort of a guideline.  Customize it the way you want!  I love cilantro, so I might use more than you like, so feel free to play around and get it perfect… for you!

This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

OTHER GREAT MEXICAN-INSPIRED MEALS:

  • Beef Enchiladas
  • Crockpot Beef Tacos
  • Mango Pineapple Crockpot Chicken Tacos
  • One Pan Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken
  • Baked Mexican Rice
  • Arroz Verde
  • Smothered Beef Barbacoa Chimichangas

SHOP THE RECIPE:

  • Food Processor – I LOVE this Cuisinart food processor, it’s a workhorse!
  • Blender – if you don’t want to use a food processor, or don’t have one… this blender works great!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Copycat Abuelo's Tomatillo Salsa | The Chunky Chef (http://thechunkychef.com) | This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant! Bright and fresh, this salsa is a "must try"!

Abuelo's Copycat Tomatillo Lime Salsa

4.97 from 27 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 35
Servings: 8 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant! Bright and fresh, this salsa is a "must try"!

Ingredients

  • 8-9 tomatillos , husks removed, rinsed, and roughly chopped
  • 1-2 fresh jalapeños , seeds removed (unless you want it really spicy!)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 rough handful fresh cilantro
  • 1 medium sweet onion , diced
  • 4-6 oz ripe pineapple , cored and cut into chunks
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp salt , (or more, to taste)
  • 1 tsp honey

Instructions

  • Put the tomatillos in a food processor and pulse a few times to break them down a bit.
  • Add remaining ingredients and pulse until desired consistency is achieved.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Video

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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This copycat of Abuelo's tomatillo lime salsa is so close, you'll think you're actually at the restaurant!  Bright, fresh, and ready in 5 minutes! #salsa #tomatillo #lime #copycat #abuelos #greensalsa #easyrecipe #Mexican #copycatrecipe

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Recipe Rating




  1. Elizabeth says

    Posted on 2/13 at 12:22 am

    Abuelos was my favorite restaurant and I have always loved their green salsa. I hated it when they closed down in our area. Thank you so much for figuring out and posting this recipe. I made it today and it turned out perfect!! I used fresh ingredients and didn’t change anything in the recipe.

    Now if you can just let me know how they made their jalapeño cheese stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon with the cheese dipping sauce, it will be so appreciated 😊

    Reply
  2. claire says

    Posted on 1/1 at 1:26 am

    Yum

    Reply
  3. Gloria says

    Posted on 10/20 at 4:19 pm

    Love this!!!

    Reply
  4. Jacki says

    Posted on 10/12 at 8:44 am

    This is the best salsa..I can not get enough of it…I put it on everything which will include my breakfast! It is for sure a keeper!

    Reply
  5. Lynda Held says

    Posted on 9/23 at 9:19 pm

    I made this 3 times in one week…and the whole family loves it! So quick and easy.

    Reply
  6. Tena Greear says

    Posted on 8/11 at 1:06 pm

    I want to can this in a water bath? How long would the processing time be?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/11 at 9:20 pm

      I don’t have the experience in canning to answer this question with any certainty.

      Reply
  7. Sheila Cox-Harrell says

    Posted on 7/20 at 2:41 am

    I have not tried your recipe yet but must go to the grocery store for tomatillos. I love this salsa at Abuelo’s and did a search for the recipe. Your ingredients seem to be spot on. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  8. Charlotte says

    Posted on 7/5 at 6:24 pm

    wonderful

    Reply
  9. Carie says

    Posted on 6/5 at 8:20 pm

    Absolutely love this recipe!! Thank you!

    Reply
  10. kathy dodge says

    Posted on 4/23 at 4:26 pm

    Love this recipe turned great just like the restaurant, my family gobbled it down way to fast lol.

    Reply
  11. Jeanne says

    Posted on 9/26 at 4:26 pm

    I keep this recipe saved. I have made it several times and it is delicious

    Reply
  12. Charlotte says

    Posted on 9/10 at 7:37 pm

    How long can you store the Abuelos tomatilla salsa? Thank youCharlotte

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      Posted on 9/10 at 8:52 pm

      Ours never lasts long, since we love it so much lol. But I would say about a week 🙂

      Reply
  13. Andrea says

    Posted on 8/10 at 3:17 pm

    This is the best! I’ve made it several times in the month since I found it; my son and I fight over who gets the last of it, so I just end up making more. Sometimes I add more lime juice or pineapple, depending on my mood, and it always tastes great, I’ve also found that I can leave the salt out altogether with no issues.

    Reply
  14. George says

    Posted on 7/23 at 8:19 am

    The recipe has pineapple listed and it makes a really great salsa It is good on just about everything.

    Reply
  15. Kylee says

    Posted on 5/22 at 10:43 pm

    WOW!! This recipe is perfect. I accidentally left out the onion and it still tasted great!

    Reply
  16. Brooks Maxwell says

    Posted on 4/23 at 12:21 pm

    Was craving something super fresh during the Shelter at Home time, and this turned out fantastic! It tastes just like Abuelos. Super easy, and the whole family absolutely lived it. My wife started eating it out of the food processor!!

    Reply
  17. Anna Marie says

    Posted on 10/13 at 3:42 pm

    Has anyone made this recipe using canned pineapple and if so how much did they use? The Abuelo’s near us closed so there are none near us anymore. So sad! We really loved this salsa.

    Reply
    • Kylee says

      Posted on 5/22 at 10:44 pm

      I used crushed pineapple and it worked great!

      Reply
  18. SloMozey says

    Posted on 10/2 at 9:53 am

    Good recipe; a little sweeter than a version of Tomatillo Pineapple Salsa published by NYT.  If you need to limit sugar, leave out honey or substitute Stevia.  Wonderful over grilled fruit for a healthy side dish, or watermelon.  

    Reply
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