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Salsa de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa)

February 15, 2019 By Patrick 20 Comments

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This post is for all of you who are diehard fans of that mysterious, creamy green sauce at your local taqueria.

It’s not guacamole, and it doesn’t even seem like Salsa, but it’s strangely addictive and it works wonders on tacos, so what is it?!

And more importantly, how do I make it?!!

Avocado Salsa being served at the table.

How To Make Salsa de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa)

Liquefy some barely seasoned avocados and you’ve nailed down the essence of Salsa de Aguacate.   It’s meant to be light and mildly flavored, the ideal accompaniment to bold and spicy tacos.

But before we make it let’s first see where it falls on the Avocado Spectrum.

There are four avocado sauces (or Salsas) that you’ll come across most frequently in Mexican cuisine.

Up first, of course, is guacamole.  Mash up some avocados, add some seasoning, and you’ve got a thick, chunky delight that will gladly be the star attraction of your meal.

We're grinding an onion-jalapeno-cilantro paste in a molcajete for a delicious batch of homemade guacamole. Don't forget a final squeeze of lime, so good! mexicanplease.com

Or you can combine the avocado with yogurt and seasoning (or mayo/cream) and you’ve got a creamy avocado sauce on your hands that you can use as a dressing or spread.

These Easy Burrito Bowls have a secret weapon that can instantly save your day: creamy avocado sauce with some zip from a jalapeno. So good! mexicanplease.com

We use that sauce in our Burrito Bowls and Chipotle Burgers.  It’s thinner than Guac but it still has some weight to it.

Next, you can add an avocado to a traditional green Salsa and you’ve got a delicious Avocado Salsa Verde on your hands.

Avocado Salsa Verde is much thinner than traditional Guac and the addition of tomatillos gives it a unique flavor.  It works well in burritos, nachos, quesadillas, etc.

Leftover tinga? Make Tingadillas! Cheesy Chicken Tinga Quesadillas with Green Sauce | mexicanplease.com

And finally, if you combine an avocado with water and lime juice you’ll get an even thinner sauce that is slightly creamy.  And strangely addictive.

Hello Salsa de Aguacate!

Salsa de Aguacate in serving bowl.

This sauce is on the opposite end of the spectrum from guacamole.  It has a light texture and just a hint of seasoning.

And it’s super easy to make too!

Simply add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor:

1 avocado
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime (approx. 2 tablespoons)
4-5 sprigs cilantro
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt

Adding salt to avocado in blender

And combine well.

You might have to scrape down the sides of the blender, but there should be enough liquid in there to get it to combine quite easily.

Spoonful of Avocado Salsa

And that’s it.  Easy right?

And yes, it’s meant to be mildly flavored.  It’s designed to be the ideal dance partner for spicy meats like Birria de Res (Beef Birria) or Carne Asada Tacos.

That’s how I use it — spooned on top of big, bold tacos to provide some cool green relief.  If you get a chance, chill it before serving as this makes it even better.

Avocado Salsa being served at the table.

Of course, you are welcome to jazz it up if you want to use it on its own.  Sometimes I’ll add some dime-sized slivers of serrano for heat and then dip veggies in it.

Serrano slivers for Avocado Salsa

But I would say more often than not I keep it mild and simple.

To summarize:

Guacamole   –>

Creamy Avocado Sauce  –>

Avocado Salsa Verde  –>

Salsa de Aguacate

That’s the general progression to keep in mind, with Salsa de Aguacate being the lightest, thinnest option.  And depending on what you’re eating, sometimes it’s the best option too!

Okay, I hope this solves the mystery of the creamy green sauce that you keep seeing at your favorite taco joint.  I’ll put the recipe box below but feel free to get in touch if you have questions about any of these delicious options.

Enjoy!

For up-to-date recipes follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

 

Avocado Salsa being served at the table.

Salsa de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa)

Here's a great recipe for that light, creamy green sauce that you keep coming across at your favorite taco joints! Hello Salsa de Aguacate!! 
4.94 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 42kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/4 cup water
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 4-5 sprigs cilantro
  • 1/2 garlic clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a blender or food processor, combine the following ingredients:  the flesh of a ripe avocado, 1/4 cup water, juice of 1 lime, 4-5 sprigs of cilantro, 1/2 peeled garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Combine well.   For a thinner consistency add additional splashes of water.
  • Serve immediately.  Or if you have time, chill in the fridge before serving. 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Notes

This sauce is meant to be mild and is the perfect accompaniment for bold, spicy tacos.   If serving on its own you can increase the seasoning and optionally add slivers of serrano for heat. 
I usually twist off and discard the thicker, bottom portion of the cilantro stems, but use the upper stems that hold the leaves together.
 
