Anjie’s Avocado & Serrano Chile Salsa

This creamy avocado and roasted tomatillos and serranos salsa is deliciosa on its own with tortilla chips and drizzled over just about everything cooked by Anjie Villalobos, one of our favorite Mexican-comida cocinera abuelas.

“I probably make it a few times a month,” says Anjie. “I’ve been making this avocado salsa for years and years and years. We love it on our tacos, especially tacos de papa, and I slather it over eggs.”

Like so many of her go-to Mexican recipes, Anjie learned to make avocado salsa by watching her sister-in-law Carmen (called China by everyone) in the kitchen during the four years she lived with Anjie’s family in California.

China and her brother come from a large (very large: 15!) family in San Juan de Los Lagos in Jalisco and “she is a phenomenal cook,” says Anjie. “All their brothers and sisters are great cooks, they all learned from their mother, but I always thought China was the most amazing one. I learned so much from watching her whip up traditional dishes every day in the kitchen all those years.”

China’s avocado salsa has a lot more heat than the version Anjie has come to call her own after experimenting with it. “Hers is much more liquidy and it’s fire. Very chile dominant,” says Anjie. “Mine is more between a salsa and a guacamole. It’s a little bit thicker—actually a lot thicker, and it’s definitely not as hot.” Although let the record reflect: Anjie is not one to shy away from chile heat and makes countless salsas that score high on the caliente scale.

“This avocado salsa is one of my many salsas in rotation,” says Anjie. “At all times, or at least 95% of the time, you will find one or more salsas in my fridge. Because they are easy to make and they lend itself to making a quick meal. Plus: they are delicious.”

This avocado salsa has become the new go-to in Anjie’s household and requested, often. “My grandaughter, Charlee, loves to make it. And my nephew, who says I make the best salsa on the planet, called me about 3 months ago to ask me how to make another salsa that I make quite frequently, a basic tomato-serrano-cilantro salsa.

“I haven’t had a chance to taste his, but I am told he is doing a darn good job,” says his proud aunt.

To sample more of Anjie’s Mexican and southwestern family recipes, check out her guacamole, green chile chicken pozole, Mexican frijoles de olla or refried beans, and handmade corn tortillas.

Ready to Make Anjie’s Avocado & Serrano Chile Salsa?

Anjie’s Avocado & Serrano Chile Salsa

Recipe by Anjie Villalobos

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 avocados

• 10 tomatillos

• 3 serrano chiles

• 1 small white or yellow onion

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 lime, juiced

• 2 1/2 tsp salt, more or less to taste

• 1 cup water, or to your desired consistency

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Peel and wash tomatillos. Roast tomatillos and chiles on a foil-lined baking pan until slightly blackened on top, about 25 minutes.
• When the chiles and tomatillos are finished roasted, remove them from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a blender, add avocados, tomatillos, serranos, garlic, lime juice, salt and water. Blend until smooth. Taste, and if necessary add more salt. If you prefer your salsa to be thinner, additional water can be added at this stage.
• Add cilantro and onion. Pulse on low until desired texture has been achieved.

Notes

• If you prefer your avocado salsa on the milder side, remove some or all of the serrano chile seeds before roasting them.