Has Guacamole let any of us down? I’ll answer that for us: no. The dip that keeps on giving, the condiment that can make any meal, the side so delicious you can’t judge yourself for opting for a spoon when you plow through all potential chip options. Guac is the universal kitchen ego booster – everyone thinks they make it best, and chances are, they’re right! It’s not hard to make a knock out batch of guac, but what’s awesome is how many ways there are to elevate a traditional recipe. I once foolishly thought I’d achieved absolute guac-perfection with my go-to tried and true recipe until a friend suggested I add an ingredient I’d never considered – grated parmesan cheese – and sure enough, something I’d so foolishly stashed away for carb loading nights rocked my entire recipe’s world. Having been successfully knocked off my Guac high horse, I set out to round up some insanely delicious secret sauces that take the entire guacamole experience up a notch, with the help of YEW!’s awesome crew. We asked, and you guys delivered big time!
Let’s be clear; there is nothing wrong with the simplest of guacamole recipes. Give me a bag of Esperanza’s chips and a bangin’ batch of classic guac and you’ve got the dinner of champions. Tell me I’m not alone here?! The beauty in guacamole, for me, is the simplicity of it all: a couple ripe avocados, a hit of salt and pepper, a dash of lime juice and you’ve already got a pretty delicious batch of green goodness on your hands. Add some diced white onion or chunks of red onion, fresh garlic and cilantro, maybe some tomatoes or jalapeños sliced ultra-fine and you’ve got something addictive enough to be considered a problem. I’m particularly passionate about the magic that is mashed avocados because I spent 12 years on the beautiful East Coast, where I couldn’t find consistently good guac to save my life. Blame it on the quality of avocados or the potential lack of authentic ingredients; I’d been burned by one too many bland batches to count. Not one to give up on a potentially good thing, I’d shoveled my fair-share of Tostitos and mushy guac-imposters into my mouth, thinking it eventually had to resemble the mythical green goddess of a dip that my California-born parents had raved about. Each time, my taste buds would frantically search for a hint of something noteworthy, but it wasn’t until we relocated to sunny SoCal that I truly got to experience the real deal. One chip full and I was hooked. Anyone else remember their first dip into the guacamole pool? Oh so good, I’ve been coming back for more ever since.
Some recipes are classic and creamy, others call for a secret ingredient that your taste buds do backflips over but your tongue can’t quite name – is it shallots? Roasted garlic? Chopped bacon? You know you’ve lost count of how many times someone has declared that they in fact “make the most insane guacamole”. One look at their face – full of conviction – and you know they mean it, their guac can throw down. With so many ways to enjoy everyone’s favorite ride or die dip, the possibilities for ‘secret’ ingredients are endless, so I set out to round ‘em up! Check out our list of can’t miss ingredients and let us know if we called out your secret weapon:
- New Mexico green chilies for flavor and kick!
- Grilled yellow peppers and cotija cheese
- Tabasco sauce and plenty of it
- Roasted Serrano peppers and roasted garlic
- Just a touch of Thai chili powder for a major kick!
- Diced apples and Adobo seasoning
- Finely chopped Applewood smoked bacon
- Finely chopped Kalamata olives
- A tiny spoonful of Mayo for major creaminess
- A dash of cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Soy Sauce (regular sodium) and skip the table salt!
- An entire clove of smashed garlic roasted first in the oven
- Equal parts white AND red onion, sliced ultra-thin
- Fried crickets (trust me, adds a certain salty crunch that you’ll crave forever)
- Grilled avocados (gives a crazy depth to the flavor)
- Two whole limes (juiced and zested)
- Roasted pepitas both in guac and on top!
- Swap garlic for shallots
- Use Reed Avocados (they’re insanely pricey and tend to be hard to find but taste like pure butter so worth the occasional splurge)
- A splash of Worchester sauce
- Green onion, green Tabasco and a tiny scoop of Sour Cream
- Blue cheese
- Finely chopped mint
- A TON of fresh cilantro
- A pinch of Sazón GOYA seasoning
So there you have it! Next time you whip up a batch of everyone’s favorite dip, will you consider adding one of these secret sauces? Everyone’s go-to-recipe is different, but at the end of the day, we can all agree on one thing: guac is life.
Olivia’s Guacamole Recipe
If you don’t have a base recipe to meet your guac craving, give mine a go.
- 2 avocados smashed slightly (leave a little chunk if you please)
- ¼ cup white onion diced fine
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- a heavy pinch of coarse salt
- a hint of garlic powder
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Mix together, pair with a couple bags of chips, share with your crew and enjoy. Yew!
