Guacamole need not be a challenging dish. You don’t need Guacamole starter or lemon or lime juice or a ton of vegetables to distract from the star ingredient. This recipe lets the avocado carry the load and will change the way you think about this dish.
Ingredients
4 to 5 Medium Avocados
1 Pickled Jalapeno, Minced
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder (Optional)
1 Tablespoon Pickled Jalapeno Brine (See Below)
Touch of Honey
Directions
With a chef’s knife, slice the avocados in half. Then plunk the blade down on the seed so that it cuts into it, and a twist will pull that sucker right out. Use a spoon to scoop out the meat of the fruit (why yes, an avocado is a fruit) into a medium bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients, then take your avocado masher and mash it all up. What’s that you say? You don’t have an avocado masher? Sure you do! Some people call it a tater masher, but I’m certain that God put it on Earth to make guacamole! Stir everything together and adjust the seasoning as needed.
For the jalapeno and the brine, I prefer San Marcos brand (more on that at this link). The jalapeno brings a little bit of heat to the dish, but not too much. For those who want this hotter, add in some minced serrano chili or whichever pepper you prefer. The brine gives it that tang you expect from lemon or lime but without the taste taking over the dish.
The honey is what brings this all together. If you have ever noticed that skunky taste that you get from overripe avocados, this helps to cut that. Start by adding just a drop or two, and you can adjust as needed. You just want a hint of sweetness to help enhance the taste of the main ingredient.
If you have the onion powder in your pantry, feel free to add as it gives the dish just a little something extra. But if you are out, don’t worry. It’s not a deal-breaker. You can add a little fresh tomato or onion if you must, but not too much. Let the avocado carry the load. You will be glad you did.
This of course goes well with chips, but you can also add it onto tacos, nachos, burgers, sandwiches, chili, and more. You can even use it to top chocolate cake if you want. But if you do, I will have a slice of the tres leches instead. Just whatever you do, resist the urge to add a lot of unneeded ingredients to this recipe beyond what is listed above. And you will realize that you have been missing out on really simple and really good guacamole all these years.