Fake Guacamole, a.k.a. Taqueria Salsa Verde

5 (7 ratings)

5

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Craving fresh guacamole but not loving the insane avocado prices right now? Iโ€™ve got you covered with my Fake Guacamole, a.k.a. the top secret Taqueria Salsa Verde recipe your favorite Mexican restaurants have been hiding for years.ย 

overhead shot of fake guacamole in a brown handled bowl surrounded by salted tortilla chips.

This creamy guacamole salsa has a flavor and texture similar to my avocado and tomatillo salsa, but there are exactly zero avocados in it. The magic ingredient? Summerโ€™s favorite squash, the humble zucchini!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Iโ€™m so excited to share this fake guacamole recipe with you today. Known as โ€œguacamole falsoโ€ in Spanish, this secret sauce is a favorite of many taquerias because itโ€™s super economical. As Iโ€™m sure youโ€™ve heard, restaurants typically operate on razor thin margins, and fluctuations in ingredient costs can really send things into a tailspin.

Whenever thereโ€™s an avocado shortage or a spike in avocado prices (even Costco was selling them for $2 a pop last time I visited), this zucchini guacamole comes to the rescue. And amigos? It tastes just like the real thing. Itโ€™s creamy, dreamy, spicy, bright, and everything you could possibly want from taqueria-style avocado salsa โ€” just without the avocados.

Not only is this recipe an excellent way to use up your bumper crop of garden zucchinis, it also has the added benefit of not oxidizing. Yep, you heard that right! This tasty taqueria guacamole doesnโ€™t brown, meaning you can leave a bowl of it on your buffet table at room temperature for hours. Itโ€™s pure magic!

So, run, donโ€™t walk, and get the 9 economical ingredients you need to make this easy โ€œguacamoleโ€ recipe. Your friends, family, and tastebuds will never know the difference, but youโ€™ll save a boatload of money in the meantime. Watch the video and consider this mic dropped.

What is Fake Guacamole?

Fake Guacamole, or as we lovingly call it, Taqueria Salsa Verde, is a tangy, vibrant salsa made primarily from tomatillos, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeรฑos, and zucchini It’s like the distant cousin of guacamole, but with its own zesty personality. Perfect for dipping tortilla chips or drizzling over tacos, this salsa adds a burst of flavor that can’t be ignored.

tomatillos in a molcajete.
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Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, this simple faux guacamole made with calabacitas requires just 9 easy-to-find ingredients. Hereโ€™s what youโ€™ll need to grab:

  • Neutral Oil – I typically reach for either avocado or canola oil, but feel free to use peanut, grapeseed, vegetable, sunflower seed, or corn oil instead.
  • Onion – White or yellow will work here, but I like the sharper bite of white onions for this riff on salsa verde.
  • Garlic – Only fresh cloves will do the trick here.ย 
  • Jalapeรฑos & Serranos – Using this tag-team of chiles intensifies the overall flavor of this taqueria salsa. Remember that serranos are about 4-5 times as spicy as a typical jalapeรฑo, so feel free to use only jalapeรฑos for more of a โ€œmediumโ€ heat, or omit serranos for a โ€œmildโ€ salsa.
  • Tomatillos – Fresh is best! Remove husks and rinse off sticky film before grilling.
  • ZucchiniAny variety of zucchini, summer squash, or Mexican squash will work โ€” even the yellow ones. I grow an adorable round variety in my summer garden and it works perfectly!
  • Cilantro – Bright, fresh, and herbaceous, cilantro is a staple in the Mexican kitchen. If youโ€™re one of the unfortunate souls who can only taste soap, feel free to omit or swap in parsley leaves instead.
  • Coarse Salt – If youโ€™re swapping in a finer salt, be sure to check this conversion chart for proper measurement.
ingredients for making fake zucchini guacamole laid out on a table.

How To Make Guacamole Falso

Youโ€™ll flip over how simple it is to make this easy fake guacamole. Hereโ€™s how itโ€™s done:

Step 1: Sautรฉ. In a skillet with oil, fry onion, garlic, chiles, tomatillos, and zucchini over medium heat until skin browns. Stir constantly for even browning. Let cool and reserve oil. 

Step 2: Blend. Place the cooled, cooked ingredients with oil in a blender or food processor. Add cilantro and salt, and blend until smooth to a semi-thick consistency. 

Step 3: Enjoy! Serve salsa paired with your favorite tacos or serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips. Watch the look of disbelief on your friendโ€™s and familyโ€™s faces when you tell them itโ€™s guacamole made with zucchini instead of avocado. Be satisfied in knowing the secrets of the best taqueros.

roasting ingredients for making guacamole falso in a cast iron skillet.

