Homemade guacamole with a twist! This Charred Poblano Guacamole has all the creamy avocado goodness you love plus charry bits of poblano pepper and jalapeños that takes it to a whole new level of delicious. Vegan and gluten-free!

Think of this as the guacamole recipe that just keeps giving.

It has all the lusciousness of ripe avocados, the fresh lime juice, the salt—basically everything you LOVE about guacamole—and then some.

Today friends, we are adding a bit of char to our guacamole and I think you are going to want to try it.

When it comes to guacamole, I’m kind of a purest so I’m surprising everyone, including myself, by straying from my traditional recipe.

But when my pals at California Grown asked if I could take some absolutely delicious California Avocados and make them shine, I thought I needed to revisit my staunch stance on things.

And honestly, there’s nothing I’ve ever made that didn’t benefit from a charred poblano pepper or two. The smokiness, the grassy aroma, it adds sophistication to this guacamole dip. Really just elevates the whole thing.

but first, california avocados

We’ve spent a lot of time here talking about our love of California avocados. We’ve made salsa, we’ve made vegan ceviche, heck we’ve even made chocolate chip cookies with them!

No lie, I eat an avocado every day.

We are fortunate enough to have a nearly 80 year old avocado tree in my backyard so that makes it a bit easier, but also necessary.

We have to eat that many avocados to keep up with them. Did you know an average avocado tree produces 150 avocados!

That’s about 60 pounds of fruit for smaller Haas avocados and closer to 200 pounds if for larger varieties like Reed, which is what we have.

Haas avocados are the most common variety and the ones you will find at your local store. Every Haas avocado tree around the world can be traced back to the mother tree is La Habra Heights, California. Pretty amazing, right?!

When you buy avocados at the grocery store it’s important to check for the California Grown sticker. California avocados are picked at their peak resulting in fruit that is fresh and consistent in taste and texture.

The season for California avocados is–NOW! Spring through summer. So pick up a few the next time you’re at the store and let’s make guacamole.

how to make this easy guacamole recipe

Once you’ve gathered your fresh ingredients, double check to make sure your avocados are ripe and ready to go.

To check their ripeness, give a gentle squeeze near the stem end. It should feel soft, but not mushy. When you remove the stem the flesh should be vibrant green, not brown.

The first step for making the dip is to char the poblano and jalapeño pepper. The easiest way to do that is to set them both over the flame of a gas stove. Turn frequently until the skin is blackened on all sides.

If you don’t have a gas stove you can also char them under a broiler or on a grill. Once they are charred, remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until they are cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, scoop the avocado into a large bowl. Add the finely chopped onion and cilantro.

Squeeze over the lime juice, season with salt and mash with a potato masher.

Peel the skin off the peppers. Remove the stems. Take the seeds out of the poblano and chop them both. Stir the peppers into the guacamole and that’s it!

Make sure you give it a taste with a chip to make sure it has enough salt and lime juice. If not, feel free to add more.

variations

Okay, so I know I’ve declared my love for authentic guacamole that doesn’t include any crazy ingredients. Since we’re already thinking outside the box with this recipe however, here are a few other variations you might like.

• Stir in a teaspoon of ground cumin.
• Remove the core and seeds from 2 Roma tomatoes. Chop finely and add.
• Swap finely diced red onion for the white.
• Mix equal parts lemon juice and lime juice instead of all lime.

how to serve

Since we are making this guacamole next level, I’ve taken a cue from some of my favorite high-end restaurants in Mexico and added some special garnishes.

Now, of course you can serve this in a pretty bowl with tortilla chips on the side.

You can also scoop the guacamole onto a large plate and flatten it out with the swoop of the back of a spoon. Drizzle it with a bit of olive oil then make a line on one side with a variety of seeds. I used popped amaranth, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds. Sesame seeds would also be nice. Serve with tostadas.

This guacamole is not only a dip. I first made this recipe for our Tacos and Tequila cooking class and served it on top of Pork Tinga tacos. For that class Aida also made fried avocado tacos which I also highly suggest giving a try.

how to keep your guacamole from turning brown

Avocados turn brown very rapidly after being exposed to oxygen.

To prevent your guacamole from turning brown, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the dip then wrap another piece tightly over the top or cover with a tight-sealing lid.

Refrigerate until you are ready to serve!

more recipes to try with california avocados!

• Mushroom and Cheese Enchiladas with Guacamole
• Turkey Torta with Avocado and Black Beans
• Chopped Salad with Avocado and Chipotle-Lime Chicken
• Tacos Árabes with Carrot-Avocado Crema
• Harvest Cobb Salad with Avocado and Bacon
• Guacamole Deviled Eggs
• Carne Asada Torta with Avocado

love this recipe?

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Charred Poblano Guacamole

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Homemade guacamole with a twist! This Charred Poblano Guacamole has all the creamy avocado goodness you love plus charry bits of poblano pepper and jalapeños that takes it to a whole new level of delicious. Vegan and gluten-free!

Print

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 2 large ripe California avocados
• 1 small white onion, minced
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• Juice of 2 limes (about 2 ½ tablespoons of lime juice)
• For garnish (optional)

For garnish

• Chia seeds
• Popped amaranth 
• Roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• Olive oil
• Tostadas, for serving

Instructions

1. Char the peppers. Place poblano and jalapeño over an open flame on a gas stove, turning frequently with tongs, until charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a gas stove you can char the peppers under the broiler or over a grill. Place peppers in a heatproof bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool enough to handle. Peel burnt skin off with your fingers and rinse. 
2. Chop peppers. Remove stems from both peppers and seeds from the poblano pepper then chop them both into small dice. If you don’t want it spicy, remove the seeds and stems from the jalapenos. 
3. Mix remaining ingredients. Combine peppers with remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mash together with a potato masher and then stir with a spoon until well combined. Taste and add more salt or lime juice to taste. 
4. Serve. Scoop onto a plate or bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chia and sunflower seeds plus popped amaranth (if using) and serve with tostadas.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g

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