Tomatillo Scrambled Eggs

Huevos en salsa verde! Eggs scrambled in a green chile sauce made with jalapeño, tomatillos, and onions.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 23, 2022
Elise Bauer
Tomatillo Scrambled Eggs
Elise Bauer

Every few days, for the last month, I've gone out to my garden in the morning and gathered enough tomatillos to cook up with some eggs for breakfast.

Here it is November, and the leaves are all turning, but we're in Northern California and we still have yet to get a frost, so the tomatillos are still growing, albeit more slowly.

We grew up with my mother making huevos a la Mexicana, or scrambled eggs cooked in a tomato and jalapeño salsa.

Tomatillo Scrambled Eggs
Elise Bauer

This recipe is a salsa verde version of my mom's huevos. Add some chorizo and you'll have a Mexican version of Green Eggs and Ham!

Yes, the eggs are green, but if you, like me, love salsa verde, this is a good thing.

Tomatillos
Tomatillos from Elise's garden. Elise Bauer

Tomatillo Scrambled Eggs

Prep Time 8 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2 to 3 servings

If you don't have access to tomatillos you can use prepared salsa verde, about a half cup for this recipe.

Use as much or as little jalapeño for this recipe as you want. Skip it if you don't want the heat at all.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 pound tomatillos, papery husks removed and discarded, rinsed, roughly chopped

  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 fresh or canned jalapeño chile pepper, minced (more or less depending on how hot the pepper is, and how much heat you want)

  • 1 splash lemon or lime juice (optional)

  • 5 to 6 eggs

  • Salt and pepper

  • Some fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Method

  1. Cook chopped tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño in skillet:

    Heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño chile pepper, and if you want, a small squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Sprinkle with a little salt.

    Cook on medium to medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, and the tomatillos are no longer bright green.

    cook chopped tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos
    Elise Bauer
    cook tomatillos and onions until softened
    Elise Bauer
  2. Add eggs to pan, gently stir:

    Add the eggs directly to the pan (no need to whisk first). Break up the yolks with your stirring spoon. Cook gently, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Salt and pepper to taste.

    add eggs to tomatillos and onions in pan
    Elise Bauer
    scramble eggs in tomatillos with wooden spoon
    Elise Bauer
  3. Remove from heat:

    Remove from heat when the eggs begin to set, but are still moist, about 3 minutes.

    Serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.

    remove scrambled tomatillo eggs from heat
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
205 Calories
13g Fat
10g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 205
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 310mg 103%
Sodium 220mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 17mg 85%
Calcium 67mg 5%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 414mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.