Dice Avocado For A Chunky Twist On Homemade Guacamole

Guacamole at its best is a beautiful melding of ultra-fresh ingredients. Made right, it almost tastes like the sun itself. Unfortunately, far too many guacamole preparations make do with lackluster ingredients and try to hide them. If you've ever had guacamole so thin that you could almost pour it, there's a chance it was made with overripe avocados. (Once blended, the mushy texture, along with any brown spots or imperfections, blends right into the mixture. If you've ever had a disappointing brand of store-bought guacamole, you may have noticed its dark, swampy color). There's a way to let your guests know you've used only the freshest of ingredients, and that's to dice your avocados instead of blending them.

Dicing the avocado lets the avocado show off its quality, and there's no place for imperfections to hide. The result is a fresh, vibrant guac that's visually delightful in a way that a dark green smear can never be. Dicing an avocado is simple, but you don't want to work too quickly, for the sake of safety. Halve the avocado, take out the pit, and cut the flesh into a grid while it's still inside the peel. Then, scoop out the chunks with a spoon. If you find that your avocado resists dicing and turns into mush, it's probably overripe. For the best chunky guacamole, you'll want fruit that's at peak perfection. Add your preferred guacamole ingredients and serve right away for the best quality.

Guacamole is most commonly used as a topping or a dip, but chunky guacamole is so thick that it can serve as a main component in a vegetarian taco or wrap. Add a few roasted vegetables and your favorite toppings and it's a filling Tex-Mex dish. Its chunky texture also allows it to be piled high, so it looks stunning on avocado toast, putting its flat counterparts to shame. Wimpy, thin chips won't stand up to the density of chunky guac, so unless you want a bowl full of broken chip shards, serve it with hearty crackers, substantial chips, or thick toasted rounds of French bread. You can pile chunky guacamole on the side of a plate as a dinner accompaniment, and you won't need a bowl.

Chunky guacamole works well with creative mix-ins and other chunky components that complement its texture. Consider making fresh mango guacamole using diced avocado and chunks of fresh fruit to top your fish tacos or grilled chicken. Grilled corn and avocado guacamole is a crowd-pleaser that also works as both a condiment and a dip for tortilla chips, so it's best to make it by the huge bowl-full. Guacamole with diced avocado is similar in some ways to fresh pico de gallo, so try using it anyplace you might use your favorite pico. Because of its thickness, chunky guac also works well in any dish where you might use plain, sliced avocado, such as salads or burgers.