Avocado Salsa – A Beautiful Mess

This easy avocado salsa is a cross between guacamole and a salsa verde (it’s also called salsa de aguacate). The creamy consistency is thinner than a classic chunky guacamole, and while it’s perfect to dip chips into, it can also be used as a sauce on tacos, burritos, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and just about anything else you can think of!

This recipe takes only minutes to make, is easy to make ahead for parties, and all you need is a blender or food processor to get the job done—don’t forget to pair it with a good margarita!

Craving more Mexican-inspired food? Try our:

Ingredients for Avocado Salsa:

• Avocado: You’ll want to pick ripe avocados for your avocado salsa to get the most buttery and flavorful taste (tips for that below!).
• Tomatillos: Move over, red tomatoes! Tomatillos are green tomatoes (also called husk tomatoes) that have an outer husk and a different taste than your traditional green tomato. Make sure to find tomatillos for the most authentic flavor!
• Onion: White and yellow onions are the popular choices for avocado salsa with their sweet and mild flavor.
• Cilantro: The earthy fresh taste of cilantro adds a wonderful tangy taste to this salsa, but you can skip it if you’re one of those people who hates cilantro.
• Lime Juice: A healthy serving of lime juice adds a tart zest and it also helps preserve the avocado if you have leftovers to store in the fridge.
• Garlic: You can use garlic powder, but minced raw garlic is the best way to go.
• Jalapeño: If you want to add some heat to your avocado salsa, jalapeño peppers add the perfect amount of spice.

Can’t find fresh tomatillos? You can also used canned tomatillos, but just be aware they tend to be a bit more watery. So watch the consistency and don’t add extra water unless you need to once it’s all blended.

Should I boil my tomatillos before adding to recipe? Boiling the tomatillos in water for 2-3 minutes before adding them to your blender will bring out their sweetness, but it’s an optional step. Try it both ways and see which version you prefer!

How do you pick ripe avocados?

When picking ripe avocados, you want to:

• Check firmness: When you gently squeeze the avocado, you’ll want to feel your fingers make a slight indent into the flesh. If it’s hard, it’s not ripe, and if it’s very soft and mushy, then it’s too ripe.
• Look at color: Most ripe avocados are dark green to almost black in color. A light green avocado that feels hard to the touch is definitely not ripe yet, but color can vary with ripe avocado, so the firmness test is actually your best indicator.
• Check the stem: Some people have you remove the stem to check the color for ripeness, but look for a stem that’s intact as the avocado can start to brown on the inside if the stem was removed while at the store.

How to make Avocado Salsa:

Use a knife to slice the ripe avocados in half. Remove the pit and scoop into a blender.

Remove tomatillo husks and rinse off the sticky layer before roughly chopping it up and adding to your blender.

Add the rest of your ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more salt or lime juice to taste and small bits of water if the consistency is too thick and blend again.

Serve immediately or store in fridge until ready to eat.

Tips for Storing and Making Avocado Salsa Ahead of Time:

Avocado salsa is best fresh, but it will last 3-4 days in the fridge when stored properly, so you can make it ahead of time if you follow these rules:

• Choose an airtight container: Make sure you store it in an airtight container when placing it in the fridge as oxygen is not your friend when it comes to browning avocados.
• Use extra lime: Lime helps preserve the salsa, so add a little extra lime than you normally would to help keep it fresh in the fridge.
• Cover with plastic wrap: Before adding your lid onto your container, place and press a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper onto the top of the salsa. That creates a barrier between the avocado and the extra air in your container to keep it from oxidizing faster.

Avocado Salsa recipe variations:

To change up the traditional avocado salsa taste, you can add in:

• Sour cream
• Cotija cheese
• Cayenne pepper for more heat
• Orange juice instead of water for a citrus boost
• Black beans
• Diced red tomatoes on top
• Cumin or smoked paprika for more depth of flavor (start with 1/8 teaspoon and add to taste)

Try our Avocado Salsa with a Margarita!