This Dreamy, Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce takes just 5 minutes to make and is perfect for serving on tacos, over salads, with sweet potatoes, or simply with a side of chips for dipping. Let's be honest, you're going to eat it on everything.
There was a time when I was in an exclusive relationship with guacamole. It was true love. I thought I'd never stray. Guac was the only avocado dip for me. You get the picture. But then a luxuriously creamy, bright, ridiculously simple (but equally delicious) number walked into my life, and everything I knew before went right out the window.
Does that sound a little over-the-top to you? Okay, it is. But for being one of the most insanely easy, super low-ingredient recipes I've whipped up in a long time, this avocado-based sauce is over-the-top. As in, over the top of tacos, over the top of salads, over the top of nachos... again, you get the picture. I've been pouring and dolloping and smothering this sauce on top of literally every single thing I can get my avocado-loving little fingers on for years now. You're going to be exactly the same way when you have some of your own in the fridge.
By the way, kept in the fridge in an airtight container, the avocado sauce will last up to 5 days. I should say that it stays good up to 5 days. It won't last that long if you've got a bag of tortilla chips on hand to fly through.
HOW TO MAKE DREAMY, CREAMY AVOCADO CILANTRO SAUCE
To make this avocado cilantro sauce, first you need to gather and prepare the ingredients.
Grab 2 cloves of garlic and peel 'em. Stem, halve, and seed a jalapeño (or leave the seeds in-- or some of the seeds-- if you want a spicier mix). Throw the garlic and jalapeño into the bowl of a blender or food processor, and then add in ½ cup of Greek yogurt and ½ cup of fresh cilantro (no need to pick off the leaves first, the stems are fine in there as well). Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Spoon in the flesh of one avocado. Season with salt. And then...
Then, all that's left to do is to blend it all together. That's it! 5 minutes of prep is all it takes.
THICK OR THIN? DIP OR DRESSING?
If you want to use this Dreamy, Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce as a dip or spread, you shouldn't have to thin it at all. But if you want to use it as more of a sauce or a salad dressing, all you have to do is add water, a tiny bit at a time, and continue to process or blend until you get to your desired consistency.
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
The great thing about simple recipes is that there are a lot of ways to get creative.
If you happen to have that gene that makes cilantro taste like soap (or simply can't get cilantro for whatever reason), leave it out and instead substitute half the amount (that's ¼ cup) of parsley or basil. It's not the same flavor, but either will still create a delicious sauce with fresh herbal flavor to perk it up.
And feel free to substitute the Greek yogurt, if desired. In fact, I often use sour cream instead if I happen to have it on hand. You also can use buttermilk instead for -- you guessed it-- Buttermilk Avocado Cilantro Dressing.
There are some substitutions I wouldn't recommend. There are probably a lot, in fact, that I'm not thinking of (so if you have substitution questions, ask away in the comments and I'll let you know)! But the biggest one that comes to mind is avoid the urge to substitute in dried cilantro. It doesn't taste the same and it will be overwhelming here. You really want the brightness of fresh herbs for this one!
WAYS TO USE AVOCADO CILANTRO SAUCE
I spent pretty much the entire intro of this post talking about how I use this sauce on everything, and I'm prepared to back that up with some inspiration for you.
- Use it as a topping for tacos, like these Blackened Fish Tacos, these Slow Cooker Mexican Spicy Shredded Chicken Tacos or these Jalapeno Popper Chorizo Taquitos.
- Spoon it over enchiladas or nachos.
- Dip your quesadilla in it.
- Serve it as a dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, tortilla chips, veggies, or potato chips.
- Use it as a condiment on sandwiches, wraps, or burgers.
- Serve over grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish.
- Toss it in your salad as a dressing. I especially like it on Southwest-style salads like this Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad.
- Toss your chicken salad, egg salad, pasta salad, potato salad, or bean salad in it instead of mayonnaise or the usual dressings.
- Drizzle over burrito bowls.
MORE RECIPES FOR AVOCADO LOVERS
- Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melts
- Sweet Potato Chorizo Chili with Poblano-Avocado Crema
- Grilled Avocado Balsamic Chicken
- Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Greek Yogurt Poppy Seed Dressing
- Chipotle Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadilla with Avocado Salsa Verde
- Greek Avocado Salad with Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette
Dreamy, Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed, halved, and seeded (see note)
- 1 haas avocado, halved and seeded, flesh removed
- Juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Water, to thin, as needed
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except for the water in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until well-combined and smooth.
- Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to process until you reach your desired consistency, if necessary.
- Serve as a dip, spread, sauce, or dressing.
Notes
If you'd like a spicier sauce, leave all or some of the seeds in. If you're not sure how much spice you'd like, remove the seeds and add them back to the sauce mixture to taste.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
Trcia says
Hi...just curious, How long will this keep in the refrigerator? Will the avocado turn the sauce brown?
Thanks! This looks fantastic!
Tricia says
So sorry! Just founded the info on your post.
Levi says
This sauce is fantastic! I doubled the recipe, but it only lasted 3-days, and I live alone! Guess that proves I enjoyed it. Curious, can this sauce be made ahead and frozen?
Gail says
We used leftover sauce as a marinade for grilled chicken thighs. Delicious!
Sheila says
There is a local family that sells a similar dip here. This was great but it’s even better if you add about 1/3 cup of mayonnaise to the recipe. Makes it even more creamy.