This Abuelo's salsa recipe tomatillo copycat is a version from the popular Mexican food restaurant. It's one of our family's favorite recipes because of its classic salsa flavor with a unique twist from the pineapple and tomatillos. We love it as a snack with tortilla chips or hot corn tortillas!
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We love recreating recipes from our favorite Mexican restaurants. It saves us money and we can control exactly what goes into it. You can make this salsa recipe as spicy or mild as you like.
This Abuelo's salsa recipe is a type of salsa verde, which means green sauce. It gets its green color from fresh tomatillos.
If you love tomatillo salsa, then you need to give this easy recipe a try! It's slightly sweet and oh so delicious. I'm sure your whole family will love it and some of my other popular Mexican inspired condiments like my fresh guacamole, avocado ranch dressing, and my cilantro garlic sauce.
What makes this homemade salsa recipe great?
Unique flavors - tomatillos and pineapple give this salsa a tangy and sweet flavor profile.
Restaurant-style salsa - get the flavors you crave when you eat out, but at home with this simple recipe.
Simple to make - when you see how easy it is to make your own salsa and how delicious it is, you'll want to make it again and again.
Ingredients
Tomatillos
Fresh garlic - jarred, frozen or paste can be subbed
Fresh jalapeños - or serrano pepper if you like spicy green salsa
Fresh cilantro - omit of you don't like it
Onion - I like sweet yellow onions, but you can use white onion, red onion, or what you have on hand
Pineapple - fresh or canned
Limes - soft ones work best to get a good squeeze
Honey - or another liquid sweetener like agave nectar, maple syrup, or white sugar, optional
Salt - kosher preferred, use half amount for table salt
How to make Abuelo's salsa recipe
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Clean tomatillos by removing the papery husks and pulling off any stems. Thoroughly rinse under cold running water to remove the sticky film. Pat dry then slice in half.
- Place tomatillos (cut side down) on prepared baking sheet. Add garlic cloves (unpeeled). Roast for 7-10 minutes or until lightly roasted. Don't over cook, just get a little color on them.
- Combine tomatillos and any juice from the pan, garlic (squeeze the pulp out of the skins) jalapeños, cilantro, onion, pineapple, lime juice, honey, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple times them blend until desired texture is reached.
- Refrigerate until cooled. Stir well before serving.
No, but I find lightly roasting them tones down the sour flavor. If you choose raw tomatillo, be sure you clean them well and quarter them before blending.
If you omit the pineapple, you'll have a traditional salsa verde that is a delicious topping for any Mexican or Tex Mex dish. We love adding pineapple, especially during the summer, for a unique tropical taste that is especially good on shrimp tacos.
Top tips
- Plan to let the salsa cool for about an hour before serving.
- Use jalapeños for medium heat, serannos for more heat.
- Use fresh pineapple (you can find already cut up pieces at the grocery store) or canned for convenience.
- Mix with some sour cream for a creamy dip.
How to store
Keep your Abuelo's salsa recipe stored tightly covered or in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about one week.
You can freeze it in a freezer safe, air tight container for 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestions
Make this Abuelo's salsa recipe a part of your next Mexican inspired feast. Serve along with my blender salsa and some pico de gallo for dipping tortilla chips.
Then make a pot of carne guisada, tacos, or a large taco salad.
Make some Mexican rice and beans on the side.
If seafood is more your things, serve with shrimp fajitas and flour tortillas, crab quesadillas, or grilled salmon.
Finish with an easy no bake chocolate pie for dessert.
📖 Recipe
Abuelo's Salsa Recipe Copycat
Ingredients
- 8 tomatillos, halved medium to large
- 1-2 jalapeños, roughly chopped or serranos, to taste
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup cilantro or to taste
- ½ onion, roughly chopped large
- 8 ounce can pineapple chunks drained, or fresh
- 2 limes, juiced about 2 tbsp
- 1 teaspoon honey optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt use half amount for table salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Clean tomatillos by removing the papery husks and pulling off any stems. Thoroughly rinse under cold running water to remove the sticky film. Pat dry then slice in half.
- Place tomatillos (cut side down) on prepared baking sheet. Add garlic cloves (unpeeled). Roast for 7-10 minutes or until lightly roasted. Don't over cook, just get a little color on them.
- Combine tomatillos and any juice from the pan, garlic (squeeze the pulp out of the skins) jalapeños, cilantro, onion, pineapple, lime juice, honey, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple times them blend until desired texture is reached.
- Refrigerate until cooled. Stir well before serving.
Notes
- Keep stored tightly covered or in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about one week.
- You can freeze it in a freezer safe, air tight container for 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Adapted from Abuleo's Restaurant Salsa Tropical and Chunky Chef Tomatillo Lime Salsa
Becky
Just a little insider info to share.....none of the ingredients are cooked in the actual Abuélo's Green Salsa. Just thought you might want to know. 😉
Nikole Berg
Please let us know what the ingredients are!
joe
What type of onion did you use?
Nikole
Hi Joe- I use sweet yellow onions typically, but you can use white, red or whatever you have on hand. Hope you like it!