What do you like to do with tomatillos? For a long time, I didn’t know what to do with them except to eat them raw, by themselves or as a salsa, chopped on top of a salad, chili, or burrito. Since I’m air frying everything with my new air fryer these days, I decided to try air fried tomatillos - and I’m so glad I did! Their sweetness comes out, similar to when roasting cherry tomatoes, and the flavor is so much better as a topping on anything that needs a little acid and sweetness.
What you’ll love about these roasted tomatillos:
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they’re super easy to make, whether roasted in the oven or air fryer
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no need for oil to make these beautifully roasted, moist tomatillos
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they’re super quick to make, with just 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cook time (for the air fryer)
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they provide an acidic sweetness that easily elevates food, especially potato and bean based foods
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they contain protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and iron
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they have a pleasant sweet-tart flavor
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they could actually be used as a salt replacement due to their unique acidic tartness (in the same way that a squeeze of lemon or lime can satisfy the need for salt)
So Easy
Roasted tomatillos are so easy to make! Simply chop them up (I chop medium-sized tomatillos into eighths) and air fry them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. No oil necessary! I’d recommend placing a piece of parchment underneath as they can make a bit of a mess otherwise.
Don’t have an air fryer?
No worries! It will likely just take a little longer to roast them. Keep checking them after 10 minutes until their edges are golden. They may not get quite as roasted-looking as pictured, but they should be similar.
The air fryer I use: breville smart oven air
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After our toaster died, we knew we wanted to replace it with a toaster oven, and after researching air fryers, this one won out because it uses stainless steel trays instead of nonstick. It also has so many functions we use regularly, like baking and dehydrating. It’s a little pricy, but we’ve found it’s well worth the money so far - we use it every day. Our conventional oven is used much less often now! This convection and air fry toaster oven cooks so much faster with crispier oil-free results, so it’s now our go-to.
How do you eat roasted tomatillos?
As mentioned, they’re really good on anything that needs a little acid and a little sweetness. Here are a few examples:
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potato or bean based soups
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burritos, nachos - really any Mexican food
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salads
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roasted veggies
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spread on sandwiches
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stirred into beans
roasted tomatillos recipe
for the air fryer, with oven option
VEGAN • GLUTEN-FREE • OIL-FREE • REFINED SUGAR-FREE • EASY • 30 MINUTES OR LESS • SIDE DISH • TOPPING • AIR FRY OR OVEN ROAST • LATE SUMMER • AUTUMN
Note: Below are instructions for air frying. Oven roasting will require more time and the texture may come out differently. I haven’t tried freezing roasted tomatillos yet, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work, and it would be nice to be able to enjoy them in the winter.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes air fryer; if oven-roasting, check after 10 minutes and add time as necessary
Total time: 15 minutes (longer if oven roasting)
Serves: 4 (12 ounces)
Ingredients
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About 12 ounces of tomatillos (really, any amount you’d like)
That’s it, folks!
steps
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Remove the papery outer “shell” and then rinse, dry, and chop the tomatillos into medium pieces (chop a medium tomatillo into eight pieces by halving, then quartering, then cutting into eighths).
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Preheat the air fryer (or oven) to 400 degrees F.
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Place the tomatillos evenly on a lined air fryer tray (make sure your air fryer is ok with parchment paper). Put them in the air fryer/oven once preheated and roast them for 10 minutes. If using a regular oven, check them at this point and add more time until the edges look roasted.
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Serve or store in the fridge for up to a few days.
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