Avocado Sauce

This bright and creamy avocado sauce is delicious on tacos, quesadillas, veggie burgers, and more! With just 5 ingredients, it's a breeze to make.

Avocado Sauce

This avocado sauce is the perfect topping for these roasted cauliflower tacos. Or any tacos, for that matter. It’s smooth, rich, and creamy, with a punch of bright flavor from lime. You only need 5 ingredients to make it, and it comes together in less than 5 minutes. I think it might be a new taco night staple in our house!

The recipe comes from Julia Turshen’s new cookbook Simply Julia, which is packed with 110 recipes for healthy comfort food. Like this avocado sauce recipe (and these cauliflower tacos), each one is simple to make, but filled with flavor. They’re not all vegetarian, but there’s an entire section of vegan entrées and one of vegetable side dishes, with many more meat-free (and gluten-free!) dishes scattered throughout the book.

Another great thing about the book? Julia’s writing. It’s hilarious, comforting, and inspiring all at once, reminding you that, “Delicious food does not have to be complicated.” Want proof? Just try this avocado sauce recipe.

Recipe ingredients in a food processor

Avocado Sauce Recipe Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make this creamy avocado sauce:

  • Avocado, of course! Make sure yours is ripe. It needs to be soft in order to blend into a smooth and creamy sauce.
  • Fresh cilantro – Don’t worry if a little stem sneaks in. It’ll blend up fine and add bold flavor to the sauce.
  • Lime juice – Its bright flavor cuts the richness of the avocado.
  • Mayo – You can taste it here, so make sure to use a good one. I recommend Sir Kensington’s Classic Mayonnaise or Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. Vegan mayo works here too!
  • And salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Avocado sauce ingredients blending in a lidded food processor

You can make this recipe in two ways: in a food processor or by hand. If you’re using a food processor, just add all the ingredients to the bowl, and blend until smooth.

Blending sauce in a food processor

No food processor? No problem. Add the ingredients to a medium bowl, and mash them together with a fork or potato masher. The sauce won’t be as smooth, but it’ll still taste great.

Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Then, enjoy it right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day.

Avocado sauce for tacos in a food processor

Avocado Sauce Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to use this avocado sauce is on tacos. Julia calls for it specifically in her Roasted Cauliflower Taco recipe, but it would work nicely on these Sweet Potato Tacos, these Roasted Veggie Tacos, or these Mushroom Tacos too.

It would also be a fantastic dipping sauce for homemade taquitos, sweet potato fries, or a veggie quesadilla. Have a little leftover? Slather it on a black bean burger for a pop of bright flavor.

Avocado sauce recipe

More Favorite Sauces for Tacos

If you love this avocado sauce recipe, check out Simply Julia! Then, try one of these tasty sauces for tacos next:

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Avocado Sauce

rate this recipe:
4.80 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
This creamy, zesty avocado sauce is a delicious topping for tacos. Make the sauce vegan by using vegan mayo. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. Reprinted from Simply Julia by Julia Turshen with permission from the publisher.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
  • 1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise*
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Place the avocado, cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. If your sauce is too thick, add water, ½ tablespoon at a time, to thin it to your desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt as needed.
  • If you don't have a food processor, place the avocado, cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise, and salt in a medium bowl, and use a fork or potato masher to mash until the ingredients are combined. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add water, ½ tablespoon at a time, to thin it to your desired consistency. Season to taste.

Notes

*You can taste the mayo here, so make sure to use a good one. I recommend Sir Kensington's Classic Mayonnaise or Avocado Oil Mayonnaise. Vegan mayo works here too!

9 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Leilani
    03.10.2024

    5 stars
    Very simple and delish. Thank you!

  2. Valerie
    01.20.2022

    Hi! It sounds delicious but is there any alternative for the cilantro or can it simply be left out? Thanks.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.22.2022

      Hi Valerie, I would probably leave it out or parsley might work.

  3. cANDACE
    07.29.2021

    5 stars
    I love this receipe. I keep a jar of this and the tahini sauce in my fridge all the time for my roasted veggies and wonderful spread on sandwiches. I make it with Follow Your Heart vegan mayo to keep it vegan. Great flavor, easy to make and great on a multitude of foods.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.29.2021

      I’m so glad you’ve loved the sauces!

  4. Abigail from abigailalbers.com
    04.26.2021

    The stars are aligning lol. I have been checking out Julia’s book on the shelves for a few book store visits and now this recipe. I think it’s time to add it to the cart. Thank you for sharing. I just bought a new food processor too. (after 10 years my mini finally bit the dust).
    Thanks for sharing!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.26.2021

      Ha ha, I hope you love the book!

    • "Peter Drake" Hexham
      06.07.2021

      What a fantastic recipe – already a favourite with the family
      “Peter Drake” (teacher)
      Hexham

  5. Rafa
    04.25.2021

    4 stars
    I make this exact same recipe but I swap out the mayo for greek yogurt. For the mayo averse it is a perfect tweak.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.