Got green tomatoes? Here are all the best green tomato recipes for how to use this tart and tasty bright green vegetable (er…fruit).
Got green tomatoes? We’ve got recipes! Cooking with unripe red tomatoes is an age-old tradition, which extends the life of summer tomatoes once the cool weather starts to hit. Fried green tomatoes are the most famous use in Southern cuisine, but guess what? There are many more exciting ways to eat them than just fried. Like a tangy electric green salsa that’s like a salsa verde, perfect for dipping crunchy chips or loading onto tacos. Here are all the best green tomato recipes, and a little about the famous vegetable (or really…fruit!).
What are green tomatoes?
But first: what exactly are green tomatoes? They’re not just any tomato that’s green in color. Green tomatoes are late season red tomatoes that haven’t ripened, leaving them green and hard. They have tart, zingy flavor and a robust texture. These are the tomatoes that are left on the vine after the summer temperatures have cooled down.
Don’t confuse the green tomato with varieties of tomatoes that are bred to be green when ripe! The green zebra tomato is a good example of a green-when-ripe tomato. This type of tomato tastes juicy and sweet, just like a red tomato. You can grow these or find them at your local farmer’s market. Avoid these varieties if you’re making any of these green tomato recipes: they don’t have that signature tart flavor.
And now: the best green tomato recipes!
The number one green tomato recipe? Salsa! You can make a green tomato salsa that tastes just like salsa verde, but better. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos, but using green tomatoes is even tastier (we think)! All you need to do is broil the tomatoes, onion and garlic, then pop them into the blender with cilantro and lime. It results in a zingy green salsa that's perfect for dipping chips or piling onto tacos.
Got green tomatoes? How about…making pickles? It’s hard to describe just how next level these pickled green tomatoes are. They’re tangy, salty, a little sweet, and the absolute perfect condiment. If you’re a pickle lover, you’ll adore these. This recipe is for quick pickles: pickles that are made in 1 hour and are stored in the refrigerator. No special canning equipment is needed, which makes the entire process quick and simple.
Our simplest green tomato recipe? Toast! If you’re in a rush: green tomato toast is where it’s at! Slice them up and throw them on toast spread with goat cheese, and you’ve got a delightful appetizer or lunch. It’s the perfect quick use for those tart tomatoes. Spreading the toast with goat cheese is a great contrast to the tomatoes. And topping with garlic salt put it into addictive territory.
Green Tomato Salsa Recipe
(92 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
The best green tomato recipe? Green tomato salsa! Here these late season tomatoes blend into a zingy dip that tastes just like salsa verde.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces green tomatoes (about 5 small)
- 1 jalapeño pepper (without seeds)
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 medium white onion
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Peel the garlic. Peel and quarter the onion. Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño (save the seeds for a hot salsa). If tomatoes are large, quarter them; otherwise leave them whole. (Ours were small so we left them whole.)
- Place the green tomatoes, garlic, onion, and jalapeño on a baking sheet. Broil on high for 4 to 5 minutes until just beginning to blacken. Flip and rotate the veggies and broil another 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer everything to a food processor or blender, except use only 1/2 of the jalapeño. Add the cilantro, kosher salt, and lime juice. Pulse until desired consistency is reached. Taste, and if you’d like it hotter add the other 1/2 of the jalapeño and/or some seeds. You may want to refrigerate until serving since the salsa will be warm from the roasting; or leave it at room temperature until serving.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Green tomato recipes, green tomato salsa
More with tomatoes
- Want ripe tomatoes instead? Here are the best Fresh Tomato Recipes.
- This Balsamic Tomato Salad features both red and green tomatoes (the green-when-ripe variety).
- Mozzarella Tomato Basil Salad is an Italian-take on the fresh tomato salad, also starring both red and green varieties.
About the Authors
Sonja Overhiser
Cookbook Author and writer
Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
Alex Overhiser
Cookbook Author and photographer
Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.
6 Comments
Chantal Lajeunesse
August 15, 2020 at 3:07 pmThank you for providing these recipes; my Community’s garden club is going to test them out….I am looking forward to the experience…they all look so delicious 😋
Paula
October 17, 2020 at 2:54 pmThank you, just what I needed to finish garden clean-up.
Sandra Coleman
November 10, 2020 at 9:08 pmThank you for the recipes for green tomatoes!
Alex Overhiser
November 13, 2020 at 7:45 pmYou’re welcome!
Maria
November 21, 2020 at 9:03 pmThank you for this recipe! I have a ton of green tomatoes and am wondering if I could can this salsa?
Alex Overhiser
November 21, 2020 at 9:50 pmYou could, but we don’t have any experience with the timing. Sorry!