Completely flying in the face of the motto: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I still try to come up with variations on guacamole.

After I made a big bowl of this, Betsy proclaimed that it was “weird” and asked why in the world I would change guacamole. Well, I think there’s something to be said for combining new flavors and I particularly liked this combo. To her credit, the version she tried was a bit heavy on the sesame oil which I toned down in the final recipe.

But, there’s a lot of shared ground in the Asian and Tex-Mex worlds and with a little cross-over you can get the best of both of those worlds. Plus, for some reason my Asian market sells Thai bird chilis in bags of about 100 and I use two for any given recipe, so I’m always trying to toss them in other things before they go bad.

Thai guacamole! If you like guacamole and/or like Thai flavors, this will probably suit you just fine!

Thai Chili Guacamole

5 from 2 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Thai guacamole uses ripe avocados, but trades out the traditional Tex-Mex add-ins for savory and spicy Thai ingredients. It’s a nice change on a classic!

Ingredients 

  • 1-2 bird chilis
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 4 medium avocados
  • 4 scallions, minced
  • 2-3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sesame seeds, garnish
  • Tortilla chips, serving

Instructions

  • Minced garlic and ginger and add to a bowl. Mince 1-2 bird chilis including seeds (2 will be pretty spicy). Add to the bowl with lime juice. Add coriander and sesame oil.
  • Cut avocados in half, remove seeds, and roughly dice avocados. Scoop the avocado meat into the bowl. Use a potato masher to roughly mash in the avocados. Some chunks are good!
  • Finally, stir in minced scallions (greens and whites) and cilantro. Season guacamole with salt and pepper and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • If you make the guac in advance, cover it with plastic wrap so it is touching the surface of the guac to prevent browning and store in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Snack Time
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex

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Thai Guacamole

Chili Caution

If you can’t find bird chilis, you can use Serrano peppers for this recipe (1-2 would work). But, if you can find these little beauties, they have a great flavor and intense spice. I used two for my version and it was pretty spicy.

I’m a spice addict though and was contemplating upping it to four, but decided to spare my taste buds.

Whatever you do… be careful when chopping them and wash your hands afterwards. Because they are so small, I just dice up the whole pepper with seeds and everything. Seeding them would just be silly because of their size.

Thai guacamole chilis
SPICY.

In a good sized bowl, mix together the chilis with the garlic, ginger, coriander, and lime juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper also.

Thai guacamole diced.
Minced and diced.

Sesame Caution

On the separate end of the spectrum, this recipe has savory sesame oil in it. While it’s an awesome flavor addition to guacamole, it’s really strong and can quickly overpower the appetizer.

Don’t do what I did the first time which is just glug some in the bowl. Actually measure it and use it sparingly.

Thai guacamole sesame.
Don’t over-do it.

Avocado Time

You know the rest of the story if you’ve ever made guacamole.

Make sure you find ripe avocados (they should give a bit to pressure, but not be mushy). Cut them in half and chop the seeds out.

Thai guacamole seed.
Gotcha.

Dice up the avocado flesh and scoop it into the bowl with the other ingredients. My favorite guac tool is a potato masher. It mixes the ingredients but leaves some chunks of avocado.

Making Thai Guacamole
Potato masher!

Mash mash mash and then stir in the herbs. Lots of cilantro and scallions. While you need to use a careful hand with the chilis and the sesame oil, no need to do so with the cilantro and scallion. Go heavy on them.

Thai guacamole herbs.
Herb galore.

Stir it all together and taste it. It might need a bit more salt and pepper or maybe more lime juice. As always, adjust it to your liking!

Serve it sprinkled with sesame seeds and maybe throw on a few whole peppers so people know what they are getting into, but for the love of Thailand, don’t eat a whole bird chili.

I, for one, very much enjoyed this version. If you’re sick of the classic Tex-mex flavors, give this Thai Guacamole a shot. It’s a good way to start experimenting with some Asian flavors!

Thai Guacamole: A nice twist on the classic appetizer with spicy Thai bird chilis, sesame oil, and lots of fresh herbs. Share it or don't!