Grilled Guacamole: You’ll Never Make Guacamole the Same Way Again

I have a new favorite guacamole. It’s hard to pry my greedy hands away from my previous favorite, Grapefruit Guacamole (especially with my garden laden with grapefruits and avocados right now), but I have to say that this concoction kind of tops it.

I’ve always been a fan of cooked avocado (as you might remember from my Huevocate recipe), and grilled avocado simply takes it one step further. Over a hot grate, the flesh turns smoky and savory, almost meaty in flavor. Just a few minutes on each side can elevate raw avocado into its own secret ingredient in a guacamole.

Most of the other ingredients are traditional: garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, red onion, fresh tomatoes, some salt and a healthy squeeze of lime. Mash them all together with avocados hot off the grill, and you end up with a warm, smoky, melt-in-in-your-mouth guacamole that’s as surprising as it is irresistible. You can’t take just one bite.

I can eat a whole bag of chips with this guac and call that a meal, but it also goes great with all kinds of Mexican or Tex-Mex grub: tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas, and tortilla soups. Or smeared on a grilled beef patty and stuffed between two buns. Or served atop slices of toast, grilled shrimp, rice and beans, baked potatoes, scrambled eggs, and Southwest-style salads. You could even turn leftover guac (if there is such a thing) into an avocado crema by blending it with sour cream and buttermilk, and using it as a sauce for all of the above.

Bring this to your next barbecue and I guarantee you’ll be invited to many more this summer! (And if you lack an outdoor grill, I recommend charring it in a grill pan on the stove, or even under the broiler.)

Grilled Guacamole

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeño, minced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime

Method

Preheat a grill on medium-high heat.

Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado flesh out of its shell, preferably in one piece.

Lay all the avocado halves over the hot grate, cover, and grill for about 5 minutes until the flesh is lightly charred. Flip all the halves over, and grill for another 5 minutes.

Transfer the grilled avocados to a serving bowl and mash with a fork to your desired level of chunkiness. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, stir to combine, and serve warm.