Expert Tips

  • Bigger isnโ€™t always better. I suggest reaching for small to medium-sized zucchini rather than the super-mondo ones, which can often turn watery and flavorless, or worse, bitter.
  • For a milder flavor, remove the seeds and white membranes of your chile peppers. Thatโ€™s where nearly all the capsaicin (the compound that causes a spicy sensation) lives.
  • Since weโ€™re purรฉeing this guacamole, feel free to use the cilantro stems. They have just as much sweet, herbaceous flavor as the stems, but are a bit crunchy for my taste in some applications. Here theyโ€™ll be blitzed to oblivion, so use what you can!

Storage Instructions

  • This homemade verde salsa will keep well in an airtight container in theย fridge for up to a week.ย 
  • It can also beย frozen for up to 3 months.
  • To serve, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge, then stir.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze guacamole?

Generally speaking, freezing guacamole isnโ€™t a great idea because the avocado changes texture when exposed to extreme cold. That said, you can totally freeze this Mexican squash guacamole because there are no avocados to become mushy! Which is yet another reason why Iโ€™m head-over-heels for this fake guacamole/taqueria salsa.

Do restaurants serve fake guacamole?

Yep! This tasty taqueria-style mock-amole made with zucchini is a common swap for Mom & Pop shops, especially when avocado prices soar. Other avocado substitutes that Iโ€™ve heard of include peas, broccoli, and even lettuce!

How can I tell if guacamole is real?

Well, Iโ€™d contend that this taqueria guacamole IS real because itโ€™s made with whole food ingredients. However, if youโ€™re trying to spot when guac is made without avocados, itโ€™s more likely to have a thinner salsa-like consistency, rather than a chunky dip.ย 

That said, avocado salsa and this taqueria guacamole falso are almost indistinguishable from one another unless you try them side by side. The only difference I can detect is that the zucchini guac has a slightly sweeter flavor profile than itโ€™s avocado cousin.

More Mexican Salsa Recipes

If you try this recipe for my Fake Guacamole (a.k.a. Taqueria Salsa Verde), let me know how it turns out by leaving me a star rating, comment below, and tag @muybuenocooking on the gram!

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overhead shot of fake guacamole in a brown handled bowl surrounded by salted tortilla chips.
5 (7 ratings)

Fake Guacamole, a.k.a. Taqueria Salsa Verde

Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8
Prep: 25 minutes
This creamy guacamole salsa has a flavor and texture similar to my avocado and tomatillo salsa, but there are exactly zero avocados in it. The magic ingredient? Summerโ€™s favorite squash, the humble zucchini!
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup oil (avocado or canola)
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapeรฑos, stemmed
  • 2 serranos, stemmed
  • 4 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
  • 1 large zucchiniย or 2 Mexican squash, cut into medium-sized chunks
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • coarse salt

Instructions 

  • In a skillet with oil, fry onion, garlic, chiles, tomatillos, andย zucchiniย over medium heat until skinย browns. Stir constantly for even browning.
  • Let cool and reserve oil.ย Place the cooled, cooked ingredients with oilย in a blender.
  • Add cilantro and salt, and blendย until smooth to a semi-thick consistency.ย 
  • Serve salsa paired with your favorite tacos or serve as an appetizer withย tortilla chips.

Video

Notes

  • Since this fake guacamole doesn’t have any avocado, feel free to freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months without any change in texture or taste.
  • Remember that serranos are about 4-5 times as spicy as a typical jalapeรฑo, so feel free to use only jalapeรฑos for more of a โ€œmediumโ€ heat, or omit serranos for a โ€œmildโ€ salsa.

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 Comments

  1. Jessi says:

    Amazing!! ย  So easy to make! I can see why you need the fresh garlic. I used it as topping for chicken on a bed of cauliflower rice!!! Will make it again!!!ย 

  2. Cecy C. says:

    I paired this salsa with tortilla chips, Panela and Queso Fresco for a light appetizer.
    It’s super easy an Delicious!!!

  3. Debbie Lopez says:

    Delicious!!! So happy now!! I can’t eat avocados so this was a wonderful treat!! I served it at a BBQ and everyone couldn’t believe it was avocado-free!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

  4. Anne K says:

    Made this today and it was fantastic! My kids arenโ€™t big spicy fans so I used 1 jalapeรฑo (de seeded) and 1 poblano. And it was perfect!ย 

  5. Correen says:

    Can you can this?ย