Creamy Avocado Taco Sauce and Other Taco Tips

A delightful taco sauce to liven up your tacos

Spring is in full swing and it's time to bring back taco Tuesdays to enjoy the nice weather outside. Tacos have to be one of my favorite foods to cook for a large gathering because of how communal it can be. With tacos, everyone can bring something to the table whether it’s the meat, sauce or simply the mini tortillas.

As for me, I love being the grill master at these taco parties. I grill shrimp, chicken and or vegetables in my grill cage. While I love the grill, I have to share this recipe for my all time favorite taco sauce that my friend whipped up one spring in my food processor on a taco tuesday. This sauce will both liven up your tacos, and add something new to your quiver for the next time you cook tacos as a group.

What should I put on tacos?

Besides this sauce, there are plenty of things that go well on tacos. Here is a list of some of that require some extra work and need cooking: 

• Pulled pork
• Fried fish (tilapia, especially)
• Cooked summer squash (an excellent vegetarian option)
• Sofritas (another excellent vegetarian option)
• Fried and curried cauliflower (my favorite vegetarian option)
• Grilled chicken
• Grilled shrimp
• Rice
• Beans of your preference

Taco toppings that don’t require cooking:

• Diced onions
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Diced avocados
• Cream cheese
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped cilantro
• Thinly sliced cabbage

Food processors

Food processors are essential for whipping up multiple different components of tacos, including this cilantro and avocado sauce. While it is possible to make this sauce with a lot of cilantro chopping and mixing, the best way to mix it up is right in your food processor. Most food processors are electric with electric motors. These do a fantastic job at cutting up things that normally take a long time, like cilantro or herbs. However, they can sometimes be a bit confusing to wash because of their wiring and electric motors. I like to use my HuBee food processor; because it’s manual and I can pop the entire thing in the dishwasher when I’m finished.

When you put all the ingredients into your food processor make sure to cut everything into smaller pieces to relieve some stress on your processor and to avoid chunks in your sauce!

Tips for cutting avocados

For this recipe, or for making any type of tacos in general, it is nice to know the tricks to consistently getting the perfect scoops of avocado from your fruit. You probably already know how to cut the avocado in half with a chef’s knife, but did you know that it’s easier to cut and scoop the avocados with a butter knife rather than a knife and spoon? Once you cut your avocado in half, cut a checkered pattern into the fruit. Then, simply press the skin inward while scraping out with your butter knife. Here’s a good overview of the process if you are still struggling: here. 

Can you eat cilantro stems?

Surprisingly, you can! The stems have the same flavor as the leaves and when you chop your cilantro up in the food processor the texture is not overwhelming. In restaurants, they don’t serve stems along with the cilantro to make the food more appealing and presentable. However, this practice is quite wasteful. Do yourself and the world a favor and utilize as much as you can!

Can you save taco sauce?

Yes, you can! This sauce will last almost a week in the fridge. To be safe, don’t use it past the 5 day mark. Make sure to save it in an airtight container or tupperware. While avocados normally go brown quickly after coming in contact with air, this recipe will stay green for much longer because of the added acidity from the limes.

Recipe:

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ripe hass avocados
• ¼ cups cilantro 
• 2-3 limes
• ⅓ cups greek yogurt 
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt for taste
• A little bit of water

Optional:

• Honey!
• Milk instead of water for thinning

Directions:

1. Cut the bottom ends of the cilantro stems off and put them in your food processor. Begin spinning until the cilantro is finely chopped. Then, put the cloves of garlic into the processor until they are finely minced.
2. Cut and cube your avocados so they don’t clump in the food processor, then add them in with the greek yogurt and the juice from your limes. If you’d like, some honey! Spin until the sauce is stable and consistent. 
3. If the sauce is too thick, add some water or milk to thin it. Add some salt for taste and get this sauce to your tacos. Enjoy!