When it comes to guacamole, you want to experience creaminess, texture, tang, and a perfect balance between sweet and savory. Mixing up homemade guacamole can sometimes leave you disappointed when it turns out bland and tasteless.
Even store-bought guacamole can sometimes lack that zesty element you are expecting. Luckily, there are easy ways to make bland guacamole taste better, these are;
- Squeeze In Lemon Or Lime
- Fold In Fresh Cilantro Or Chives
- Add More Salt And Crushed Pepper
- Add Fresh, Finely Chopped Garlic And Onions
- Add Fresh, Finely Chopped Chillies Peppers
- Add Some Spices
- Add Finely Chopped Tomatoes
- Add A Dollop Of Greek Yoghurt Or Sour Cream
- Add Fresh Salsa
Even though guacamole is just a simple dip, it doesn’t mean it has to be bland. This article will discuss nine easy ways to make bland guacamole taste better than you’ve tasted before. I’ve included my tips on choosing avocados and preparing them for the best guacamole.
1. Squeeze In Lemon Or Lime
If you are after some tang, adding a good squeeze of lemon or lime, or even both to your guacamole is the best you can do to achieve that fresh flavor. It not only spruces up your guac, but it also prevents the avocados from turning brown.
You will be surprised how it elevates and intensifies the taste of guacamole. You could even add a bit of lime or lemon zest to accentuate the flavor of the citrus.
2. Fold In Some Fresh Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)
Whether you are a fan of cilantro or not; adding it to guacamole makes the bowl come alive! The best way to add it into the mix is by chopping it finely to expose all those lovely flavors, sprinkling it over the guac, and folding it in gently until all the cilantro is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
So many Mexican dishes feature fresh cilantro as its staple herb because of its power to lift out those spicy Mexican flavors in any dish. If you don’t like cilantro, you could also try adding scallions and chives to enhance your guacamole’s flavor.
3. Add More Salt And Crushed Red Or Black Pepper
As salt enhances flavors, it’s important to add just the right amount to ensure it isn’t bland.
When preparing any dish, people have learned to use salt sparingly. As we all know, you can add salt to a bland dish, but it’s hard to fix a dish that has too much salt to it.
A rough guide to achieving the correct saltiness is by adding ½ teaspoons of salt per every three avocados. To ensure you don’t completely overdo it, add the salt gradually and give it a taste as you go along. If it isn’t salty enough, go ahead and add some more until you have the level of saltiness you desire.
After adding the salt, grind some red pepper over the guacamole and give it a gentle stir. The combination of the salt and the pepper makes the flavors in the guacamole pop. If you do not have red pepper, you can substitute it with black pepper.
4. Add Finely Chopped Garlic And Onion
I firmly believe that fresh ingredients are better than dried or powdered ones. This is especially true for guacamole. Adding powdered garlic and dried herbs don’t quite have the taste sensation that fresh ingredients deliver.
When it comes to onions and garlic, the best way to add them to the guac is by mincing them together until you are happy with their size, adding fresh herbs, and gently stirring the mixture into the guacamole.
Raw garlic in guacamole is truly delicious, even if it does linger in your mouth after!
5. Add Fresh, Finely Chopped Chilli Peppers
Chilies can add a gentle warmth and extra flavor dimension to your guac. The avocado is creamy and oily and handles a bit of heat well.
If you are a daredevil with your preferred level of spicy heat, you can go as far as adding in some jalapenos, serrano, or even habanero chilies. If you like to play it safe, remove the seeds from a mild chili, chop it finely, and add just a little bit to your guacamole for a subtle kick of flavor.
6. Add Some Spices
Guacamole is a dish that generally is a bit spicy. After you have combined all the fresh ingredients, the next step is to add some spices to it. Spices that complement a bowl of guacamole include cayenne pepper, minced peppers, chili powder, chili flakes, crushed red pepper, paprika, and smoked paprika if you like a smokier flavor.
Another great ingredient to add for that extra spiciness is Tabasco sauce. All you need is a few drops of Tabasco to transform the flavor sensation of the guac.
7. Add Finely Chopped Tomatoes
Some prefer to keep their guacamole simple by only including the avocados, herbs, and spices in their recipe. However, some enjoy a little more texture and juiciness by adding chopped tomatoes.
The acidity in the tomatoes works well to balance the sweet, savory, and sour flavors in the guac, and it also adds some color to the dish. Guacamole that contains tomatoes is the perfect dip to enjoy with nacho or tortilla chips.
8. Add A Dab Of Greek Yogurt Or Sour Cream
If you want to achieve the creamiest guac ever, you can add a generous dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream to the dish. Both these ingredients prevent the guacamole from turning brown, and it adds a touch of tang that ties the dish together beautifully. It takes the guac to a whole new level of creaminess and decadence, and it also has beneficial probiotics making it a very healthy dish indeed.
