Venezuela's tangy avocado sauce: ripe avocado blitzed with green pepper, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and vinegar into a loose, herb-flecked emulsion. Spooned over grilled meats, arepas, and empanadas, it is sharper and greener than guacamole.
Guasacaca was born in Venezuela's grill houses and rotisserie-chicken joints as a tangy condiment for fire-cooked meat — closer to an Argentine chimichurri, and originally made without avocado. Home cooks later folded in the country's abundant avocado to give the bright-green version most Venezuelans know today. Its exact origin and name are murky, and Venezuelans still argue over whether it should contain avocado at all, but all agree it is the green sauce no parrilla or fried snack goes without.
Cool, creamy, and zesty, it carries the buttery body of avocado lifted by sharp vinegar and a forest of fresh herbs. The green pepper adds a vegetal snap and faint bite. Drizzled over hot grilled beef, it tastes like the bright, tangy heart of a Venezuelan cookout.
Blending avocado with oil and vinegar forms a loose emulsion: the avocado's fat and pectin stabilize the mix into a pourable, creamy sauce. Acidity from vinegar both seasons the sauce and slows the avocado's browning so it stays green.
Variations
Smooth blended style versus finely chopped chunky style, with added jalapeno for heat, mayonnaise-enriched versions, parsley-forward greener versions, and a traditional avocado-free style closer to chimichurri
On the Palate
Where Guasacaca sits in the Venezuelan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 16 min
Roughly chop ripe avocado, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, and parsley.
- 21 min
Place all the vegetables and herbs in a blender or food processor.
- 31 min
Add white vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 42 min
Blend to a loose, slightly chunky green sauce, scraping down the sides as needed.
Watch outPulse just to a loose, slightly chunky sauce — over-blend to a smooth purée and it turns pasty instead of pourable.
- 51 min
Taste and adjust the vinegar and salt until it is bright and tangy.
Watch outTaste and push the vinegar and salt until it tastes bright and tangy — the acid is also what keeps the green from browning.
- 61 min
Thin with a splash of water if it is too thick to pour.
- 730 min
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and rest in the fridge 30 minutes to meld.
- 81 min
Spoon over grilled meat, arepas, or empanadas just before serving.
