What is Guasacaca?

Guasacaca Recipe - Try It On Arepas.

What is Guasacaca? It’s green, vegetarian and adds a powerful punch of flavor to get your taste buds activated. It’s a tasty condiment from Latin America and each country likes to call it their own. You can put this sauce on a nice skirt steak, fried cheese or, of course, arepas. It’s called guasacaca (pronounced wasakaka). But what the heck is it?

Guasacaca sauce in a mason jar – ©ArepasDelGringo

What is Guasacaca?

Simply put guasacaca is a Latin American condiment staple comprised of very green vegetables. Vegetables like green pepper, avocado, jalapeño, cilantro and parsley – but that’s only the green ones, keep going for the rest!

Guasacaca in a bowl with queso fresco– ©ArepasDelGringo

I will be honest – I have heard guasacaca called many things – things like Venezuelan guacamole, avocado salsa, secret sauce, green sauce and more. None of those are wrong, they all accurately represent this savory side salsa. You can dip a chip in it, have it with queso frito, put it in your arepas or on your protein of choice.

What does Guasacaca taste like?

Try to imagine now – a cool and creamy avocado based, slightly spicy with a hint of vinegar and garlic sauce hitting your tastebuds. POW. It is a companion for so many snacks and dishes and I have yet to find a someone who isn’t crazy over it. It goes without saying, if you make it once, you will most likely make it again.

Ingredients for Guasacaca Recipe – ©ArepasDelGringo

How to make Guasacaca?

This savory salsa can be made in a few easy steps. Most of them is just making sure the ingredients fit in the food processor. To get down and dirty with it, you need the following:

3 Cloves of fresh Garlic
1 Bunch Parsley
1 Bunch Cilantro
1/2 Jalapeno
1/4 White Onion
1/2 Avocado
2 Pinches Coarse Salt
1 Ounce White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Water

You don’t need to get fancy here, slice and chop all your ingredients and place them in a food processor. Add the water and vinegar and salt over the top before blending and begin pulsing the mixture for about 10-20 times before you go full speed for about 40 seconds.

Pro tip: The jalapeño can be deceiving. If you are looking for a little less of a punch, make sure to remove the seeds from the jalapeño. Reserve 4-5 seeds and drop them in the mixture to control the heat. This sauce is not meant to burn your mouth or make you sweat so use it sparingly.

Is Guasacaca healthy?

Yes it is! Lose the 2 tablespoons of oil and let the healthy fats from the avocado do the work. Avocados are incredibly nutritious stand alone, but pair it with some fresh garlic, jalapeño and cilantro and you have a nice flavor boosting sauce. The best part is, there is no mayonnaise or sugars in this to make it tasty – it’s just not necessary.

Simply prep your ingredients by chopping them up, place them in a food processor for 2 minutes and serve. Try to get the texture as creamy as possible and make sure all the little pieces of cilantro and parsley are blended together.

Guasacaca in a bowl – ©ArepasDelGringo

Pro tip – use the freshest ingredients you can find and eat it soon after – although you can store it in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about 3 days.

How to serve Guasacaca?

This sauce is best served fresh and fast. Since it already has a vibrant color, serve it in a mason jar or a white dish to make it POP, place it in an air tight container to preserve it for a maximum of 3 days in the refrigerator.

Guasacaca Con Queso Frito – ©ArepasDelGringo

Get creative and put it on Arepas – a little goes a long way, but the sauce really kicks them up a notch. Similar to how ají is used on empanadas, drizzle or dip your arepa right in it.

Arepa with guasacaca – ©ArepasDelGringo

You can watch my video on YouTube on how to make this Venezuelan Sauce (Avocado Sauce) in only three minutes! Everything you need to make it can also be picked up at your local supermarket in under 3 minutes as well. You do not even need to leave the produce section.

How to Make Guasacaca Condiment in 3 Minutes

The Best Venezuelan Guasacaca Recipe

Venezuelan Guasacaca Sauce For Arepas

 

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Prep time

3 mins

Total time

3 mins

 

Guasacaca is your new favorite Venezuelan condiment for Arepas, steak, burgers, chicken or vegetables. It packs such a powerful punch with an extremely vibrant color to add to your next dish.

Author: ArepasDelGringo

Recipe type: Condiment

Cuisine: Venezuelan

Serves: 1 Jar

Ingredients

• 3 Cloves of fresh Garlic
• 1 Bunch Parsley
• 1 Bunch Cilantro
• ½ Jalapeno
• ¼ White Onion
• ½ Avocado
• 2 Pinches Coarse Salt
• 1 Ounce White Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Water

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Begin by pumping 5-10 times. You might need to stick a spoon in and move things around to make sure there are no lumps. Add more water for a thinner sauce.
2. Spoon on to Arepas, meats, chicken or any other food you can think of dipping into.
3. Place in a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 80

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