Bacon Guacamole With Cotija Cheese (Print version)

Smoky, creamy avocado dip with crispy bacon, tangy Cotija, fresh lime, and jalapeño. A bold Mexican-American twist.

# What you'll need:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 3 ripe avocados
02 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
03 - 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
04 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
05 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

→ Meats

07 - 6 slices bacon

→ Dairy

08 - 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

→ Pantry

09 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Cook bacon slices in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and crumble once cooled.
02 - Cut avocados in half, remove pits, and scoop flesh into a large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork to your desired consistency.
03 - Add diced red onion, tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to the mashed avocados. Mix gently to combine without overworking.
04 - Fold in majority of the crumbled bacon and Cotija cheese, reserving a portion of each for garnish.
05 - Transfer guacamole to a serving bowl. Top with reserved bacon and Cotija cheese.
06 - Serve immediately with tortilla chips or sliced fresh vegetables.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The smoky bacon adds a layer of richness that makes every bite feel indulgent without much extra work.
  • Cotija cheese brings a salty tang that brightens the creamy avocado in a way regular guacamole never quite achieves.
  • It comes together in under half an hour and always gets compliments like you spent hours on it.
  • The contrast of textures keeps it interesting from the first scoop to the last chip.
02 -
  • Avocados brown fast once exposed to air, so make this close to serving time or press plastic wrap directly onto the surface if you need to wait.
  • Draining the bacon well is crucial because excess grease will make the guacamole slippery and heavy instead of light and rich.
  • If your avocados aren't quite ripe, letting them sit in a paper bag with a banana overnight usually does the trick.
03 -
  • Cook the bacon until it's deeply crispy because softer bacon will get lost in the creamy avocado and won't add the textural contrast you want.
  • Reserve some bacon and Cotija for garnish instead of mixing it all in, so the top stays visually appealing and every scoop gets a little crunch.
  • Taste the guacamole before adding all the salt since both the bacon and Cotija are salty, and it's easier to add more than to fix an over-salted batch.
Go back