Avocado Salsa Verde usually inspires a gushing "What is this?" from those who've never made it at home before. It has such a vibrant, distinct flavor that people assume there are some big-time chef skills involved in producing this masterpiece.
But there's not. It happens to be one of the easiest of Mexican sauces to make, and once it's part of your repertoire you'll come back to it time and time again.
In addition to being the ultimate you complete me partner for dishes like Spicy Black Bean Nachos, this Avocado Salsa Verde will instantly improve just about anything you pair it with.
Avocado Salsa Verde Recipe
After serving this to your loved ones and accepting all forms of compliments, you might feel a pang of guilt for not giving credit to Mother Nature for the two gems that make this magic happen.
Particularly, a ripe avocado.
And some fresh tomatillos.
If you've never bought tomatillos before, you can usually find them near the jalapenos in the produce section. Take a peek under the husk and buy the ones that are taut and green on the inside.
Of course, some markets don't carry them at all as the dreaded salsa aisle is constantly reducing demand for the real deal. If you can't find them at your go-to grocer, it's worth trying a gourmet store or a Latin market.
And don't forget that you can always default to using canned tomatillos. You'll still end up with a sauce that's far superior to anything you can buy pre-made. You'll find canned tomatillos in any market that has a Latin goods section.
Okay, assuming you've got 4-5 fresh tomatillos on hand, first pull off the husks. They'll be sticky on the inside so give them a good rinse.
Uncooked tomatillos are tart and acidic, so we'll roast them to sweeten them up and lower their acidity.
My default method is to put them in the oven at 400F. I typically cut out the stem portion but you can consider this optional.
10-15 minutes later they'll start to shrivel and turn army green. Done!
If you're using canned tomatillos, you don't have to roast them as it won't have the same effect on them.
Add the tomatillos to a blender or food processor along with 1/2 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 jalapeno pepper (or serrano), and 10-12 sprigs of cilantro. Pulse blend the ingredients and give a taste for heat level. If it's not spicy enough for you add the other half of the jalapeno (or serrano).
Note that Salsa Verde is typically made with serrano peppers but we are using jalapenos here. Serranos are sharper and have a slightly different flavor than jalapenos. But they are so closely related that 75 percent of the time I make Salsa Verde I am using jalapenos. So don't sweat it if it's hard to find serranos in your neighborhood as jalapenos will give you an equally good result.
Once you're happy with the heat level add the avocado and blend together.
Take a taste and thank the heavens for this delightful combo.
If you found the heat level got diminished a bit by adding the avocado, feel free to add more jalapeno. And you can salt to taste here too, sometimes a pinch gives it a boost.
While adding this beauty to a serving bowl it's best to start coming up with a potential answer for the big question that is already on its way....
What is this?
Buen Provecho.
Avocado Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 4 tomatillos
- 1 jalapeno (or 1 serrano)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 10-12 sprigs cilantro
- 1 avocado
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Pull the husks off the tomatillos and give them a good rinse.
- Cut the stems out of the tomatillos if you want.
- Roast the tomatillos in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn army green
- Add tomatillos to a blender or food processor along with ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 10-12 sprigs cilantro, and ½ of the jalapeno
- Pulse blend and taste for heat level
- If you want more spice add more jalapeno (either ¼ or ½ more)
- Once happy with the heat level, add the avocado to the blender and combine well
- Salt to taste
- Serve immediately
Notes
We also like to serve this Avocado Salsa Verde with our Roasted Poblano Quesadilla, our Chicken Tingadillas, and most recently these Spicy Beef and Cheese Empanadas.
For an even lighter consistency, try making Salsa de Aguacate.
Still hungry?!
Want to receive Mexican Please recipes via email when they are posted? Sign up below to subscribe. All recipes are spam free.
Thank You For Subscribing!
Beth
This is the first salsa I've made from your site and I plan to make more. I love how simple your salsa recipes are (and the fact that most ingredients I usually have on hand). This was easy, delicious, fresh tasting, and Dad - approved, which always wins big points! Can't wait to try more.
Patrick
Oooh wow what a great salsa to start with Beth! I still use this one all the time, especially in burritos 🙂
Guadalupe
I tried it once before my way but I'm going to try it this way it looks like it's going to be good ☺️
Michael
Made this by roasting every ingredient: onion, garlic (a bit extra), tomatillos, and jalapeno pepper. Just a splash of lime juice as well. It was absolutely amazing. Thank you!!!
Patrick
🙂
Kim VanHooser
Wow! I've now made this 3 times, and absolutely love it! I add a bit more garlic and add a splash or 2 of lime juice. I find I'm using it on just about everything! Great on fish and a sandwich spread. So yummy and easy to whip up! Thank you!
Patrick
Thanks Kim, so glad this one has become multi-purpose for you, I do the same! Cheers.
Mary
I'm excited to try this recipe. I was just wondering how many days ahead could I make this?
Patrick
Hi Mary! Hmmm it's always going to be best when freshly blended, and with the avocado I never really keep it in the fridge much longer than a day or two. Cheers.
Dabney
I love this salsa! Just made it today. I used the entire jalapeño, and found myself wanting more spice, so I added back some of the seeds. I also added a little cumin. Perfect!
Patrick
Thanks Dabney!
Tdubya
Fantastic simple recipe to have in the deck. Was perfect with tacos al pastor and just good ol’ tortilla chips. I added a little pineapple juice for some acid and some cumin for a little more depth.
Patrick
Hey thanks for mentioning your adjustments Tdub, very helpful. Cheers.
Geraldine
Hi from Barcelona,
Can you tell me the origins of this recipe? Is this new, or what state in Mexico did it come from?
It sounds really good. I have been making Guacamole for 60 years, never saw a recipe using Tomatillos or salsa verde.
Thanks, Geraldine\
Patrick
Hey Geraldine! Hmmm tough one, I don't think I can say for sure what region can claim this recipe. It's one of the first combos I learned and most likely it came about as a way to make a traditional Salsa Verde creamier as adding avocado will really thicken it up. If you're new to it I would highly recommend trying a batch as it's one of those sauces that gets close to 100pct approval rate 🙂
Alice Bickers
What exactly differentiates this from guacamole? The tomatillos? And BTW, I love raw tomatillos!
Patrick
Hey Alice! Yeah it's like the child of Salsa and Guac parents and will taste different than Guac because of the tomatillos -- typically you won't get that flavor in Guac. If you're a fan of tomatillos then you should try it, most likely it will be a keeper for you. Cheers.