Last Updated on November 3, 2025 by Sabrina Currie
Creamy, tangy and totally crave-worthy, salsa de aguacate aka avocado tomatillo salsa verde is my favorite taco truck sauce! Dip tortilla chips, drizzle over tacos, enchiladas or tostadas. Top your eggs, beans or chili. This creamy avocado salsa does EVERYTHING! (Naturally gf and vegan)
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Why I Love This Recipe
Beyond the crazy good flavor of a Mexican fiesta, avocado tomatillo salsa verde is:
- Fast and fresh. Everything goes in the food processor for a smooth consistency in minutes.
- Creamy without mayo. The avocado flesh gives body and richness for a naturally creamy dip no dairy or mayonnaise required.
- Make ahead + meal-prep. This green salsa stores well overnight in an airtight container. It also freezes well for up to 6 months so you can stock up when tomatillos or avocados are in season or on sale.
- Versatile. Pairs well with almost all your Mexican food favorites. From leftover steak tacos, chicken taquitos, shrimp tostadas, crab nachos, tacos, lobster nachos and burritos to breakfast eggs, grilled fish or chicken, chili and pulled pork, this stuff is great on everything!
Ingredients
Salsa de aguacate blends bright tomatillos, fresh cilantro, jalapeño pepper and soft, ripe avocado into a delicious, creamy and vibrant green salsa with loads of flavor. It's a cross between tomatillo salsa and guacamole salsa that comes together fast in a food processor. Here's what to grab and why.
- Tomatillos - Remove the papery husk and rinse off the tacky film. Tomatillos bring tangy, slightly earthy flavor that keeps this green salsa bright, like a classic tomatillo salsa. Almost-ripe green tomatoes make a good stand-in if tomatillos are scarce.
- Avocado - Choose ripe but not mushy hass avocados. The avocado flesh should yield slightly at the stem end. Hass gives the creamiest body for that silky creamy avocado salsa/guacamole salsa vibe.
- Onion - Sweet white onion adds just the right flavor.
- Jalapeño pepper - Fresh jalapeño adds grassy green flavor and heat. Keep some seeds for more kick, or swap for a serrano pepper if you like a higher heat level.
- Fresh lime juice - Lime juice is essential to keep your avocado salsa bright green. It also adds to the signature tangy lime flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions + Variations
I think this is the best creamy avocado salsa for taco night and snack time. If needed (or for personal preference) here are a few swaps you can try.
- Tomatillos: Use almost-ripe green tomatoes if tomatillos are hard to find. Green tomatoes have a similar tart, earthy flavor that makes a lovely salsa verde con aguacate.
- Chiles: Swap the jalapeño for a serrano chile for more heat, or use your favorite chili peppers.
- Onions: Sweet onion, white onion or red onions all work. White is classic for Mexican salsas but purple onion adds a tiny pop of extra color.
- Herbs: Add a pinch of dried oregano, cumin or ground coriander to add extra depth of flavor if you like. Use ¼ teaspoon of any or all of those and add it along with the first ingredients in the food processor to give the flavors time to rehydrate and develop.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Once the tomatillos are roasted, all the ingredients get blitzed in a food processor and you'll be enjoying this tangy creamy sauce in mere minutes.
Step 1. Remove papery husk from tomatillos and rinse off the stickiness, halve or quarter them.
Step 2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, brush or spray it lightly with oil and place the tomatillos in. Fry until they are all lightly charred on 2 sides, then remove from heat and let cool.
Step 3. Stem and seed the jalapeno for mild heat. If you like more bite, leave some jalapeño seeds in. Peel, trim and coarsely chop the onion, garlic and cilantro. and place in the bowl of a food processor. Garlic lover? Feel free to use 2 garlic cloves instead of one!
Step 4. Pulse in short bursts until everything is a uniform coarse texture. Tip: Scrape down the sides so no big onion pieces get missed.
Step 5. Add the tomatillos, salt and pepper and pulse again until it's the smoothness (or chunkiness) you like.
Step 6. Add the avocado and pulse again until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
Step 5. Add the fresh lime juice, pulse a few times and taste. Season with extra lime, a pinch of salt or more pepper as needed and whiz again to blend.
Step 6. If you like your salsa de aguacate smooth, continue to pulse a few more times. (For a runnier, pourable creamy avocado salsa, blend in 1-3 tablespoon water until it reaches your preferred consistency.)
Serve up - Spoon it into a bowl for tortilla chips, drizzle over chorizo tacos, taco salad, burritos and grilled fish. Serve it up over breakfast eggs or add it to a healthy lunch for an extra pop of flavor.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator at or below 4°C or 40°F for 1 to 2 days. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to minimize browning. Or, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and give it a stir before serving.
Expert Tips
Choose the right avocado. Slight give at the stem and a uniform dark green skin are good signs. Underripe avocados will taste grassy and won't give you that creamy dip texture.
Food science. Lime juice lowers pH and slows the browning enzyme in avocado. Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface limits oxygen and helps keep your salsa bright green.
Tomatillos. They should feel firm and the husk should be dry and loose. They contain natural pectin that helps the salsa feel thick without dairy.
Drink Pairings
The classic drink pairing is probably the Margarita cocktail or a Corona beer with a wedge of lime. Beyond that, try a light Mexican beer (lager) or a citrusy radler to complement the creamy texture and green salsa vibes. For cider, a dry or off-dry apple cider is perfect. If you'd like a wine, zippy whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño or lower alcohol Vinho Verde pair beautifully. To temper the spiciness, opt for a well chilled off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling.
Recipe FAQs
Avocado tomatillo salsa tastes like a tart and creamy combination of tomatillo salsa and creamy guacamole. It is lighter than guacamole and creamier than tomatillo salsa.
It will last up to 3 or 4 days in the fridge if you've added enough lime juice to keep it green. It must be covered. This avo salsa freezes well for up to 3 months, just give it a good stir after thawing.
Yes, see the substitutions + variations section above for how to do it.
Salsa is lower fat than guacamole, in fact most salsas are fat-free. Guacamole has more protein and fiber. Both are loaded with whole veggies for a very nutritious dip so it really depends what you are after in your diet. This avocado tomatillo salsa has the best of both. See the recipe card for the nutritional values.
Sometimes. Often salsa verde is not made with avocado. It usually contains tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. This salsa verde does include avocado and makes a delicious creamy green salsa.
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Related Recipes
I adore Mexican food and have a few recipes inspired by my trips to Mexico. Check them out!
- Leftover Steak Tacos With Salsa, Slaw And Spicy Mayo
- Easy Lobster Nachos With Corn And Cheesy Garlic Queso
- Easy Prawn Tostadas With Guacamole, Salsa And Cheese
- Easy Imitation Crab Ceviche Appetizer (Ceviche de Jaiba)
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Salsa de Aguacate aka Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups tomatillos husks removed
- 1 cup sweet onion peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeno stemmed and seeded
- ½ cup cilantro tightly packed ½ cup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups avocado about 2 avocados
- 2 tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, brush it with the vegetable oil. Once heated, place the tomatillos in. Fry until they are all lightly charred on 2 sides, about 6-8 minutes, remove from heat and let cool.
- Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro to the food processer along with the salt and pepper. Pulse until it is a uniform coarse texture. Add the tomatillos and pulse until the tomatillos are the chopped as finely as you like them.
- Put the avocado quarters into the processor bowl and pulse again until the salsa is a thick and creamy texture. Add the lime juice, pulse again and then season with extra lime juice, salt or pepper to taste.
- Serve right away, or cover tightly and refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition
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