Would you be surprised to learn that consumption of avocado in the United States, specifically avocado used in fresh guacamole dips, has increased by more than 1000% since 2000? According to Huffington Post, recipes using guacamole or just the plain dip have become a game day staple in the U.S., becoming every bit as popular for Sunday football as salsa.
This love of guacamole has pushed many Americans to get a bit adventurous. Whether they want to add a few things to tweak their favorite store bought guac or they’re using classic guacamole dips to build something from the ground up, more Americans are looking to make guacamole their own. One of the most popular ways of doing this is making spicy guacamole dip. Unfortunately, too many people make the mistake of using the wrong chili peppers, effectively overpowering every flavor that isn’t heat. If you have the same problem, learn about the best chili peppers to use in your basic guacamole recipe to strike the perfect balance between flavor and spice.
Three Chili Peppers You Can Use to Make a Zippy Yet Flavorful Spicy Guacamole Dip
- The Ubiquitous Jalapeno
- Go for a Smokier Guacamole by Adding Chipotle
- The Small but Powerful Thai Chili
The jalapeno is effectively baby’s first chili. It’s readily available, and with a heat rating of only 5,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), it brings a level of heat that most people can tolerate comfortably. Depending on your preference, you can either remove the seeds or leave them in, with the latter option being hotter. The popular chili-head website Jalapeno Madness suggests simply dicing up fresh jalapenos and adding them to your guac for a nice punch of flavor.
Yes, we know that chipotles are technically the same as jalapenos, but once you’ve tasted these peppers, you know that their flavor sets them apart. As written on Chipotle-Peppers.com, chipotles are simply jalapenos that have been smoked. To take advantage of this smokey variation on jalapenos’ heat, allow your peppers to sit in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Finely shred the chipotle and add to your favorite dip. As an added bonus, the soaking liquid is now a great pepper stock that can be added to soups for a little picker-upper.
There is a strange rule among chili peppers: more often than not, the smaller the pepper is, the more nuclear heat it packs. The Thai chili is a case in point. Measuring in at only an inch long, this pepper comes in anywhere between 10 and 20 times hotter than the humble jalapeno. It’s still mild — for lack of a better word — enough not to drown out the other flavors in your spicy guacamole dip, but you should still consider having a glass of milk on hand. Thai Kitchen recommends dicing these into tiny cubes before adding to any dip.
What are some of your favorite recipes with guacamole? Let us know in the comments below. Read more about this topic at this link: sabra.com
