Guacamole and Baked Plantain Chips
Guacamole is best when it stays simple: ripe avocados, lime, a bit of heat, some crunch from red onion, and enough salt. No garlic. No cumin. No yogurt. No whatever other atrocity people commit against avocados. The baked plantain chips are the real revelation, though; they're golden, crispy, and stay solid under pressure in a way that homemade tortilla chips never seem to. You need green plantains for this, not ripe ones. Green plantains are firm and starchy; ripe ones go sweet and mushy. Your grocery store has them.
- VEG
- GF
- DF
Estimated macros per serving
Calories ~420 · Protein ~4g · Carbs ~53g · Fat ~23g
Ingredients
For the guacamole:
- 3 ripe Hass avocados
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (keep some seeds for more heat)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 small Roma tomato, seeded and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- juice of 2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For the baked plantain chips:
- 2 large green plantains
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Peel the green plantains: cut off the ends and slice the skin lengthwise along the ridges, then pry it off in sections. Green plantain peel doesn't slip off like a banana; you have to work for it. Using a mandoline (the thinnest setting on most mandolines, or as thin as you can manage consistently) or a very sharp knife, slice the plantains into rounds about ⅛-inch thick. Consistency matters here — too thick and they won't crisp, too thin and they may overbrown. Lay the rounds on a paper towel and pat dry, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss the plantain rounds with the melted coconut oil, salt, and garlic powder if using. Arrange them in a single layer on the sheet pans with no overlapping.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip each chip. Continue baking for another 8–10 minutes until golden on both sides and crisp at the edges. Pull them when they're golden, not brown — they'll crisp further as they cool.
- While the chips bake, make the guacamole. Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork to your preferred texture: we like it mostly smooth with some chunks for character.
- Add the jalapeño, red onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and lime. It should taste bright and well-seasoned; if it seems flat, it needs more salt or more lime.
- Serve the guacamole immediately with the cooled plantain chips alongside.
Variations & Notes
- Mango guac: Add ½ cup of finely diced ripe mango for a sweet-heat combination that works unreasonably well.
- Shortcut chips: If you don't want to bake chips, serve the guac with jicama sticks, bell pepper strips, or good-quality store-bought plantain chips.
- Extra Hungry: This is a snack, but it becomes a meal if you add a can of black beans, some grilled chicken, and turn it into a bowl situation.
- Storage: Guacamole is best fresh but will keep overnight in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface — cut avocado is a perishable food, so it goes in the fridge within 2 hours, never on the counter. Chips are crispiest the same day; keep cooled leftovers in an open or loosely covered container at room temperature for 2–3 days. Re-crisp in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes if needed.