Rick Bayless' Favorite Unconventional Add-Ins For Guacamole

Rick Bayless knows his way around a bowl of guacamole. The "Top Chef Masters" winner and host of "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" has more than proven his knowledge of this all important dip. His philosophy when it comes to this dish is pretty simple: There is more than one way to mash up an avocado and make it taste delicious. Bayless has shown guac lovers how to make everything from a classic version of this velvety avocado recipe to a stripped down naked style to an innovative tomatillo rendition in his Master Class in Guacamoles.

These riffs on this traditional dip can serve as inspiration when it's time to whip-up a container of crave-worthy guacamole for a big game viewing party or a backyard soiree. At its most basic, guacamole uses mashed avocado as the foundation with a little lime juice, salt, chopped onion, garlic, and cilantro mixed in to create a festive flavor for your taste buds. However, if you are looking for a way to change things up without compromising the taste and texture of your guac, you may want to consider some of the celebrity chef's go-to add-ins.  

When Bayless wants to add some unconventional ingredients to his guac, the celebrity chef has a few tricks up his sleeve. Bayless revealed to Bon Appétit that mashed up guac is simply a canvas waiting for the artist to make it his or her own. Bayless likes to use tomatoes or tomatillos along with red onion to get the flavors going. But to really make this dip pop, Bayless layers in some complimentary tastes. Some of the add-ons he suggests you might want to allow into your bowl of guac include chopped green chile, a little citrus, some smoked fish, and even nuts if you want to add a crunchy texture. But Bayless doesn't stop there.

Guacamole purists may call foul, but Bayless is also a fan of using what's in season. When summer fruits and vegetables are at their sweetest, corn, mango, oranges, and peppers can change up your guacamole's consistency while adding a sweet and welcomed element. When an Indian Summer hits, he uses its seasonal flavors as his inspiration when making this dip. Instead of using tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, Bayless skips them altogether and turns to fall favorites like apples, fennel, and thyme. He even has a recipe that incorporates toasted pumpkin seeds into the mix. 

Don't be timid when it comes to experimenting. You just might create a guacamole that is nirvana for the taste buds.