9. Add Fresh Salsa
Instead of chopping and adding tomatoes and onions individually, add a few spoons of ready-made salsa to your guacamole. If you don’t have ready-made salsa, make one using fresh, chopped tomatoes, diced onions, and a mixture of lime juice, and salt.
Mix them all together and spoon some of the salsa onto the guac and mix it through gently. Adding a salsa creates a perfect balance of acidy, saltiness, and sweetness; everything you want in guacamole.
Why Is My Guacamole So Bland?
The main reasons why your guacamole is bland is that it’s under-seasoned or the avocados are of poor quality. Not having enough lime, lemon, cilantro, and spice could also contribute to the blandness of your guacamole.
Make sure to use ripe Hass avocados which are full of flavor. Underripe or overripe avocados lose their flavor, and some cheap varieties can be tasteless.
If you still find that it needs more seasoning, you can gradually add more salt to taste. The golden rule when seasoning guacamole is to add ½ a teaspoon of salt per 2 to 3 avocados.
My Tips For Making Delicious Guacamole
Even though guacamole is a simple dish to make, some stand out and have you trying anything and everything to recreate your own show-stopping guac.
So, if you want to experience a beautiful flavor sensation, the following tips and tricks will help you create restaurant-quality guacamole that rivals any Mexican restaurant every time.
If you know someone that doesn’t like guacamole, try my 10 avocado recipes for avocado haters.
Use Perfectly Ripe Avocados
Firstly, you can’t create great guacamole without perfectly ripe avocados. If they are not fully ripened, your guac will result in a mushy, watery mess that is rather unpleasant to stomach.
The trick is to test if they are ready. Under or over-ripe avocados won’t do as you won’t be able to mash them to the creamy consistency required for guacamole. A perfectly ripe avocado has a dark brown to black skin, is firm to the touch, and has a little give when squeezed gently.
If it is overripe, the avocado will feel very soft and the skin might break. If it is underripe, you won’t be able to make an indent at all. If you cannot find perfectly ripe avocados, you could try to speed up the ripening process by placing the avocado and a banana in a paper bag for a day or two which promotes ripening.
Use The Best Variety Avocados
The quality and type of avocados you use to make guacamole are crucial. There are different types of avocados, and they are not all the same in taste and texture. There are, however, those that are especially great to use for making a bowl of delicious guac.
Even though the large avocados seem like the perfect choice, you may be disappointed when you find that they are a bit watery. Little Hass avocados are the ideal type of avocado to make guacamole because they have a rich and creamy texture and a higher fat content than other types.
Leave Some Chunky Pieces Of Avocado For Texture
There is nothing wrong with an extra smooth and creamy guacamole. However, guacamole with a bit of texture is the boss! Even though it is the same ingredients, it tastes different because each bite has whole pieces of avocado, which breaks the concentration of the flavors in the dish.
So instead of having a flavor constant as with smooth guacamole, you have all sorts of combinations of the flavors and textures in each bite. The best way to achieve a guac with more nuanced flavors is by using mashing it with a fork or potato masher, instead of a food processor.
Add Salt Generously
Salt is an essential ingredient in guacamole because it lifts out the flavors of all the other ingredients. Without enough salt, guacamole tends to taste a bit bland, and no acidity or textures will be able to stand in its place.
Even if you don’t usually add a lot of salt to your food, we guarantee that it won’t overwhelm you in a fresh bowl of guacamole.
Prevent Browning
Browning is caused when the guacamole is exposed to air and starts to oxidize, turning it from a beautiful luminous green to an off-putting and unappetizing brown. If you have to prepare your guacamole in advance, don’t worry because we have some helpful tips to prevent your guacamole from turning brown.
Acids like lime juice or sour cream will help prevent guacamole from turning brown. So add a little extra of these if you are concerned.
You can also seal the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and press down on the plastic until it touches the guacamole. This prevents less air contact.
Don’t Make Guacamole Way In Advance.
You can use these easy tips to keep guacamole from turning brown, but prevention is better than cure. If you are expecting guests in a couple of hours, don’t make the guacamole just yet.
Instead, prep all of the ingredients that you will use to make it with, and about an hour or so before the time, mash your avocados and add all your prepped ingredients. Never make guacamole in advance unless you have no other choice or are pressed for time.
Serving greenish-brown guacamole isn’t just embarrassing, but your guests will be put off by it because brown guac looks like it has gone bad.
Conclusion
Bland guacamole doesn’t have to be a problem anymore now you have some help to make it taste better. Try my tips on adding flavor and preparing avocados properly. My favorite is some lime juice and garlic which is a perfect blend of creaminess, zest, and delicious garlic flavor.
So, next time you are planning a Mexican event, ensure that you try these wonderful suggestions to make your guacamole recipe one to remember.
Have any questions? Ask me in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you.
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