Craving a bit of Chipotle when you're at home? Whip up this simple Chipotle tomatillo-green chili salsa, and drizzle it on burritos, salads, or bowls. This bright and zesty salsa will bring all the amazing flavors of Chipotle to your homemade Mexican dishes.
Making a burrito bowl at home? Try our copycat Chipotle corn salsa and queso blanco recipes to really take it to the next level!
Ingredients
Fortunately, this tomatillo green chili salsa is made with simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Tomatillos: This is the key ingredient. Buy ones with a firm texture and intact husks.
- Jalapeño: Roast two fresh jalapeños along with their seeds and membranes to make them less spicy. Then, add a little bit of a raw jalapeño to make it spicy.
- Sour: A touch of lemon and lime juices really add a punch of fresh citrus! Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor.
- Spices: I use salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano to add a rich flavor. Feel free to adjust the amounts of the seasonings to your taste.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chipotle Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa
Gather the ingredients for the tomatillo salsa.
- Peel the husks off the tomatillos and rinse them to remove some of the sticky residue. (image 1)
- Cut the tomatillos, tomato, and two of the jalapeños in half and place on a foil-lined tray. (image 2)
- Roast the veggies at 450°F for 15-25 minutes, or until they are lightly charred. (image 3)
- Dump of all the charred veggies and their juices into a food processor. Add the remaining spices and ingredients. (image 4)
- Pulse the salsa in the food processor until it's well combined. Gradually add some of the fresh jalapeño to make it spicy. It can be as chunky or as smooth as you'd like. You should have about 4-5 cups of salsa. (image 5)
- Serve with tortilla chips as a snack, or drizzle on burrito bowls or tacos and enjoy! (image 6)
Recipe FAQs
This is Chipotle's medium salsa, so it does have some spice to it. However, when you make it at home, you can make it as spicy or as non-spicy as you would like. The heat comes from the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños.
Yes, Chipotle definitely still serves their tomatillo-green chili salsa, which is their medium salsa. It tastes great with any of their tacos or burrito bowls!
Yes, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week, so feel free to make it well ahead of when you need it.
Serve
Round out your meal with other Chipotle copycat recipes, like these pinto beans and black beans, and some meat like Chipotle steak and carne asada. We love the corn salsa and fajita veggies, too!
Expert Tips
- Use tomatillos that are firm to the touch and have smooth husks. Avoid wrinkled tomatillos or ones that are missing most of their husk, as those will bruise easily.
- Char the veggies until their skins are starting to blacken. The tomatillos will be done first.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. Feel free to add more garlic or other ingredients if you prefer.
- Remember that the salsa will taste less spicy when it's cold and when it's served with other foods.
- Stir leftover salsa well before serving, as it will gel in the fridge due to the pectin in the tomatillos. The salsa will re-liquify a bit as it warms up to room temperature.
More Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Recipe
Copycat Chipotle Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatillos, with husks intact and smooth
- 1 roma tomato
- 3 fresh jalapeños, with seeds and membranes
- ¾ of a red onion
- 4 large cloves garlic
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Carefully peel off the husks and rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky residue from their skins. Cut them in half and place them cut side down on a large, foil-lined cookie sheet.
- Split the tomato and two of the fresh jalapeños in half and place them cut side down on the cookie sheet.
- Char the veggies at 450 F for 15-25 minutes. You can also turn the broiler on high for the last 2-3 minutes of the cooking time to really char them a little more. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Dump the roasted veggies and any juices from the tray into a food processor. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, citrus juices, and spices and pulse to combine.
- Gradually add some of the remaining fresh jalapeño with the seeds and membranes to make the salsa medium spicy. I used about ¾ of the fresh pepper, but the amount of spice is up to you.
- Taste the salsa and adjust the amount of lemon and lime juice and spices to taste. Keep in mind that the salsa will taste less spicy when it is cold and when it is served with other foods.
- Serve the tomatillo green salsa right away with tortilla chips or other Mexican dishes. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week. The salsa will thicken dramatically in the fridge from the naturally occurring pectin in the tomatillos, but simply stir it well before serving.
Video
Notes
- Make it easy to roast the veggies by putting the tomatillos on a separate tray from the tomato and jalapeños. They will finish first, so then you can leave the other veggies in to roast a little longer.
- Make sure to use a rimmed cookie sheet for the tomatillos; they release a lot of juices as they roast, and that will get all over your oven if you don't use a rimmed pan.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Rachel
Have you ever canned this salsa? Just with a hot water bath? It looks great, and I’m looking for a good tomatillo recipe for when my fruits are ready in the garden.
Emma
No, we have never had this canned, but you could try it and please let us know how it turned out.
Alex
With each bite, this salsa bursts with lime flavor! The small chunks of onion, the spice of the jalapenos, and the smoothness of the salsa blend together nicely. The light taste of the charred tomato is lovely, and helps bring the salsa together.
Emma
Thanks for your kind comment, Alex! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this salsa so much.
Beth
This is such a yummy salsa! It has the perfect blend of cilantro, lime, lemon, and jalapeno. The red onion and spices add a bit of a kick. This tastes better the Chipotle salsa; it fulfills my expectations of an ideal salsa verde better. I prefer a smoother salsa verde rather than a really chunky one.
Emma
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this salsa, Beth--especially that you found it even tastier than Chipotle's.