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This avocado tomatillo salsa verde recipe has a fresh flavor that pairs perfectly with meats, beans, salad greens or with a bowl of tortilla chips for dipping. And of course alongside a margarita on the rocks! This bright green tomatillo salsa verde recipe is the delicious addition to any Mexican food meal.

What’s a Tomatillo?

If you’ve never used a tomatillo in a recipe before, don’t be afraid! I have a confession to make: Up until my 40s, I’d never even eaten a tomatillo before! I’ve come to love their mild, almost sweet flavor and have enjoyed using tomatillos in many of our dinner recipes.

A tomatillo is not a green tomato. Also known as a “Mexican husk tomato”, the tomatillo can be eaten raw (like for this salsa verde recipe). It can also be cooked – we often put them on the grill. For a simple dinner, toss roasted tomatillos in with a pot of pinto beans, cook then eat, topped with sour cream. I’ve got lots of suggestions on how to use this avocado tomatillo salsa verde recipe, including this refreshing salad using leftover grilled chicken!

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

This recipe is all from my husband, our resident chef when it comes to Mexican dishes. He chats with the employees at our local bodega and asks them how they like to prepare their foods. We’ve had some pretty awesome and authentic meals based on what he’s been able to glean. He never writes the recipes down, relying on memory and hopefully, the correct Spanish interpretation! This recipe for avocado tomatillo salsa verde came from a woman selling queso fresca behind the market counter. It was a winner during our last grilled chicken taco feast.

What I love about this recipe is that you only need one appliance to prepare it. A good, high speed blender! I use a basic Ninja Blender when preparing this tomatillo salsa verde. Seriously, you don’t need to do anything outside of washing your veggies beforehand. Just toss everything into the blender and within minutes, you have an amazing tomatillo salsa verde, flavored with avocado and a hint of lime. Grab your tortilla chips and let’s get this fiesta started!

Ingredients for Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

Prepping the vegetables takes the most time and even at that, you won’t be busy for more than a few minutes. This recipe is made in the blender so the prep is fast. Once you get everything into the blender, it will be just a few minutes before you have your salsa verde ready to eat!

Using the salad spinner to clean cilantro is my favorite tip. Remove the basket from the spinner and set aside. Fill the bowl with cold water and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Break off the majority of the stems from a bundle of cilantro. No need to remove all stems from cilantro leaves, just the large section of stem at the bottom. Simply grab bunch just below bundle of leaves and twist off the excess stems, then add to the water. Swish in the salted water to remove dirt. Transfer the cilantro to the basket and spin to remove excess water.

Give It Lots of Flavor

Cut off the stem on the serrano pepper. Do you like it spicy? Then toss the entire serrano into the blender, seeds and all! Want your tomatillo salsa verda with less kick? Remove the seeds completely. You can wear rubber gloves during the process or be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

The recipe offers a range in number for tomatillos, based on the size you use. For very small tomatillos, you’ll use around 8. For large tomatillos, about 5 for this recipe. Remove the tomatillo from the husk (you’ll notice they can be slightly sticky). Rinse and toss them into the blender. You’ll blend the tomatillos first by themselves, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Remove the seeds from 2 ripe avocados and scrape into the blender. Add in garlic cloves, the juice of one lime and a teaspoon of salt. You’ll add more salt to taste, if needed, after blending. That’s your cue – blend it up until smooth! You may need to stop and scrape things down occasionally with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well blended.

What to Serve with this Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

Whether you’re making this tomatillo salsa verde for your next Mexican dinner night, Cinco de Mayo or a game day spread, it’s sure to be a hit. Because of the fresh ingredients used (no preservatives), you’ll want to eat this salsa verde within a few days of preparation. Here’s the cool part though – the acid in the lime juice will prevent the avocado in the dip from turning brown. You can easily prepare this salsa verde recipe a day ahead of serving, then keep chilled in the fridge!

Here are a few ideas for what to serve alongside your avocado tomatillo salsa verde recipe.

• As an appetizer, serve this avocado tomatillo salsa verde recipe with tortilla chips. As a second salsa option for a fiesta, try this chunky tomato-based Pico De Gallo Salsa.
• Any grilled meat or seafood is highlighted with this salsa. We’ve used it with grilled chicken, carne asada and shrimp.
• We love to serve this tomatillo salsa recipe with our slow-cooker Pork Carnitas. It’s a delicious combo inside of tacos or burritos and super easy to prepare for a quick dinner.

• This avocado tomatillo salsa verde recipe is my new favorite salad dressing! It offers the creaminess of a Ranch dressing but with a zippy tang alongside the salad greens. I shared a photo earlier in this article where I used the green salsa as a dressing on my salad with leftover cold grilled chicken and crumbled Mexican cheese.
• The ultimate breakfast burrito is made better with this salsa verde recipe! Fill a warm flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and spoon in this avocado tomatillo salsa before rolling up.
• Layer Spanish rice, instant pot Mexican style pinto beans, cooked meat and crumbled queso fresco into a bowl then drizzle salsa on top. My favorite way to serve leftovers!