a classic salsa verde recipe with a twist, this creamy salsa verde is full of bright flavor from tomatillos, peppers, cilantro, & lime juice, & gets its super creaminess from avocado. this creamy salsa verde recipe is easy to make (less than 10 ingredients in less than 30 minutes!), & even easier to snack on. say hello to your new favorite game day snack!!!
this post is sponsored by Mission Avocados, whose Emeralds in the Rough avocados i’m completely obsessed with! all thoughts & opinions are my own. thank you, as always, for visiting plays well with butter & supporting the brands that support this site! ?
an easy salsa verde recipe, with a twist!: creamy salsa verde
pin this creamy salsa verde recipe for later!!!
let’s talk about snacks.
game day snacks!
the BEST game day snacks.
like….the kind of game day snacks that are so stinkin’ craveable that you find yourself reaching back into the snack table again & again & again & again & again.
enter: creamy salsa verde. 
this creamy salsa verde gets its insane creaminess from avocados. if you’ve made my avocado chimichurri, you know that i’m completely obsessed with giving classic recipes a fun little creamy twist with avocados.
avocados make this creamy salsa verde feel like guacamole & salsa verde all in one, & it’s such an easy way to make something as simple as salsa verde feel like a totally special game day treat.
(& snacks are pretty much the best part of game day, anyway, right?!)
creamy salsa verde ingredients
pin this creamy salsa verde recipe for later!!!
one of my favorite things about salsa verde is it’s all about bright flavors. a good salsa verde tastes super fresh & super tangy.
& the best part? it’s super easy to make. i’ll walk you through exactly how to make creamy salsa verde below, but once you have all of the ingredients, it’s really simple to throw together on the fly, whenever you want a fun snack. salsa verde is one of those things that’s all about using great, fresh ingredients & letting them shine.
what you need:
- tomatillos (more on these cuties in a sec!)
- red onion
- peppers (i use a combination of poblano & jalapeno for the perfect kick)
- cilantro
- lime juice (lots of it!)
- &…avocado!
the star of any salsa verde recipe is tomatillos. tomatillos are similar in shape & size to green tomatoes, but their flavor is brighter & more acidic, giving salsa verde the great fresh flavor we know & love it for.
you should be able to find tomatillos year-round at any conventional grocery store, near the peppers & tomatoes in the produce section. you will notice that tomatillos are encased in a papery husk, but don’t let this throw you off or scare you! to prep tomatillos for this recipe (or any recipe!), you’ll simply peel back the husk (& toss it), then give them a good rinse in warm water to wash off any sticky residue left on their surface. it’s super easy – i promise!
the addictive creaminess in this creamy salsa verde recipe comes from avocados. it’s seriously such a simple way to add some life back into a classic recipe that everyone already knows, & make it feel like a totally special snack.
& when it comes to avocados, i’m through-the-roof obsessed with Mission’s Emeralds in the Rough avocados!
Mission’s Emeralds in the Rough avocados are “grade 2” avocados, avocados that are perfectly good & tasty, but wouldn’t otherwise make it to grocery store shelves because of noticeable blemishes. food waste is something i’ve been trying to limit & minimize in my own kitchen, so i honestly couldn’t be more in love with this mission! you can learn more about Emeralds in the Rough on Mission’s website, & be sure to enter a fun giveaway that we’re hosting over on instagram!
how to make salsa verde
pin this creamy salsa verde recipe for later!!!
one of the things i love most about this creamy salsa verde recipe is it’s so easy to make.
all you have to do to make salsa verde is…
- chop the veggies…
- roast them, coaxing out all of their flavors…
- & puree!
beyond easy, right?!
first up, you’ll roughly chop the tomatillos, onion, & peppers. since everything will get pureed smooth, there’s no need to be super precise about chopping here – just break everything down into similar sized pieces so they roast evenly.
we like a spicier salsa verde in our house, so i leave the ribs & seeds in the peppers, but if you prefer a mild salsa verde, you can totally feel free to remove them at this point too!
