Mexican Avocado Salsa (Salsa de Aguacate Mexicana)

This luscious Mexican Avocado Salsa is making an appearance at all my summer get togethers, and bringing the flavor and just the right amount of heat. This salsa is bright, creamy, tangy a perfect pairing for chips or to accompany your favorite tacos! It comes together in a pinch with simple ingredients that celebrate the bounty that the California summer has to offer. Imagine guacamole and salsa verde had a baby, this would be it! sharp bright salsa flavor with the creaminess of the avocados. It really is the finishing touch that adds zesty and bright goodness and the heat can be balanced depending on the chilies used. There are several different salsa cooking methods when making a green avocado salsa. This recipe brings out the flavors of the ingredients by using a good quality Olive oil to sauté the jalapeños, garlic, onion and tomatillos. This not only cooks them, the slight browning builds the base of flavor for our Avocado Salsa adding depth of flavor that really shines compared to a salsa with raw ingredients.

Salsas (Sauces) are a quick way to enhance a dish and its flavor profile. While there are salsas for every occasion this one is a versatile one that you can have in your back pocket, when entertaining or hosting that weekend BBQ. Store bought sauce does not compare to fresh and homemade salsa. Once you start making your own there is no going back, they are quick and delicious to whip up.

California’s Ideal Conditions to Grow Avocados

Back in May, I had the opportunity to attend an Agritour with the amazing team at CA GROWN. These tours are always incredibly informative and fun (and tasty!!) they really give a behind the scenes look at how California farmers are approaching growing food. One thing they all have in common, is they all have a passion for what they do, and have learned to evolve with the times and demands of current farming requirements.

We toured the Ventura area which is rich in agriculture and home to amazing views. Farmers are growing everything from berries to lemons, even world famous Ojai Pixie Tangerines and an abundance of the best avocados I’ve ever tasted. We had the opportunity to meet Rachael Laenen she is a sixth generation farmer at Kimball Farms, as if that wasn’t remarkable enough, Rachel was elected head of the Avocado commission this year, with a double celebration under her belt as the United Nations named 2026 the international year of the female farmer! She really is a moving force in the industry, inspired by her grandmother who was head of six ranches all while raising a family.

Her family has been farming in Ventura County right in the heart of Heritage Valley, a beautiful and scenic stretch of land that, must be avocado heaven. The rocky hill side made up of weathered bedrock, sea clay and boulder loam is ideal to grow avocados. Their scenic farm on the hill side is home to 180 acres of Hass avocados, with a sprinkle of Bacon, Zutano & Fuerte to aid in pollination. I wasn’t joking when I said these are the best tasting avocados I’ve ever had, they are creamy, buttery with the perfect flavor. This is in part because the avocados grown here are never sent into cold storage, they are harvested and shipped promptly allowing the taste and texture to shine.

At any given time, an avocado tree can have different size fruit, resulting in several harvests from one single tree. This is one fruit (yes fruit!) that teaches us that good things take time. Depending on variety the fruit can take upwards of 12-18 months from bloom to harvest. This regions microclimate and terrain is ideal to grow this crop. The frost free winters, sunny days and coastal breeze make for just the right conditions for avocados to thrive.

Another stop in our CA GROWN Agritour was Prancer Farms, family owned by Mario & Vanessa Robledo. They are running their growing farm , along side their 3 daughters. I really admire how they are sharing their passion, by inviting the community to visit and experience first hand their educational and fun activities they host throughout the year. Everything from a year-round farm stand, u-pick strawberries, horse back rides, petting zoo. They have integrated community into their operation which I believe is so important in teaching the younger generations where their food is grown and what it takes to get it on the table. We had the opportunity to harvest our own strawberries still warm from the sunshine!

I drove down to Ventura County and this gorgeous CA GROWN cheese platter was my snack the whole way home and then some. Fresh local produce from the Ventura’s Farmers Market was transformed into these amazing travel charcuterie boards, in a class led by Sarah the queen of charcuterie boards herself, from The Delicious Life. Seriously if you need inspo, go drool over everything she creates. She gave us her best tips on how to pick the right cheeses and how to arrange the different varieties for easy snacking on the go. My travel Charcuterie board was colorful and full of sun kissed fruit, nuts and some amazing cheese and of course a few zinnias because flowers belong on cheese boards too!

This whole trip was a whirlwind of fun with this crew, I came home with even more appreciation for my home state and how farmers adapt to their regions and climates to grow the ideal crops that thrive and feed the country. Shortly after I returned home I had a big box of Kimball Farms avocados waiting for me, and I knew fresh salsa was going to be my go to.

Tips for Storing Avocados and Ripening Avocados

• Avocados mature on the tree but begin to ripen once harvested. Let them sit on a counter until the skin is dark and they begin to soften around the stem. Once they are ripe they are able to be put in the fridge to store longer.
• Don’t put unripe avocados in the fridge as it will affect taste and texture.
• If you need them to ripen up quicker, place them in a paper bag with a banana.
• Ripe avocados can also be cubed and frozen for smoothies or baking

Ingredients:

Avocados- Creamy, silky CA GROWN Avocados are a key ingredient to this Mexican Avocado Salsa. They really get a chance to shine in this recipe. Look for the sticker and be rewarded with flavor.

Tomatillos- Add in tang and brightness to lighten up our Avocado Salsa, their acidity also help the salsa keep a bright green color.

Cilantro- Adds in a fresh and fragrant element.

Olive Oil- The base for our sauce is good quality olive oil! I go with an extra virgin blend that has a mild and balanced flavor. Look for the CA GROWN  label when shopping. California Extra virgin Olive oil is rigorously tested ensuring we get quality product in every bottle.

Onion- White onions have a stronger and crisp flavor that turns sweeter once cooked down.

Salt- Enhances all the flavors.

Lime- The juice of the lime not only aids in adding acidity to our Avocado Salsa, it also helps to slow down the oxidation (turning brown) of the salsa.

Garlic- Flavor on flavor the garlic mellows down as it sits in the olive oil and adds in a rich nutty flavor.

Jalapenos- They have a milder heat profile. This salsa is mild, but if you want to turn up the heat add switch them for Serrano peppers for a fiery kick.

Why You Will Love This Avocado Salsa:

This sauce has few ingredients but they all play a role in achieving that delicious signature taste, I crave in a Mexican Avocado Salsa. Flavorful, tangy and extremely dangerous next to a bag of chips, you may need to make a double batch like I do. When the ingredients are fresh they really don’t need much help. This salsa stores for about a week in the fridge but I don’t think it will sit around that long. Whether you like your salsa mild, or fiery this recipe can be adapted to your taste buds.

Salsas are an art and each cook pours their own twist to bring it to life. My friend over at Hola Jalapeño! created a delicious Creamy Avocado Salsa with charred ingredients and crema, another recipe you really should bookmark to try.

This post was made in partnership with CA GROWN all expressed opinions are my own. I am thankful to share about the bounty our state has to offer. Check out other delicious ways to use your in season produce on their blog Californiagrown.org