Poblano Avocado Sauce

This Poblano Avocado Sauce is a great flavorful dip for chips or topping for tacos! It's made with roasted poblanos, cilantro and lime juice.

I love recipes that can be utilized any number of ways and this Avocado Poblano Sauce fits the bill. It's a great all-purpose sauce that can be enjoyed as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for all of your favorite Mexican dishes!

This is a great recipe to have on hand throughout the summer months, because it's easy to prepare and full of seasonal ingredients. It serves as a naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan dip, sauce, dressing, or an all-around topping.

This sauce is reminiscent of guacamole, as it contains some of the same ingredients and can be utilized in much the same way, but it's kind of like guacamole with a twist.

It's prepared with avocadoes, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, agave syrup, and roasted poblano peppers. The poblanos give this sauce a distinctive smoky and slightly spicy flavor that's balanced out with the acidity of the lime and sweetness of the agave.

You can customize this sauce by making it as spicy as you like and can use it as a spread on your favorite sandwich or burger, as a dip for chips or raw veggies, a topping for grilled chicken, or dolloped on top of tacos, enchiladas, or quesadillas.

There really is no wrong way to enjoy this sauce.

Jump to:

• Are Poblano Peppers Hot?
• Ingredients For Poblano Avocado Sauce
• How To Roast Poblano Peppers
• Do Roasted Poblano Peppers Need To Be Peeled?
• How To Make Poblano Avocado Sauce
• How To Customize Avocado Sauce
• What To Serve With Avocado Sauce
• How Long Does This Sauce Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Poblano Avocado Sauce

Are Poblano Peppers Hot?

Poblanos are one of my favorite varieties of pepper and I always grow them in my garden each summer, so that I can make dishes like this one.

Poblano peppers are a variety of Chile pepper that originate from Puebla, Mexico. They are mildly spicy and contain more flavor than a bell pepper.

They have a characteristically smoky flavor, which is brought out even more if the peppers are roasted or grilled. Adding roasted or grilled poblano peppers is guaranteed to enhance the flavor of any dish.

Roasted poblanos make a great addition to dishes like this Chicken Chile Verde and Creamy Poblano Sauce.

The spice level of poblanos is just below that of jalapeno peppers. Poblanos are great when you'd like to add a hint of spice to a dish, without overwhelming it with heat.

Poblano peppers can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store, or Mexican market. The plants easily grow in most climates, if you'd rather grow them in your garden.

Ingredients For Poblano Avocado Sauce

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 Poblano Peppers
• 3 ripe Avocadoes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cup Cilantro
• ¼ cup Lime Juice
• 2 tsp. Agave Syrup
• ⅛ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
• ⅛ tsp. Pepper

How To Roast Poblano Peppers

The process of roasting poblano peppers helps to bring out their natural sweetness and smoky flavors. It's one of the best ways to enjoy poblanos and can be done easily either on the grill or in the oven.

Roasting poblanos on the grill or in the oven is similar and the end result is the same, although it's faster to roast them on the grill. A gas or charcoal grill may be used to roast the peppers.

Roasting the poblanos is the first step in making this Poblano Avocado Sauce.

How To Roast Poblanos On The Grill

1. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place 2 large poblano peppers directly over the heat.
3. Roast the peppers for 3 minutes on the first side and then flip and rotate the peppers.
4. Repeat this process until all side of the poblanos are evenly charred (this process takes about 12 minutes).
5. Remove the peppers from the grill and allow to cool to the touch.
6. Remove the stems and pierce the skins with a knife. Peel the skin from the peppers and discard. Discard the seeds and membranes as well.

How To Roast Poblanos In The Oven

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 2 large poblano peppers on a small folded piece of aluminum foil.
2. Once heated, place the peppers in the oven and roast for 22-25 minutes. Turn the peppers over a few times to ensure that all the sides get charred.
3. After 25 minutes or so, remove the peppers from the oven. Once they are cool to the touch, remove the stems and pierce the skin with a knife. The skin should peel easily from the peppers.
4. Remove all of the charred outer skin and discard. Discard the seeds and the stems as well.

Do Roasted Poblano Peppers Need To Be Peeled?

For this recipe, I recommend that the poblano peppers be peeled before adding the rest of the ingredients.

The flavor of the charred skins would overwhelm all of the other ingredients in this dish, so it's best to remove them.

The process of peeling roasted poblanos is simple and can be done easily with a knife.

1. Whether roasting on the grill or the oven, allow the peppers to cool slightly before handling them.
2. Remove the stem with a knife and discard. Pierce the skin with the knife and peel the skin away from the flesh of the peppers and discard.
3. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and membranes, and discard.
4. Cut the roasted peppers into chunks and set aside.

If you love poblanos, check out these Roasted Poblano Burgers and Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers!

How To Make Poblano Avocado Sauce

Once the poblano peppers are roasted, all that's needed is to combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

I recommend using a food processor large enough to fit all of the ingredients. If using a smaller food processor, complete this step in batches until all of the ingredients are completely combined.

1. Start by peeling 2 cloves of garlic. Cut the garlic into chunks.
2. Cut 3 ripe avocadoes in half, remove the seeds, and discard.
3. Squeeze ¼ cup fresh lime juice (equals 2-3 limes).
4. Roughly chop ½ cup fresh cilantro.
5. Scoop the avocadoes into a food processor and add the roasted poblano chunks, chopped garlic, cilantro, 2 tsp. agave syrup, ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional), ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp. pepper.
6. Pulse until combined.
7. Pour ¼ cup lime juice into the food processor and pulse again until completely combined. The mixture should be creamy, but not runny.

How To Customize Avocado Sauce

This avocado poblano sauce can be tweaked a bit, according to your tastes.

• If you find the sauce to be a bit too spicy, add a bit more agave syrup. Alternately, if you find it too sweet, add a little more lime juice.
• The red pepper flakes are an optional addition. They add a bit of spiciness, without overwhelming it with heat. If you don't care for spice at all, feel free to leave them out altogether. Or, you can add more for additional heat.
• Honey, brown rice syrup, or maple syrup may be used in place of agave syrup. Use brown rice syrup or maple syrup if you'd like to keep this recipe vegan.
• Feel free to add a bit more lime juice if you'd like to thin out the sauce. Pulse all of the ingredients in the food process if adding more lime juice until it reaches your desired consistency.

What To Serve With Avocado Sauce

As mentioned, this is a great all-around recipe that serves as a sauce, dip, or topping.

It can be served just as you would guacamole alongside a platter of tortilla chips for dipping.

This poblano sauce makes a great gluten and dairy free dip, served on a crudité platter with fresh bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, or snap peas.

I love it served as a topping for fish tacos, shrimp tacos, veggie tacos, chicken or beef tacos.

It can used as a sandwich spread, or slathered onto buns and served with some grilled burgers or grilled chicken.

This sauce pairs nicely with any Tex Mex dish, from enchiladas to shrimp bowls to fajita bowls.

It can also be used as a dressing for salads.

How Long Does This Sauce Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover sauce may be stored for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The lime juice should prevent this avocado sauce from turning brown as its stored in the fridge.

Feel free to cut this recipe in half if a smaller amount is needed.

Can It Be Frozen?

This sauce is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days, so I do not recommend freezing it.

Love sauces? Check out these recipes!

• Cashew Cilantro Sauce
• Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
• Fresh Herb Ranch Dressing
• Lemon Tarragon Dipping Sauce
• Spicy Thousand Island Dressing
• Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
• Dill Pickle Tartar Sauce

Looking For More Avocado Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Avocado Baked Eggs

Avocado Egg Salad

Avocado Ranch Dip