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Fire-Grilled Guacamole with Roasted Garlic

A sophisticated, smoky reimagining of a Tex-Mex classic. Blistering the avocados, tomatoes, onions, and citrus on a hot grill pan before mashing them with sweet roasted garlic creates profound depth and flavor.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Garlic Roasting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

The Roasted Garlic
  • 1 whole garlic bulb
  • Kosher salt coarse black pepper, and dried oregano leaves (for seasoning)
The Grilled Guacamole
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for finishing
  • 2 large avocados halved and pitted
  • 4 medium plum tomatoes halved
  • ½ large red onion peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
  • 2 large jalapeno peppers cut in half and seeded
  • 2 limes cut in half
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic from the roasted bulb
  • 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For Serving
  • Sturdy tortilla chips crostini, or fresh vegetables

Method
 

Roast the Garlic
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Cut the top third from the whole bulb of garlic to expose the cloves inside.
  3. Place the bulb onto a square sheet of aluminum foil.
  4. Drizzle the exposed cloves lightly with kosher salt, black pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano leaves.
  5. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic, leaving a small opening at the top to vent the steam.
  6. Place the foil packet onto a rack in the oven and roast until the cloves are deeply golden and trying to escape their papery skins, about 1 hour.
  7. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins. (Reserve 6 cloves for the guacamole and refrigerate the rest for up to a week).
Grill the Ingredients
  1. Heat a heavy cast-iron grill pan over high heat.
  2. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the hot pan.
  3. Place the halved avocados, onion rounds, plum tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and limes directly onto the grill pan, cut-side down.
  4. Cook undisturbed until deep, dark grill marks appear on all the food, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Carefully flip the vegetables and limes and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, ensuring the onions are fork-tender but the avocados and tomatoes remain firm, not mushy.
  6. Transfer all the grilled ingredients to a clean work surface and allow them to cool enough so you can safely handle them.
Mash and Assemble
  1. Use a spoon to scoop the warm, charred flesh from the avocado skins directly into a heavy stone mortar or a large mixing bowl.
  2. Roughly chop the grilled plum tomatoes, red onion, and jalapenos, and add them to the bowl.
  3. Squeeze the bright, smoky juice from the blistered limes directly over the ingredients.
  4. Add the 6 cloves of sweet roasted garlic.
  5. Season the mixture generously with the ground chili powder, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper.
  6. Use a heavy pestle or a potato masher to crush and fold all the ingredients together to your desired consistency (mash less for a rustic, chunky dip, or more for a smoother texture).
  7. Taste and adjust, drizzling in a touch more olive oil for richness or extra lime juice for brightness, if desired.
  8. Serve immediately with sturdy tortilla chips, or use as an elevated condiment for fish, chicken, or sandwiches.