Guacamole is the ultimate side dish — one most of us will be eating atop tortilla chips come Super Bowl Sunday. Simple ingredients of avocado, tomato, onion and lime juice define the typical Mexican American approach.
But Food editor Daniel Hernandez suggests stripping the recipe down further by ditching the tomato and onion, which both have a high water content and can turn guacamole soggy. Instead, he shares a simple, spicy guacamole recipe that he honed while living in Mexico City.
Naturally, with guacamole being such an endemic dish to California, L.A. Times readers had strong and conflicting opinions about Hernandez’s approach. At the end of his story, we invited readers to share how they make the dish at home. Here are some of their many insightful and detailed responses:
“I never use tomato because of the water issue, but I do use green onion. Sometimes I char the green onion for some interest, but for the most part I just chop it and add it with the chiles. I always use a jalapeño and some serrano chiles, a lot of garlic and plenty of lime juice. For special occasions, I fry flour tortilla chips.” — Catherine Day
“I use a lot of lime zest, but no lime juice. I add white vinegar instead. Other ingredients are avocado, garlic, cilantro, chopped green onions and either jalapeño or a dash of hot sauce, plus salt and pepper.” — Kellogg Booth
“An oniony flavor is a terrific complement to avocados, as witnessed in the simple perfection that is the Cuban ensalada de aguacate y cebolla. When I make guac I use avocados, shallots, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper, and sometimes a little of whatever hot sauce I have on hand.” — J. Vega
“I once used a range of herbs (including dried basil and oregano) in my guacamole, but my Latino coworkers at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice called it ‘gringo guacamole.’ So, I converted to their simple style — onion, no tomato, avocado, chiles, lime, cilantro and salt.” — Darren Leon
“I’ve always loved tomatoes in guacamole and am not going to stop. I use Roma tomatoes in mine as they are meatier and less liquidy than other types. I love and am not going to cease adding onions, either; the type to use is the white onion, which maintains its crunch just fine.” — Von Karman
“Avocado, lime juice, chopped onion, small amount of tomatoes but only the flesh and skin — no juice and no seeds — knife-shredded romaine lettuce, sliced black olives, dab of medium salsa, couple shots of Tapatio, fresh ground pepper, lemon pepper and very little kosher salt.” — Edward Lee Lamoureux
“Avocado, lime, salt, period. Like the guacamole I had in Patzcuaro in the heart of the avocado zone.” — Robert Lauriston
“I use onion powder instead of onions, add cumin to taste, and most importantly, I add one finely minced pear. I learned this from a woman who had lived in Mexico City for years. She also added finely chopped grapes but after a few tries I stopped doing that.” — Kevin Banner
“My father was an amazing cook from Puebla. He taught me how to make guacamole using white onions (very [finely] diced), Roma tomato (they have less water), lime and salt. This recipe has never been surpassed. I have traveled all over Mexico for decades, and my guacamole (my father’s recipe that I perfected) sits at the top.” — Omar Torres
“Simple, fast, and the best: perfectly ripe Haas avocados, fresh squeezed lime juice, garlic salt. Mix with sharp knife to keep it chunky and a gorgeous bright two-toned green color.” — Adam Light
“I use dried Sungold tomatoes and dehydrated onion. That takes care of your sogginess issue. Once you put garlic, lime and hot peppers with a smooth buttery tasting avocado you no longer taste the avocado. However, I do put some Zankou Chicken toum on occasion!” — Lawrence Kassis
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s sacrilege to put tomato and onion in guacamole. At age 71, I’ve never done so. Garlic, lime, chile and avocado. The heat sources can vary from smoked chipotle, ancho, cayenne, red pepper flakes, etc. It’s rarely the same way twice, and not for the faint of heart.” — Aw Jay
“I often just use avocado, salt, pepper and lime juice. Highlights the nutty flavor of the avocado.” — Eric Lund
“I agree with Daniel when it comes to the tomatoes. I ditched them years ago. I’ve kept the onion though (red, finely diced), plus a few cilantro leaves, salt, and lime. It’s my favorite version, but is there really such a thing as bad guacamole? Definitely not in my experience.” — Kevin Watkins
“In 1966 my dad planted about 30 avocado trees on the hill in our backyard; I grew up eating guacamole or just avocado in salads. His delicious guacamole included a hint of Worcestershire sauce along with lemon, garlic and salt. Still my favorite way (though I like to add chile now).” — Rebeckah Rithner
“Alternatives include sun-dried tomato paste and onion powder. I use a potato ricer for efficiently smashing avocados. I use roasted garlic crushed with a fork for a cleaner, milder flavor than the raw (and helps to avoid a pungent odor on breath and skin). I use a little bit of agave nectar to offset the sour lime juice and crushed red pepper ground in a coffee grinder instead of chopped chile, which adds a unique flavor but doesn’t affect the uniform texture of the avocado.” — John Gaylord
“I’m all for eschewing the onion and garlic but for the love of Pete leave the Cilantro out of the guacamole please. Even as a garnish.” — Steve Hershenson
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