Name: Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (packed); 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 2 small Anaheim peppers (or 1 jalapeno); 1 small avocado; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/8 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp minced garlic; 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/4 tsp ground cumin

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I’m going to be honest with you here – once you try this cilantro lime sauce, you may want to put it on everything (or just eat it off of a spoon – your choice). Consider yourself warned. This easy recipe comes together in about 5 minutes and is the perfect addition to any dish that could use a bit of zing!

hand dipping tortilla chip into bowl of green sauce

Why I Love This Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe

The first time I tasted this recipe, I said to myself, “well… I’m going to put this on everything now.” From tacos to chip dip, this creamy avocado cilantro sauce does it all.

What makes this sauce so darn tasty? For me, it’s all about balance. This sauce has a great balance of zesty, creamy, and slightly spicy flavors. That balance makes this sauce a perfect addition to Mexican-inspired dishes, but it could be served any dish that could use a little bit of pizazz.

As an added plus, this recipe is ridiculously easy to make. All you need to do to prepare this recipe is assemble the ingredients and whirl them in a blender until they form a smooth and creamy sauce. Virtually foolproof – I promise!

bowl of cilantro lime sauce with fresh cilantro, green pepper, and lime slice

A Note On Culture

A quick Google search for ‘green sauce’ reveals about 1 billion results. (Ah! Try not to feel overwhelmed.) As you look a bit deeper, you’ll notice there isn’t just one recipe for green sauce; there are endless variations from cultures all over the world. Argentina has chimichurri, Mexico has salsa verde, Italy has pesto, Yemen and other areas of the middle east have zhug, and India has green chutney… just to name a handful.

The magic green sauces of the world are all beautiful in their own right. My recipe is basically an amalgam of various green sauces I’ve tried, but it doesn’t fit the descriptions of the sauces I mentioned closely enough to bear their names.

How to Make Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce

First, thoroughly wash the cilantro, limes, pepper(s), and avocado.
Juice the lime, cut the top off of the pepper, and scoop out the avocado flesh. You won’t need to chop the cilantro; it can go into the blender stem and all!
Assemble the rest of the ingredients (Greek yogurt, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and cumin).
Add everything to your blender and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender once during the blending process.
Pour the sauce into a jar for serving and later storage. This sauce will stay fresh and tasty for approximately four days after you prepare it.

green sauce ingredients blending in blender

Ways to Use This (Dare I Say) Magic Green Sauce

Topping for tacos (especially fish or shrimp)
Dip for chips or vegetables
Salad or power bowl dressing
Dressing for slaw
Sandwich spread
Sauce smear for plating entrees like fish, chicken, beef, or vegetables

bowl of slaw with tacos and jar of green sauce in background

Recipe Modifications

Make it vegan – substitute Greek yogurt for plain non-dairy yogurt (this is one of my favorites)
Make it dairy-free – use the tip above and swap out that yogurt!
Make it milder – This sauce is relatively mild, but if you’re not a fan of spice, omit the peppers and the cayenne.
Make it spicier – If you want to kick it up a notch, add a serrano pepper and/or an additional 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Make it with a different pepper – Any green-colored pepper would work in this sauce. From mildest to hottest, some options are shishito, anaheim, cubanelle, poblano, jalapeno, and serrano.
Make it thicker – If you prefer a thicker sauce or if you’re using it as a dip or sandwich spread, use an additional avocado.
Make it thinner – To make a thinner sauce for drizzling, add 1/2 of an avocado instead of a whole one and thin with water and/or lime juice until you’ve achieved your desired consistency.

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5 from 1 vote