Salsa Verde
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Salsa verde is a tomatillo avocado salsa that’s fresh and flavorful!
With a good-quality blender and a few raw ingredients, it’s easy to prepare this simple Mexican recipe. As an appetizer, serve this tasty, smooth green salsa with restaurant-style tortilla chips.
As a condiment, spoon green chili salsa over chicken taquitos, baja fish tacos, pork carnitas, or chicken tostadas. Drizzle it across huevos rancheros! Mexico is renowned for its gastronomy. This authentic salsa verde recipe is a staple at Contramar, Mexico City’s celebrated farm-to-fork restaurant.
PIN SALSA VERDE NOW TO MAKE IT LATER!
SALSA VERDE INGREDIENTS
If you can’t find little gem lettuce at the market, buy a head of Romaine lettuce instead. Remove the outer leaves, saving them for a salad, and use just the center or heart of Romaine for this recipe.
These are the 8 raw ingredients you’ll need for salsa verde:
- Small tomatillos
- White onion
- Garlic clove
- Fresh cilantro
- Serrano chilies
- Little gem lettuce
- Haas avocado
- Coarse sea salt
FAVORITE MEXICAN RECIPES
If you love Mexican food, and this tomatillo avocado salsa, make these yummy recipes ASAP!
- AUTHENTIC MEXICAN SALSA
- AUTHENTIC MEXICAN GUACAMOLE
- CARNE ASADA FRIES
- PINEAPPLE SHRIMP SKEWERS
- CILANTRO LIME RICE
HOW TO MAKE SALSA VERDE
Salsa Verde Cruda, a recipe from Chef Gabriela Cámara, brings the fresh flavors of Mexico City to your kitchen! It’s vibrant and tasty, with the perfect amount of heat. Let’s make it together.
- STEP 1: Remove husks and stems from tomatillos. They may be slightly sticky with a natural gel. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth.
- STEP 2: Add the tomatillos to a blender for a beautiful smooth consistency. For a seedy texture, use a food processor.
- STEP 3: Pinch cilantro leaves off their stems. Add leaves to the blender. Discard stems.
- STEP 4: Cut off stems from serrano peppers. Slice them in half or into pieces. Add them to the blender.
EXPERT TIP: Serrano chiles have oil that can irritate and burn skin and eyes for several hours. When handling chiles, use disposable kitchen gloves or two plastic produce bags. Afterward, wash your hands with warm water. Place cutting board and knife in the dishwasher to prevent transfer of oil to other surfaces. If eyes become irritated, flush them with cool water.
SALSA VERDE RECIPE
You’ll notice that no water or other liquid is added to this green salsa recipe. Once blended, the raw ingredients will provide enough juices for the perfect consistency.
- STEP 1: Roughly chop half an onion. Add it to the blender.
- STEP 2: Peel a garlic clove and slice off knobby end. Cut it in half. Add it to the blender.
- STEP 3: To bring added freshness to this salsa, we’re using a heart of Romaine lettuce. Slice off the end. Add the leaves to the blender.
- STEP 4: Cut the avocado in half. Remove the skin and pit. Add the avocado to the blender.
EXPERT TIP: In the original restaurant recipe, only half an avocado is used. But I prefer using the entire avocado. That way there’s no waste, and it makes this salsa verde recipe even creamier. And with more avocado added in, it’s a true tomatillo avocado salsa!
BEST GREEN SALSA
When we’re at our second home in Mexico, my husband and I enjoy visiting taco stands to try a variety of their different salsas. Each family has their own homemade recipes, often passed down from generation to generation.
It’s a unique set of salsas specific to a taco stand or restaurant that will draw customers in and keep them coming back! This salsa verde is one of those restaurant specialties straight from Mexico City.
- Add coarse sea salt to the blender.
- Firmly attach blender lid. We don’t want this salsa flying all over the kitchen. And yes, here at my house it’s happened before!
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. You’ll know when it’s done: no visible pieces of cilantro in the salsa verde.
- Do a taste test. Add more salt, as needed.
