Salsa de Palta | Peruvian Guacamole
Chunky, fresh Salsa de Palta (aka Peruvian Guacamole) features all fresh ingredients – avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice – and contains NO mayonnaise or fillers. Paired with yuca fries, meatballs, or slathered on Peruvian eggs benedict, there is no guacamole that compares IMHO.😉
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Salsa de Palta
Let me first confess – I am not Peruvian, and I am not an expert on Peruvian cuisine. I am, however, a seasoned traveler in the Peruvian Andes, The Sacred Valley, and parts of the jungle and cloud forest. Salsa de palta translates literally to “avocado sauce.” English-speakers likely consider it to be a salsa, as the word has been incorporated into our vocabulary.
Having spent a month in each of 6 summers – 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 – I have eaten Peruvian food in fine dining restaurants like Virgilio Martinez’ MIL and Gaston Acurio’s Chicha. Small towns like Ollantaytambo, Urubamba, and Pisac, and family-owned cafés often feature some of my favorites. We’ve taken multi-day treks with fantastic campesino chefs. My favorite experience is shopping at the mercados in the morning for fresh produce, trucha (trout) caught that morning, and all of the amazing Peruvian chiles. Did I establish my credentials?
My salsa de palta recipe is not an exclusive style in either ingredients or texture. You will find palta (avocado) combined with mayonnaise, cilantro, and lime juice in a drizzly type of sauce. I have had this loose, refined style in upscale restaurants as a plating sauce. This sauce is fine, but it doesn’t compare to the chunky, rustic Peruvian guacamole I have enjoyed (inhaled!) in so many different places… My version is definitely both “chunky” and “rustic,” and totally delicious!
About Palta (aka Avocado or Aguacate)
The star ingredient in this Peruvian guacamole is, of course, the palta! In Peru, palta refers to avocado – but culturally and culinarily, it’s treated as a primary ingredient, not just a garnish. The fruit you encounter there often has a distinct eating quality compared to typical U.S. supermarket avocados.
While I have occasionally purchased Peruvian avocados in the US, they don’t travel well, and usually get thrown in the trash. Rather than take chances, I look for the best Hass or Mexican avocados I can find. In Texas this was an easy task, but it is more challenging in North Carolina.
🥑Choosing and Storing Avocados
|
Stage |
What to Look For |
What it Means |
What to Do |
Best Use |
|
Unripe |
Rock hard, no give; stem won’t lift |
Not ready |
Store at room temp; optionally in paper bag with banana/apple |
Plan ahead |
|
Early Ripening |
Slight softening but still firm; stem tight |
1-2 days away |
Leave at room temperature |
Hold |
|
Ready (Ideal) |
Gentle, even give; stem lifts easily + green underneath; heavy for size |
Peak ripeness |
Use now or refrigerate to pause |
Sliced, composed dishes, chunky salsa |
|
Fully Ripe (Soft) |
Soft but not collapsing; may indent slightly |
Very ripe |
Use immediately |
Smooth sauces, spreads |
|
Overripe |
Mushy, uneven soft spots; brown under stem; possible stringiness |
Past peak |
Discard or salvage selectively |
Limited use (if any) |
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
❓FAQ
The short answer is not really. With this type of chunky salsa, the tomatoes release their liquid, and the avocados become mushy.
Adding a little extra lime juice will slow oxidation. Transfer to a container and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Having no air pockets really helps.
To make the best salsa de palta:
🥑Use “just ripe” avocado as it will hold its shape best.
🥑Fine dice the onion before soaking it in generously-salted ice water for 15-30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly before adding.
🥑Use firm tomatoes, and pat away excess moisture.
🥑Gently fold the ingredients together to preserve structure!
There are so many things to love about Peruvian food, but this style of guacamole sets the standard at Andersen casa. With summer fast approaching, consider including this one with your patio meals and holiday gatherings. You won’t regret it!
Salsa de Palta | Peruvian Guacamole Recipe
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Equipment
- meat masher for avocados
- food chopper for red onion
Ingredients
- 2 medium avocados - seed and skin removed
- 5 ounces tomatoes - diced
- 3 ounces red onion - small dice*
- ½ cup cilantro - leaves and small stems chopped
- 1 lime juiced - 2 if dry
- 2 teaspoons ají amarillo paste - optional if you want a little heat!
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Lightly mash the avocados.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Fold gently together with a silicone or rubber spatula.
- Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
