A few weeks ago we had a barbecue in our back yard. My friend Sandra came over, and I asked her to teach me her recipe for guacamole. Sandra was born in Mexico, so she knows what she’s doing when it comes to “guac.” We made it from scratch (no seasoning packets for us!), using fresh, simple ingredients from the farmer’s market. It turned out so good, I had to keep myself from snacking on the stuff so I could save room for the main course!
Later that week, I made the guacamole again, but added my own “secret ingredient”–smoked paprika. I’m addicted to this stuff, I add it to almost almost everything (well, not ice cream or brownies, but you get the idea). There are gazillions of guacamole recipes out there, but the smoked paprika puts this guac in a league of its own. It adds an awesome, subtle, smoky flavor. It’s the perfect accent to the creamy avocado and the tart, fresh lime juice. I tested my new recipe out on Sandra, and she loved it.
We like to serve our guac with homemade tortilla chips. No need to give you a recipe for that, it’s simple– take corn tortillas, cut them into triangles, and fry them in hot oil till golden brown and crisp (I used grapeseed oil because it has a high smoke point). Drain on paper towels and salt to taste. Fresh tortilla chips are so much yummier than the bagged ones, and they’re so easy to make. If you’re not in a big hurry, it’s definitely worth a few extra minutes.
If you’d prefer a more traditional guacamole, you can make the same preparation that appears below– just leave out the smoked paprika. Both versions are delicious. Enjoy!
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Guacamole
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe avocados
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado and mix the ingredients together till well combined. Salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
- Note: Avocados turn brown when they are exposed to air for a long period of time, which creates oxidation. The best way to keep your guacamole from turning brown is to put plastic wrap over your guacamole, pressed right up against the surface of the dip so no oxygen can touch it, until you're ready to serve. Some say that placing the pit into the guacamole will achieve the same results. It will, for the surfaces that the pit is touching. To protect it more evenly across the entire surface, use plastic wrap.
Nutrition
Another great recipe from Tori. The smoky paprika makes a nice addition. It is very popular in my house, once Ive made a bowl of this delicious guac, I have to start on another, it goes that fast!
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I really dislike onions and most places in my area use onions in guacamole.
Does it really taste that much better with the onions in the mix?
You can leave them out. Raw onions aren’t a fave of mine either, I usually only add them in small amounts. However, many would say they are absolutely essential to a great guacamole. From my experience, it will taste great without them too.
This looks so delicious! I posted it as part of a roundup at the end of my guacamole recipe today. Thanks for sharing it!
Julia
acedarspoon.com
I don’t have smoked paprika or jalepeno otherwise this is how I do it. YUM!
Love your blog and this addition to guacamole sounds great! I am after a receipe for a whole fried stuffed avocado similiar to one I enjoyed at Don Jose’s restaurant in Conroe, Texas. You peel the whole avocado and stuff it with a spiced mixture of either diced chicken, beef or shrimp (if you don’t do kosher), diced onion, chipotle, oregano and cumin (or other spices to your taste), then stick the halves together (I’ve been told maybe to try egg white? This is the step that I have trouble with, tried using toothpicks but to no avail), freeze briefly to set the seal, then dip in a corn meal batter similiar to one used for chilies rellenos, then fry in a “baby size” deep fryer in oil until golden. Can be used as a main entree, it is wonderful.
We will definitely try your smoked paprika in our guacamole! Recently I attended an avocado-theme dinner that included “smoked avocado” in a dish. The chef used a Smoking Gun tool (avail at Williams Sonoma) to infuse smoke flavor into the avocado. I don’t think that’s necesssary at all…avocados already have such wonderful flavor! But it was certainly a novelty!
Hi Francine, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the site. See my “About” page for more info: http://theshiksa.com/about/
I’m so putting smoked paprika in my next guacamole, can’t believe I’ve never done it before! I usually add a bit of cumin but this sounds much better. Congrats on Top 9 too!!
I find that the pit and lime work better than the plastic wrap. Having an air-tight container helps a lot too.
This looks so yummy!!
Yummy! I love your site and the plastic wrap suggestion is perfect. I was one of those who relied on the ‘pit’. Won’t the lime juice help to keep the guacamole from turning brown too?
Thank you!
Hi May! Yes, the lime juice definitely helps also, but keeping the oxygen away from the surface will keep it extra fresh and green. 🙂
Love the addition of smoked paprika! I also tend to put that (and Aleppo pepper) in almost everything 🙂
Sounds perfect in every way. A summer staple for sure.