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Tasty Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Jul 9, 2025

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These tomatillo shrimp are sautéed in butter and garlic and then tossed with a zippy, homemade tomatillo sauce and topped with fresh cilantro, for the most flavorful appetizer or main dish. Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe from FoodieCrush This year in my garden I went above and beyond my basic tomato planting regimen and introduced a new garden bedfellow to the rest of the team: Hello Mr. Tomatillo. Up until about two years ago I was pretty unfamiliar with raw tomatillos. I don’t think I had even put together the fact that they are the main ingredient in my favorite green salsa that I douse my morning eggs in. But then I started experimenting and made up one of my favorite salsas and posted a plethora of tasty tomatillos recipes. Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe from FoodieCrush And that’s when I kinda fell in love with the sticky little buggers. So this year I planted 3 tomatillos plants, and now its harvest time and ba-da-bing, I have a plethora of tomatillos to peel, rinse and create a loving relationship with.

Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe from FoodieCrush

So I started searching out more tomatillos recipes and discovered this one in an issue of Oprah mag. Of course I was instantly attracted to it thanks to the idea of combining delectable shrimp, garlic and spicy chilis. Tasty Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe from FoodieCrush If you’ve never harvested or cooked with raw tomatillos, the first thing you’ll discover is that within the delicate lotus flower shaped tissue, lies a firm fruit that has an oddly sticky exterior. But not to worry, the raw fruit washes rather clean and the fruit dries clean. I added a bit more garlic to the recipe and cut down on the amount of sauce from the original since I had about 2 cups left over. So if you’re craving more sauce, make it a double. If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
4.34 from 12 votes

Tasty Tomatillo Shrimp Recipe

Print
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword shrimp
Servings 2 -4 servings

Ingredients 

  • ½ pound pasilla or poblano chilis , seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • ½ pound tomatillos , husked, rinsed and quartered
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus extra for the shrimp
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound large shrimp
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chilies and half of the garlic and cook until chilis soften or about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatillos start to break down or for about 8-10 minutes.
  • Transfer the tomatillo mixture to a blender and puree. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper and the remaining garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the tomatillo sauce and saute for 2 more minutes or until the shrimp barely become opaque. Serve with sprinkled cilantro leaves.

Notes

adapted from Oprah magazine
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Hi! I’m Heidi and I cook real good, real food I hope you’ll love to make, too.

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    CAPTCHA: A graphic that displays distorted letters
    and numbers as part of a submission form. 5g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans fat: 0g Cholesterol:
    20mg Sodium: 640mg Total Carbohydrates: 47g Dietary Fiber:
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    • Amy Harper

      5 stars
      Super easy delicious fast dinner. I used canned chilies because that’s all I had. Served over steamed cauliflower rice. The whole family enjoyed it!

      Reply

  15. Wendy@chezchloe

    Tomatillos are a super addition to the tomato plant and I find them somewhat more forgiving. Along the same lines, you might enjoy (and probably already know) next year are Physalis or husk tomatoes. I found them pretty easy to grow but they especially flourished under cover or in a greenhouse.
    This looks like a great meal any day of the week.

    Reply

  22. Susan

    Would love to try this…….however, your instructions say “add chilies and half of the chilis and cook until they soften…..” is this right? It looks delish and easy…..would like to make it this weekend. Thanks.

    Reply

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