Creamy Mexican Green Salsa Recipe - Pura Vida Moms (2024)

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This creamy green salsa recipe is big on flavor and super easy. Combining avocado, cilantro, white onion, fresh tomatillos and serrano peppers, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Get out your tortilla chips!

About This Salsa Cremosa Recipe

I am going to tell you a little secret- long before I fell in love with Costa Rican food, I loved Mexican cuisine. Growing up in Colorado I have always had access to tons of awesome Mexican food, but also Colorado-style Mexican food. One of my favorite dishes is homemade chiles rellenos, and chips and salsa are a food group at our house, and it’s been fun to introduce Costa Ricans to spicy salsas over the years. This has been a good one of the medium-strength salsas to get people used to the heat but not burn their mouth to the ground. (haha)

This recipe is basically a creamy jalapeño salsa made with avocado instead of dairy. Some recipes call for garlic cloves, garlic powder or even avocado oil (or canola oil). I keep this recipe super simple by allowing the creamy flavor to shine with few ingredients. The creamy texture makes it ideal for dipping chips. YUM.

This is also a favorite recipe to put on your favorite taco. In fact, I found this recipe at one of my favorite local taco stands (it’s a salsa taquera) and that is how I was first introduced to it. The first time I tried it the bold flavor of the tomatillo combined with the cream of the avocado had me absolutely hooked. It’s one of the most flavorful varieties of salsa I have tried, and a favorite of all the Mexican food recipes I know how to make.

I love this recipe, especially for several reasons- it’s a no-cook salsa (unlike my Chile del arbol salsa, which is amazing, but I have to roast the veggies over medium heat so it’s more work). I also love how creamy it is- despite being completely dairy free. And it’s just the right amount of spicy.

I also love this recipe because, while it’s a traditional dish of Mexico, it is also easy to find all of the ingredients at a regular grocery store. That makes is one of the more easy recipes on this site.

I often use this as a dip, but it also works great as a salad dressing or topping for roasted vegetables. (I love it on a cilantro lime salmon salad!) I love a grilled turkey and cheddar for lunch, and I’ve been using this in place of mayo on the sandwich- delish! Here’s the gluten-free, vegan recipe.

Related post: Most popular salsa in Costa Rica

Creamy Green Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 1 small green tomatillo
• 1 medium white onion
• 1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper
• 1/2 TB salt
• 1/2 TB sugar
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

Scoop the avocado out of its skin. Halve the onion, tomatillo, and jalapeño. Juice the lime. I usually cut the very bottom stalks of the cilantro off, about 3 inches. Put everything in the blender or food processor and blend until desired texture is reached (I like it nice and smooth). Add additional water if needed. I sometimes have to adjust the salt and sugar to taste- the sugar balances out the acidity of the tomatillo and the salt brings out the flavor of the peppers. Sometimes you can add some extra lime juice if you know you will store the salsa for several days- it helps the avocado not to turn brown.

Additional Costa Rican Dessert Recipes:

• Costa Rican Tres Leches Recipe
• Costa Rican Suspiros Cookies (Espumilla)
• Delightful Baked Costa Rican Empanadas de Chiverre
• Traditional Costa Rican Tamal de Masa Recipe

Substitutions

If I’m in a pinch, I have also substituted dried chile pepper flakes for the jalapeno peppers. You can use green or red jalapeño chiles as well.

I have also used yellow onion or purple union for this recipe and really can’t tell a difference in flavor- just color.

If you don’t have an avocado- you could use a half cup of sour cream in the recipe. But- it would go bad faster in the fridge.

You could use poblano peppers in place of the jalapeno for a milder spicy flavor.

If you didn’t have ripe avocadoes, you could combine sour cream and avocado oil to make a non-dairy-free salsa.

If you can’t get the ingredients or don’t want to make this, people have told me that there is a Herdez creamy chipotle salsa cremosa that is similar, but I haven’t tried it.

You could use canned chipotle peppers for the spice, but it adds a red color to the salsa and it isn’t as pretty.

Variations

There is a green tomatillo salsa recipe without the avocado. It’s essentially the exact same recipe except sans avocado. The recipe is not creamy at all, but still good. I think it’s closer to the “Mexican green sauce” people see in taco joints.

Many recipes call for roasted tomatillos, which you bring to a boil in cold water for about 20 minutes and then process.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with tacos, freshly made tortilla chips, or I love to eat this on top of my vegetable egg scramble in the morning. Anything you would put hot sauce on or avocado on- well that’s what you can use this recipe for. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to go with creamy green salsa:

• Carnitas Tacos
• Chile del Arbol Salsa
• Shredded Beef Empanada Recipe
• Colorado Style Chile Rellenos

FAQ

How do I store this avocado salsa? – I store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps up to a week for me. If you see little white spots on top it’s time to throw it away.

Is this a Costa Rican recipe? – Nope! It’s Mexican. But when I make it for ticos, they scoop it right up. It would actually be awesome with some frijol molido!

More appetizer recipes you might like:

• Easy Baked Vegetarian Queso Fundido
• Damn Good Torchy Tacos Queso Dip Recipe
• Costa Rican Black Bean Dip Recipe
• Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Recipe

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