once everything is chopped, you’ll pop it all on a sheet pan, giving it a good drizzle of olive oil & a nice pinch of salt. toss it all together, then toss it in the oven to roast.
not all salsa verde recipes call for roasting the veggies, but i love the result. the flavor of the tomatillos intensifies, & the spiciness of the peppers tames down ever so slightly. it only takes 20 minutes, & it’s completely inactive cooking time. it’s totally worth it! 
once everything is roasted, you pop it all into a food processor or high-speed blender with plenty of cilantro, some avocado, & a good squeeze of lime juice. let it whirl, & you’ll see that everything breaks down really quickly & easily thanks to the roast. before you know it, you’ll have a big batch of creamy salsa verde! 
i like serving creamy salsa verde with tons of tortilla chips, but it would also be great with your favorite veggie dippers. you could even stir it into brown rice or quinoa to make green rice for burrito bowls! it’s a zippy, fresh, creamy avocado salsa! i mean, really…you can’t go wrong!
plus! because this creamy salsa verde has tons of acidity, it’ll keep in an airtight container in your fridge for several days…but i bet it won’t even last that long. 
pin this creamy salsa verde recipe for later!!!
(yep. definitely the best part of game day.)
if you love this creamy salsa verde recipe, here are a few other game day recipes you HAVE to try!
- easy vegan queso: smoky chipotle cashew queso
- my house guacamole: the best guacamole ever. (period.)
- one of pwwb’s most popular game day recipes: easy buffalo chicken sliders
- perfect for feeding a game day crowd: slow cooker rosemary & garlic balsamic lamb sandwiches
- an easy buffalo pizza! easy buffalo chicken bacon ranch pizza
- & one more buffalo recipe for good measure: the BEST grilled buffalo chicken wings
- plus, all pwwb apps & snacks
be sure to follow along with me on instagram, facebook, & pinterest for more easy, modern recipes & fun!
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creamy salsa verde
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes (includes inactive time)
- Yield: 2 cups (serves 6-8) 1x
- Category: snacks & appetizers, sauces & condiments
- Method: roasting, blending
- Cuisine: mexican
Description
a classic salsa verde recipe with a twist, this creamy salsa verde is full of bright flavors (from tomatillos, peppers, cilantro, & lime juice), & gets tons of creaminess from avocado. this creamy salsa verde recipe is easy to make, & even easier to eat! say hello to your new favorite game day snack!
Ingredients
- ½ pound tomatillos, husked & quartered
- 1 small red onion, quartered
- 1 poblano pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1–2 Mission avocados (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 small bunch cilantro, stems removed
- 2 limes, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up and set aside.
- Roast the veggies: Place the tomatillos, onion, poblano, and jalapeno on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the tomatillos are juicy and the veggies have softened. Remove from the oven.
- Make the creamy salsa verde: Carefully transfer all of the roasted veggies from Step 2 to the the bowl of your food processor or high-speed blender. Add in the avocados, cilantro, and lime juice. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately, with chips or veggies as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Spiciness: You can make this creamy salsa verde as spicy or mild as you like! We love salsa verde with a good kick of heat, so I leave the ribs & seeds in both the avocado & poblano pepper. It’s spicy, but the creaminess of the avocado mellows out the heat quite a bit. If you want to make your creamy salsa verde more mild, go ahead & deseed the jalapeno &/or poblano as desired.
- Avocados: I used Mission Avocados’ Emeralds in the Rough Avocados to make this creamy salsa verde recipe. These avocados, like any avocados, do vary in size. If your avocados are large, you’ll likely only need to use 1 avocado. If your avocados are smaller, go ahead and use 2.
Girlfriend! This salsa verde looks insane, totally going on my Superbowl recipe line up. I’m so obsessed with these Emeralds in the Rough avocados. The little ones are like the cutest produce I have eveeeeer found.