Tomatillo
Tangy green fruit in a papery husk. Roast it soft for a mild salsa verde.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat tomatillo from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve tomatillo by age
6 months+
Cooked and blended into a sauce
Remove the husk, rinse off the sticky coating, then roast or simmer the tomatillos until they're soft and collapsing. Blend or mash them with no salt and no chili, and mix a little into a food your baby already eats. Never offer whole raw tomatillos or raw chunks.
- Size
- Cooked until soft, then blended or mashed into a sauce and spooned onto or mixed into soft foods, such as mashed beans, shredded chicken or potato.
- Check before serving
- The cooked tomatillo should mash easily with a fork. Blend any firm pieces of skin.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Cooked sauce or small soft pieces
Stir cooked tomatillo sauce into rice, beans or shredded meat, or chop tomatillos that have simmered in a stew until soft into small pieces.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or as a cooked sauce.
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Cooked salsa verde or in dishes
Serve cooked salsa verde with family meals, such as on soft tacos, enchiladas or chicken. Take your toddler's portion out before you add salt, extra chili or hot sauce; see our jalapeño page for keeping the heat mild. For raw tomatillo, see the guidance note below.
- Size
- Cooked into family dishes, in small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) or smaller.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test on any pieces: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure.
18 months+
Cooked salsa or in family meals
Keep serving tomatillo cooked into sauces, stews and soups. Raw tomatillo is firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children. US and UK advice differs on raw vegetables for toddlers: see the guidance note below.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or blended into sauces.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test on any pieces of tomatillo in the dish.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare tomatillo
- 1
Peel off the papery husk and throw it away. Rinse the tomatillos under running water, rubbing off the sticky coating.
- 2
Cut out the hard stem end. Leave them whole for roasting, or cut them into quarters to simmer.
- 3
Roast or simmer until soft and collapsing, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don't add salt.
- 4
Blend or mash to a texture your baby can manage, and let it cool before serving.
How much to offer
Start with a spoonful of cooked tomatillo sauce mixed into a food your baby already knows. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. It's tart, so some babies need a few tries.
Common mistakes
Offering raw tomatillo
Raw tomatillo is firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard. For babies, cook it until soft and blend or mash it.
Serving whole tomatillos
Small, round, firm foods can block a small airway. Cut cooked tomatillos up or blend them, and never offer a whole one, raw or cooked.
Using jarred salsa verde
Shop-bought salsa verde can contain salt and chili. Check the label: the NHS calls more than 1.5 g of salt per 100 g high. Homemade, with no salt or chili, is the simplest choice for babies.
Stopping after a few refusals
Tart and sour flavors often take 10 or more tries. Keep offering a little, mixed with foods your baby already likes.
Where US and UK guidance differ on tomatillo
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
Keep serving tomatillo cooked soft. The AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits and vegetables should be cooked until soft for babies, and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, and the AAP advises holding back raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
Cook tomatillo until soft in the first year: the NHS says to avoid hard foods like raw carrot for babies. From 12 months, the NHS snack list includes cooked or raw vegetables, and for very young children it suggests grating, mashing, steaming or simmering firm vegetables and avoiding round shapes. If you offer raw tomatillo to a toddler, chop it finely, and stay with them.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can tomatillo be a choking hazard for babies?
Raw tomatillos are firm and round: the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, and the NHS says to avoid round shapes and firm foods. Before 12 months, serve tomatillo only cooked until soft and blended, mashed, or chopped small. Never offer a whole tomatillo. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs on raw vegetables: see the guidance note below. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to tomatillo?
Tomatillo is not a common allergen.
Is tomatillo healthy for babies?
Tomatillos have some vitamin C (about 12 mg per 100 g raw) and potassium. They are not a major source of iron.
Can babies eat tomatillos?
Yes, from around 6 months, cooked until soft and blended or mashed. A mild homemade salsa verde, made without salt or chili, is an easy way to offer it.
Can babies have salsa verde?
Homemade salsa verde, cooked and made without salt, jalapeño or other chili, is fine from 6 months. Shop-bought salsa verde can contain salt and chili, so check the label and keep it for older children and adults if it's high in salt.
Are tomatillos the same as physalis or ground cherries?
They're relatives, not the same fruit. FoodData Central lists the tomatillo as Physalis philadelphica, in the same plant group as the small golden berries on our physalis page. Tomatillos are larger and are eaten green and cooked, while physalis berries are eaten only when ripe and golden, so follow each page for its own fruit: see our physalis page.
Do I need to remove the husk?
Yes. Peel off the dry, papery husk and throw it away, then rinse the tomatillo under running water to wash off the sticky coating.
If your baby refuses tomatillo
- Tart flavors often take 10 or more tries. Keep offering a little, alongside foods your baby already likes.
- Mix a little cooked tomatillo into mashed beans or potato, which soften the sour taste.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing tomatillo
- Keep tomatillos in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
- Cooked tomatillo and salsa verde keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Cooked salsa verde and stews with tomatillo can be frozen for 2 to 3 months, and plain blended tomatillo used within 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, use them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS Best Start in Life: Preparing food safely
- NHS: Food labels
- USDA FoodData Central: Tomatillos, raw
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
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