 
Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

Like this post?  Then you’ll love our Mexican  Cooking Crash Course. 

Mexican Cooking Crash Course on mexicanplease.com

 

We also recently put together a roadmap for the different types of Salsa. 

tomato jalapeno salsa wide shot with ingredients

 

And our latest recipe is this Pasilla Chile Salsa.

This is a great Salsa to get you familiar with the flavor of Pasilla Chiles -- earthy, fruity, with mild heat. But don't confuse them with Anchos! mexicanplease.com

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Filed Under: Appetizers/Sides, Most Popular, Most Recent, Tacos, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charles Michael Waddington

    March 23, 2022 at 7:56 am

    Howdy! I was wondering if you ever tried adding roasted tomatillos to this recipe ?
    Thank you for your time !
    Cheers Chaz

    Reply
    • Patrick

      March 25, 2022 at 8:04 pm

      Hey Chaz! Yeah that is kind of a different beast, but equally good. I call that one Avocado Salsa Verde. Here it is:

      Avocado Salsa Verde

      Cheers.

      Reply
  2. Morgan

    August 8, 2020 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    This is our favorite salsa recipe at home. We love all your salsa recipes, but we make this the most! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      August 11, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      Ahh good to know, thanks much for your note Morgan! Cheers.

      Reply
  3. Melissa D Parish

    June 4, 2020 at 2:25 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night, followed the recipe exactly, it was EXCELLENT!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      June 5, 2020 at 12:28 pm

      Thanks Melissa!

      Reply
  4. Gillie

    January 5, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    5 stars
    This was FANTASTIC! I used it on Papa Loca. Yummmmm!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      January 6, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Thanks Gillie, would love to try that combo someday! Cheers.

      Reply
      • Gillie

        January 11, 2020 at 8:04 am

        5 stars
        We are ADDICTED to this fabulous salsa! I’ve made it three times already, and see that it could quickly become my favorite food. My blender broke, this recipe works well in a food processor. Leave out the avocado and process everything else first, then add the avocado. Smooth as silk!

        Reply
        • Patrick

          January 13, 2020 at 2:29 pm

          Thanks Gillie, so glad this is a hit for you! Cheers.

          Reply
  5. Mike

    May 27, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    Simple and perfect

    Reply
  6. Jeff the Chef

    February 22, 2019 at 5:49 am

    I’ve never heard of avocado salsa. It looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      February 22, 2019 at 5:48 pm

      Thanks Jeff!

      Reply
  7. Debbie

    February 17, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    5 stars
    Just happened to have a ripe avocado and everything else needed for this. Served it with some simply cooked pork chunks. A perfect light cool sauce. I liked that it didn’t make a huge amount. Easy and I’ll make it again.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      February 18, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      Thanks Debbie! Yup light and cool describes it perfectly!

      Reply
  8. Kelly | Foodtasia

    February 17, 2019 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    Patrick, this was such an informative post! All your sauces look amazing! I always fooled around with “guacamole,” adjusting it with or without yogurt depending on what I wanted to serve it on. I didn’t know it was a thing! I’ll have to try the Salsa de Aguacate and the Avocado Salsa Verde. They both look perfect for drizzling on top of foods. Thanks for the great recipes!

    Reply
    • Patrick

      February 18, 2019 at 6:07 pm

      Thanks Kelly! Yeah it’s worth trying out the other sauces — that Avocado Salsa Verde in particular is one that people go bonkers over. Cheers.

      Reply
  9. JB

    February 16, 2019 at 7:29 am

    Patrick, subscribing to your website was one of the wisest things I’ve done.
    Let me know when the ‘MexicanPlease’ Cookbook is coming out, I have a list of future recipients.
    Cheers.

    Reply
    • Patrick

      February 18, 2019 at 6:09 pm

      Hey thanks JB! Okay will do, it’s on my to-do list, but it’s a long list heh.

      Reply
  10. Leon

    February 16, 2019 at 7:06 am

    5 stars
    Wow, thank you!

    Reply

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Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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