EXPERT TIPS AND RECIPE FAQ
- HOW TO SELECT AVOCADOS FOR GREEN SALSA: When a Haas avocado is under-ripe it’s green and very firm. A nearly ripe avocado is green-purple and slightly firm. A perfectly ripe avocado, the kind you want for salsa verde, is purple-black and yields to gentle pressure.
- SERRANO CHILE SUBSTITUTE: Jalapenos!
- HOW LONG WILL FRESH SALSA VERDE KEEP? If covered in an air-tight container and refrigerated, it will last for up to one week. But its fresh flavor and color is at its prime within the first three days.
- BLENDER VS FOOD PROCESSOR: For a smooth salsa verde, pull out your industrial blender! It’ll grind down the tomato and pepper seeds, leaving no grit or unpleasant textures in this creamy tomatillo avocado salsa. A food processor can be used for this recipe, but it will not deliver a silky smooth texture.
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SALSA VERDE > RATE THIS RECIPE! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This authentic green salsa is a must-make Mexican condiment. Serve it at parties. It’s crazy good! If you agree, give this salsa verde recipe a 5-star rating in the comments.
Salsa Verde – Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Total Time: 15 Minutes
- Yield: 5 Cups 1x
Description
Fresh, flavorful salsa verde is a must-make condiment for chips and salsa. Spoon it over Mexican specialties like tacos, tostadas, burritos, grilled fish, nachos and more! Assemble this delicious green salsa in 15 minutes. It’ll be your favorite avocado salsa recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small tomatillos
- 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
- 2 serrano chilies, de-stemmed and cut in half
- 1 little gem lettuce, stem removed
- 1 Haas avocado, peeled with pit removed
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Remove husks and stems from the tomatillos. They may be slightly sticky with a natural gel. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth. Add tomatillos to the blender.
- Add remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Do a taste test. Add more salt, as needed.
- Enjoy immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight jar.
Notes
- HOW TO SELECT AVOCADOS FOR GREEN SALSA: When a Haas avocado is under-ripe it’s green and very firm. A nearly ripe avocado is green-purple and slightly firm. A perfectly ripe avocado, the kind you want for salsa verde, is purple-black and yields to gentle pressure.
- TIP FOR HANDLING CHILI PEPPERS: Serrano chiles have oil that can irritate and burn skin and eyes for several hours. When handling chiles, use disposable kitchen gloves or two plastic produce bags. Afterward, wash your hands with warm water. Place cutting board and knife in the dishwasher to prevent transfer of oil to other surfaces. If eyes become irritated, flush them with cool water.
- BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR SERRANO PEPPERS: Jalapenos!
- BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR LITTLE GEM LETTUCE: If you can’t find little gem lettuce at the market, buy a head of Romaine lettuce instead. Remove the outer leaves, saving them for a salad, and use just the center or lettuce heart for this recipe.
- HOW LONG WILL FRESH SALSA VERDE KEEP? If covered in an air-tight container and refrigerated, it will last for up to one week. But the fresh flavor and color of green salsa is at its prime within the first three days.
- BLENDER VS FOOD PROCESSOR: For a smooth salsa verde, pull out your industrial blender! It’ll grind down the tomato and pepper seeds, leaving no grit or unpleasant textures in this tomatillo avocado salsa. A food processor can be used for this recipe, but it will not deliver a silky smooth texture.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Category: Salsas, Sauces
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Mexican
SALSA VERDE > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Have you been searching for the best green salsa recipe? What do you think of this tomatillo avocado salsa? Would you serve it with chips, or drizzle this salsa verde over Mexican specialties? Join the conversation!
Best salsa ever! Super easy to prepare and a great companion for chips or your favorite dish.
This just looks so fresh and summery!
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing!
Loved this recipe!! Super easy to make. It was perfect for my beginner skills in the kitchen.
I made this salsa to put on grilled chicken as a fun flavor alternative to bbq sauce. It was amazing!
I love this salsa verde recipe! It is so tasty and full of flavor. I poured some over nachos and my family loved it!
I love that this recipe uses fresh vegetables! Can’t wait to try it!
Homemade Salsa Verde, looks yum and definitely delicious. Would love to stock some in my fridge for easy options.