Tomatillo Green-Chile Salsa Verde Recipe with Avocado

Salsa verde is the slightly tart cousin to red salsa, and you can make this recipe for fresh salsa with only 7 ingredients and 15 minutes. This tomatillo green-chile salsa verde has a fresh flavor from the mint and lime juice, heat from chile peppers, and includes an avocado to smooth out the flavors.

by Susan Pridmore

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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

Jump to:

• 🤷‍♀️ What are tomatillos?
• ❤️ Why you'll love this Mexican salsa verde
• 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
• 🔪 Recommended Equipment
• 🎯 Why This Recipe Works
• 👩‍🍳 Tips for Making Salsa Verde
• 🪴 Uses for Leftover Fresh Mint
• 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
• 🧊 What's the best way to store salsa verde?
• Tomatillo Green-Chili Salsa Verde Recipe with Avocado

I like to have condiments on hand that take ordinary dishes up a few levels in flavor and texture. For example, this South American cilantro chimichurri is fantastic for roasted veggies. And Mint Chutney is present on every table in India for bread, curry dishes, and potatoes.

This Tomatillo Green Chile Salsa is a useful condiment to have for dipping tortilla chips and adding to simple Mexican tostadas, similar to how you use its tomato-based cousin, pico de gallo.

🤷‍♀️ What are tomatillos?

Tomatillos are a Mexican fruit (yes, they're a fruit, not a vegetable) that translates as little tomato. And in your market, they look like small, round, green tomatoes covered by thin, papery husks. But they're not even related to tomatoes, although they're both in the nightshade family.

Here are some fun facts about tomatillos:

• Technically, tomatillos are a berry and never get bigger than a golf ball.
• When they're ripe, they're yellow. They're typically used before they ripen to get the tart flavor in salsas and jams. So, if you're making salsa, stay away from yellow tomatillos.
• Their flavor balances tart and sweet, similar to a green apple, and the fruit is firm in texture.
• They're used raw in bright salsas, like this recipe, but many chefs lightly char them first. Charring tomatillos softens both the texture and acidity of the fruit. They can be charred on the grill, under the broiler, or on the stovetop.

❤️ Why you'll love this Mexican salsa verde

• Simple. This recipe only has 7 ingredients, not including salt, and uses raw tomatillos.
• Fresh tasting and bright. Using fresh tomatillos and mint makes this salsa very fresh and bright in flavor.
• Fast. Make it in 15 minutes or less in a food processor. The avocado softens the tartness so you don't need to char the tomatillos.
• Flexible. It's easy to adjust for the level of heat you want by using different chiles and herbs.
• Lots of uses. Add it over tacos, spoon it over enchiladas and tostadas, serve it with huevos rancheros, or with tortilla chips as an appetizer.

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🎯 Why This Recipe Works

• Adding the avocado softens the tart flavor and smooths out the texture of this salsa verde. This replaces the process of charring the tomatillos under the broiler or on the stovetop.

👩‍🍳 Tips for Making Salsa Verde

• The avocado should be ripe but still firm. Don't use over-ripe, squishy avocadoes for this salsa. Ditto for avocadoes with blemishes and bruises. When choosing an avocado at your market, the skin should slightly depress at the stem when you lightly press it with your finger.
• If the salsa is too thin, pour it into a skillet over medium heat. Bring to a very low simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer to thicken the sauce.
• If the salsa is too thick, stir a little water into the salsa.

🪴 Uses for Leftover Fresh Mint

Fresh mint has a limited shelf life once it's harvested, and you likely won't use all the mint you purchase in this recipe. Here are 5 ways to use it up:

• Toss it with rice like in this Herby Crispy Rice Salad.
• Make mint simple syrup for cocktails and mocktails.
• Grill slices of watermelon and finish with a squeeze of lime and sprinkle of chopped mint.
• Add to salads and tabbouleh.
• Cook up a batch of barley soup with potatoes topped with mint.

💡Ideas for Possible Variations

• Swap out the mint for fresh cilantro.
• Use jalapeño pepper or Hatch chiles instead of the Anaheim for a little heat. Serrano peppers have even more heat, so if you want more spice, add a Serrano chili to the Anaheim.
• Pan-roast or broil the tomatillos to soften the tartness and texture.
• To add more flavor, add ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano.

🧊 What's the best way to store salsa verde?

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Don't forget to label it with the date.
• Freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2 months. Label it with the dates before storing it in the freezer. Thaw the salsa verde in the refrigerator.

Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.