spicy guacamole

This spicy guacamole has bits of crispy onion, spicy serranos, fresh cilantro, and plenty of lemon and salt to make the flavors pop. Partially mash the avocados to keep buttery chunks throughout!

Why I love it:

I’ve made guacamole for years. It’s one of those things I’ve always been really picky about. The texture, the acidity, the level of salt. If any of those are a little bit off, it just doesn’t work.

The big thing is the avocados. They can absorb so much salt and acid-- you really have to taste as you go to transform mashed avocados into guacamole. 

My version differs from some of the “standard” recipes out there. 

I prefer lemon juice over lime-- somehow it feels softer and more subtle. I might be banned from Mexico for saying this, but I can’t handle tomatoes in my guac. So I leave them out. 

For the spice, I’ve finally slammed the door on jalapenos because they’re just so inconsistent. Some are hot, some taste like a bell pepper. When we need reliable heat, I reach for serranos. And then we mix in half first and hold half until the end, just in case you're nervous about it getting too hot.

I love the crispy crunch of finely diced onions, but I prefer to rinse them under cold water. We don’t want them too oniony. 

Does it feel Princess and The Pea yet? 

Finally, the garlic. A whole clove of garlic can overtake the guacamole and throw the whole balance of flavor off. Sometimes I use dried garlic to add a touch of flavor, but fresh has more depth so I just add less than a whole clove. Mash it into a smooth paste and add a ½ teaspoon to start. 

And never forget the fresh cilantro! Chop it finely so you don’t get a leaf in your tooth.

Enjoy!

spicy guacamole ingredients:

How to make spicy guacamole:

• Rinse onion under cold water, drain.
• Mix onion, garlic paste, lemon juice, half the pepper, cilantro, and salt.
• Add cubed avocado and stir until combined, but still chunky.
• Taste and add more salt or minced serrano pepper.
• Enjoy!

What makes this the best spicy guacamole:

Buttery avocado chunks: Perfectly ripe avocados are a must for the best guacamole. If they’re even a little underripe, they’ll be too firm and a little watery. We want them buttery. Finally, cube the avocado in the skin, scoop it out, then stir with a fork. The mixing with a fork will break it all up enough, no aggressive mashing needed. Keep those chunks!

Rinsed white onion: I love the texture and flavor of raw onion in guacamole, but I don’t like when it’s too sharp. To soften the bite, I rinse the chopped onion under cold water for a minute or two. The result is an almost sweet, mellow onion with the perfect raw crunch.

Measure the garlic: Raw garlic can quickly overpower the gentle avocado. And when it happens, there’s no rescuing the guacamole. To avoid this, I mash the garlic into a paste and measure it out.

Say no to jalapeños: Serranos bring reliable spice to the kitchen, so pick them over jalapeños if you really want spicy guacamole. And if you’re concerned, just mix in half of the chopped pepper at first and see how it tastes.

Mince the cilantro: Fresh cilantro is required to transform mashed avocado paste into guacamole! Make sure to chop it really finely so the flavor is distributed evenly (and so no one gets a leaf in their tooth.

Lemon over lime: This is very personal, but I just like the more subtle lemon flavor. Pick your favorite acid and go with it!

Make ahead options:

Guacamole is best eaten right away! Fresh, room temperature, and beautifully green.

If you want to make it ahead, cover the surface with plastic wrap and smoosh it down to remove all the air pockets. Anywhere air touches will eventually oxidize and brown. 

Once wrapped, it can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Remove it 30 minutes prior to eating to let the chill come off, so the flavors pop and the texture is buttery smooth.

More salsa recipes to try:

avocado mango salsa

avocado salsa

habanero salsa

mango habanero salsa

spicy dried red chile salsa

tomatillo red chili salsa

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