Okay so I need to explain myself here. I love pickles. Like, unreasonably. LOVE LOVE LOVE a pickle. My husband will open the fridge looking for a snack and he too will be found just standing there eating dill pickles out of the jar with his fingers or a fork (when he’s being a little bit classy), and at this point we don’t even ask questions anymore. We are a salty briney dill pickle loving household.
So naturally, at some point, the pickle brain took over. I started wondering why we default to tomato and jalapeño every single time mashed avocados come into the equation, when there’s a whole jar of concentrated tang sitting right there begging to be used at any given moment (since we are always stocked, naturally!). Turns out dill pickles in guacamole is not a weird idea, it’s just an underused one. The brine does exactly what lime is already doing (cutting through all that avo richness) except it brings a savory, almost fermented depth that plain citrus can’t touch.
Pickle Guac still has the essentials. Garlic, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime. But the dill pickles get folded in finely diced, and then a tablespoon or two of the actual pickle juice goes straight into the mash. Start with one tablespoon, taste it, and if you’re anything like me you’ll end up adding the second without even thinking about it. Not to make it too liquid-y though, balance is important!
Texture wise, mash it however you want! I like mine a little chunky so you still get to bite into distinct pieces of pickle instead of it all disappearing into the green. Scoop, taste, adjust the salt, and don’t overthink the rest.
Serve it immediately with tortilla chips while it’s cold and bright. If you’re making it ahead, press plastic wrap right onto the surface before it goes in the fridge or you’ll be picking sad brown guac off the top tomorrow. If you’ve made guacamole before you know the drill, it’s the same here.
Made this? Tag @herbyeater on TikTok and Instagram, I want to see fellow pickle fans in full force!
Dill Pickle Guacamole
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Fork or potato masher
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
Ingredients
- 4 ripe avocados halved and pitted (about 700g flesh)
- 3 dill pickles finely diced (60g)
- 1 tbsp dill pickle juice 15-30ml
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced (40g)
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (10g)
- 1 clove garlic minced (3g)
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced (30g)
- Juice of 1 lime 2 tbsp / 30ml
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste (3g)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper 0.5g
Instructions
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a mixing bowl and mash with a fork to your preferred texture (chunky or smooth!).
- Add the diced pickles, red onion, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño. Stir to combine.
- Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of pickle juice. Mix well.
- Season with salt and white pepper. Taste; if you want more brine, add the second tablespoon of pickle juice now.
- Adjust salt and lime to taste, then serve immediately with tortilla chips.