This tomatillo avocado salsa recipe is guaranteed to leave you craving for more. It’s a simple but addictive replacement for regular chip and veggie dips and makes a wonderful sandwich spread and salad dressing. This recipe takes only 15 minutes to make from scratch, so it’s quickly earned a spot as one of my favorite go-to dipping sauces.
Like classic guacamole, this salsa verde is made with fresh avocados, garlic, cilantro, and lime but takes a zesty spin when tomatillos (also called husk tomatoes) and jalapeños are added to the mix. It’s perfect for Taco Tuesdays, game days, impromptu gatherings, and pretty much any time you’re craving a fresh and flavorful side dish to go with your meal or snack.
Feeling tempted yet? Keep reading to learn how to make this irresistibly delicious dip ASAP. Don’t forget to browse our collection of tasty low-carb dips for more easy homemade recipes.
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Tomatillo avocado salsa has a rich history and cultural significance in traditional Mexican cuisine. For centuries, the salsa verde has been a cooking staple, typically paired with tortilla chips, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and basically any Mexican entrée. But this recipe serves many other purposes beyond merely being a dip. Here’s why this should become your family’s new favorite:
- Simple ingredients
- Minimal cleanup
- Budget-friendly: Uses affordable ingredients, especially when avocados and tomatillos are in season.
- Short prep and cooking time: Prepare and serve in 15 minutes or less.
- Amazing flavors: Creamy, with a tangy and slightly tart flavor from the tomatillos.
- Basic kitchen equipment: Requires common kitchen tools like a cutting board, knife, blender or food processor, and mixing bowl.
- Easy-to-follow directions: Follow 3 simple steps that involve chopping, boiling, and mixing ingredients.
How to Make Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Making this delicious tomatillo avocado salsa requires very little effort so you can easily fit it into your busy schedule. Using a handful of fresh, wholesome ingredients, you can have this on the table in less than 15 minutes.
To prepare, boil whole tomatillos until tender, while combining a handful of cilantro and spices in a food processor or blender. Once done, add the boiled tomatillos and avocados, and mix until well combined. Serve and enjoy!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this creamy tomatillo avocado salsa.
Ingredients You Need
There are tons of salsa verde variations out there, but I always like to keep my recipes quick, simple, and accessible. Fresh ingredients are always the best but if you can’t find any, you can easily buy them in your local grocery stores, especially the ones that come in a can or jar. Here’s what you need:
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Ground cumin
- Avocados: Use ripe but slightly firm avocados with the pit removed and the flesh scooped from the skin, for a creamy texture that doesn’t get overly mushy.
- Tomatillos: gives a tart and tangy flavor to the salsa, while providing a slightly chunky consistency.
- Jalapeños: Remove the seeds and ribs from inside the peppers to give the salsa a mild kick of heat.
- Lime juice: adds a citrusy flavor to the salsa that complements the tartness of the tomatillos.
Variations
Once you get a feel for this recipe, don’t hesitate to experiment with different combinations to change the character of the salsa verde. Below are some simple variations and substitutions:
- Leave the jalapeños out of the recipe to keep the tanginess of tomatillos without the spice.
- For a smoky flavor, use roasted tomatillos, avocados, and garlic.
- Replace cilantro with a handful of arugula, mint, basil, or fennel tops.
- Play around with fresh green or yellow chiles or serrano pepper for an extra spicy kick.
- Drop a dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayo to make a creamier dip.
- Add veggies like chopped red or white onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots.
- Toss in some diced mangoes, peaches, or pineapples for a fruity twist.
Step-By-Step Instructions
It may sound complicated, but this tomatillo avocado salsa comes together in a few simple steps. Prep time takes only 10 minutes and an additional 5 minutes for cooking, so prepare a batch on the weekend to enjoy it throughout the week alongside meals or snacks.
If you’re hosting a party or any special occasion, make sure to prepare the salsa a day or two before the event.
- Boil tomatillos. In a saucepan, boil whole tomatillos for 5 minutes, until tender.
- Combine all the ingredients. Blend herbs and spices in a blender or food processor. Once done, pour in the boiled tomatillos and add the avocados. Mix until well combined.
Expert Tips
- Use ripe avocados. To enjoy the most vibrant and flavorful salsa verde, choose dark green avocados with a bumpy rind, and a soft stem that’s easy to remove but not mushy when touched. Ripe avocados are easy to blend and have a richer, more developed flavor compared to unripe ones.
- Make it mild or spicy. To make a mildly flavored tomatillo avocado salsa, remove the seeds and start with just one jalapeño. Reserve the seeds and increase the heat, to taste. When handling fresh jalapeños, don’t forget to wear disposable gloves to protect your skin from the burning sensation caused by capsaicin.
- Use small tomatillos. Smaller ones taste better. After boiling, allow the tomatillos to cool first before blending. Otherwise, the salsa will taste bitter.
How to Store This Recipe
To enjoy the best flavors and texture, serve this tomatillo avocado salsa when it’s fresh. However, you can still prepare this a few days in advance.
The acidity of the tomatillos and lime will help keep the avocados from browning too fast, but any leftover salsa should be consumed in 2 to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to enjoy, simply take the salsa out of the fridge and thaw overnight before serving. Take note that the texture may change a bit upon thawing, but expect the flavor to remain the same. I do not recommend reheating in the oven or microwaving as it can completely change the salsa’s flavor and texture.
What to Serve with Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
Tomatillo avocado salsa is perfect for all types of Mexican cuisine, from nachos and tacos to quesadillas and burritos. Beyond these, I’m finding more ways to make it a part of our meals and snacks. Here are some of them:
- Spread over a piece of crusty bread for a tastier toast.
- Thin out with a little olive oil to create a tangy salad dressing for light green salads, pasta salads, or grain salads.
- Serve as a sauce with steaks, grilled salmon, or chicken tostadas.
- Eat it with a plate of slow-cooked beef and sauteed leafy greens.
- Spoon over cheesy beef taco skillet or grilled meats.
- Add a scoop to your Mexican-inspired omelets or veggie frittata.
More Avocado Recipes to Try
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Tuna Melt with Avocado
- Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
- Avocado Soup with Bone Broth
- Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Try our Balsamic Glaze recipe for another easy way to dress up almost any dish.
If you make this tomatillo avocado salsa recipe, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and comment!
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 12 whole tomatillos
- 1 to 2 jalapeños deseeded
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 whole avocado
Instructions
- Boil water in a small saucepan. Add the tomatillos and maintain a boil for 3-5 minutes. They will be tender when done.12 whole tomatillos
- In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except tomatillos and avocados. Mix well to combine.1 to 2 jalapeños, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 lime
- Add the tomatillos, mix again. Finally, add the avocados and combine thoroughly.2 whole avocado
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.