Guacamole Recipes and Guacamole Making Tips from Chili Pepper Madness
Guacamole Basics
We’ve all seen and most of us have tasted guacamole, that delicious, creamy, sometimes spicy green food ubiquitous to Mexican restaurants. Most people would agree that to try guacamole, is to love guacamole. It is the ultimate appetizer dip, unlike any other. Recipes abound with an incredible variation of ways to prepare this delicacy but just about all guacamole recipes include a variation of some very specific ingredients. If you’re a guacamole lover, but are afraid of trying your hand at a homemade recipe, you might be tempted to run out to the store and purchase a premade mix, but put your fears aside. Making homemade guacamole is one of the easiest things to do with the right ingredients.
Basic guacamole ingredients include but are not limited to:
- Avocados
- Lime Juice
- Cilantro
- Salt
Very common additional ingredients include:
- Chili peppers
- Tomato
- Onion
- Sour Cream
- Chili pepper seasonings
- Other seasonings, such as pepper, garlic, etc.
The most basic guacamole, which is infinitely delicious, includes the first four ingredients. You’ll want to only choose ripe, soft avocados. Fresh cilantro is far superior to the dried version.
To a mixing bowl, add two peeled and pitted avocados. Add ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice and 2 pinches of salt. Mix thoroughly. The longer you mix the guacamole, the creamier it will be so if you like your guacamole nice and chunky, go easy on the mixing.
Give it a taste. What do you think? It’s probably already delicious as it is but now you can adjust your seasonings to taste. Dash of salt here, bit of pepper there.
Looking for a bit of a kick? Try adding a chopped or finely diced jalapeno pepper. Keep the jalapeno seeds and innards for even greater kick. For an even mightier kick, consider our friend the habanero pepper. Your friends will truly remember your guacamole.
Tomato is always a welcomed addition to guacamole for both taste and texture. A finely chopped tomato will add a juicy burst to each bite.
Let’s talk about sour cream. There is a division of opinion on the addition of sour cream to guacamole. Guacamole purists consider it a slight bastardization of the already perfect food. But sour cream does add a bit of additional creaminess to the guacamole and does affect the flavor. It is popular and certainly worth a try but note that sour cream will also dull the heat of any chili pepper additions. Personally, we prefer our guacamole without sour cream.
Lastly chili pepper seasonings. I sometimes like to include a splash of chili powder such as habanero powder or even habanero pepper flakes. This will add a touch of flavor and heat without the texture of raw chili peppers which I also love. But this is only the beginning of the potential spices you might consider for guacamole variations. Consider taco seasonings, Cajun seasonings, garlic, or other favorite seasonings to make a guacamole recipe all your own.
More Guacamole Information
