Grapefruit Guacamole

Let’s just get this out of the way first — yes, I know grapefruit and avocado don’t sound very appealing together, but you’ll have to trust me on this. These two flavors are actually quite compatible and the resulting dip is light, bright and citrusy (not to mention addicting… it’s definitely not the dip to…

Linda Ly

Written by Linda Ly

Grapefruit guacamole
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Let’s just get this out of the way first — yes, I know grapefruit and avocado don’t sound very appealing together, but you’ll have to trust me on this. These two flavors are actually quite compatible and the resulting dip is light, bright and citrusy (not to mention addicting… it’s definitely not the dip to put out right before dinner because you’ll down the whole thing with a bag of chips before you know it).

Besides, anything guacamole is good, right? It’s the perfect condiment to put in, say, a fresh veggie wrap when you want something healthy and easy… or over some scrumptious ahi fish tacos!

Last week was a rather sad week — I finished picking the last two avocados off my tree. The last two. I don’t ever remember picking my citrus trees clean at the end of a season, but I actually managed to pick and eat every single avocado off my tree from mid-January to mid-May… not a bad run, I suppose.

The last two avocados from my tree this season

I wanted to enjoy these last two fruits fresh (as opposed to making more huevocates) since the flavor of mature avocados improves intensely the longer they’re left on the tree. So, I decided to combine them with another one of my backyard harvests: Oro Blanco grapefruit.

In this recipe, grapefruit takes the place of lime by adding a tart little zinger that meshes well with the spiciness and creaminess of the dip. It’s subtle and delicious, and you might not make guacamole the same old way again…

Grapefruit Guacamole

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 large avocados (or 4 small ones)
1 grapefruit
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

Making Your Grapefruit Guacamole

Cut your avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. I like to make cross-cuts in the flesh with a knife before I scoop it all out into a bowl… just makes it easier to mash.

Halve avocados and remove the pits
Make criss-cuts in the avocado flesh for easier scooping and mashing
Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl

Next, break your grapefruit down into segments. The fastest way to do this is to slice the fruit in half crosswise, then use a serrated grapefruit spoon to scoop the flesh out of each “pocket.” Do this over the bowl so that you can catch all the juices too.

Segment the grapefruit with a serrated grapefruit spoon

To tone down the “rawness” of the onion, I run the chopped pieces under cold water for a minute or so. This softens the bite without taking away that nice pungency.

Run chopped onions under cold water to tone down rawness

Add the rest of the ingredients to your bowl and mash it all together with a fork. Add more spice or salt to taste.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mash together with a fork
Grapefruit guacamole

If you’re not serving right away and want to keep your guacamole from turning brown, don’t do that whole “keep the pit in the guac” type of thing — that’s an urban myth. Guac turns brown due to oxidation from exposure to the air. Keeping the pit in your guac only keeps the part that’s right underneath the pit from turning brown (you may have noticed that if you stir up brown guacamole, the bottom layer is still nice and green).

Instead, pack your guacamole to the top of the bowl, seal with plastic wrap (pressing right down onto the surface of the mashed avocado) to prevent oxygen from reaching it, then store the bowl in the fridge. Or keep the guacamole in an airtight container (again, packed to the top) in the fridge. The goal is to have as little room as possible for oxygen to circulate. It should stay green for at least a few days this way!

Seal the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap to prevent browning
Yield: 4 servings

Grapefruit Gucacamole

Grapefruit guacamole

These two flavors are actually quite compatible and the resulting dip is light, bright and citrusy (not to mention addicting)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados (or 4 small ones)
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cut your avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. 

    Next, break your grapefruit down into segments. The fastest way to do this is to slice the fruit in half crosswise, then use a serrated grapefruit spoon to scoop the flesh out of each “pocket.” Do this over the bowl so that you can catch all the juices too.

    To tone down the “rawness” of the onion, I run the chopped pieces under cold water for a minute or so. This softens the bite without taking away that nice pungency.

    Add the rest of the ingredients to your bowl and mash it all together with a fork. Add more spice or salt to taste.

Notes

I like to make criss-cuts in the flesh with a knife before I scoop it all out into a bowl… just makes it easier to mash.

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© Linda Ly
Category: Everyday Eats & Sweets
Linda Ly

I'm a plant lover, passionate road-tripper, and cookbook author whose expert advice and bestselling books have been featured in Time, Outside, HGTV, and Food & Wine. The National Parks Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is... Read more »

24 Comments

  1. I like to put a little lemon or lime in my guac to keep it from oxidizing. I would be really surprised if this guac would brown. You need a few varieties of avocados so you can have a year-round supply. One can never have too many avocados. We have Reed, Pinkerton and Lamb Hass.

    Reply

  3. Looks great! I notice you’re cutting your avocados the same way that you’d cut a Haas, or other thicker skinned variety. We also inherited mature avocado trees when we moved into our house (they must be at least 30 feet tall). After researching varieties, we think they’re Bacon and Zutano. Neither have very thick skin and I’m wondering if that’s normal or if they are lacking in some mineral or nutrient. I thought you had a Bacon tree also, and ours has paper thin skin most of the time. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. I’m not sure if I have a Bacon, Fuerte or Zutano tree… My avocados have traits from all three varieties and it’s hard to tell from just the shape or color alone. Even the individual fruits differ from each other (as you can see from the photo above!). They’ve also changed quite a bit since I moved in a few years ago; the fruits used to be much smaller with a shorter season, but now they’re huge and mature earlier. Weather and nutrients are definitely a factor in how they grow.

      Reply

  4. What a fun idea! Don’t despair Garden Betty. Before you know it, there will be a whole tree’s worth of growing avocados on your tree for next year. In the meantime, I imagine you will be distracted by ripening heirloom tomatoes and more pestos than you can shake a stick at :)!

    Reply

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