Grilled Corn Guacamole

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COME TO COSTA RICA WITH ME!
I'm excited to invite you to a wellness retreat that I'll be leading in Costa Rica this fall (November 12-16). The retreat is all about finding inner peace through connection with nature, moving our bodies, and enjoying colorful plant-based food. We'll be taking sunrise and sunset walks on the beach, paddleboarding, making rainbow salads with local ingredients, participating in a cacao ceremony, and even doing a horseback ride on the beach.

(Note: this post was originally published on April 28, 2019. It has since been updated with new photos and a few tweaks.)

Grilled Corn Guacamole: the Ultimate Summer Appetizer

If you're a guacamole lover but are feeling bored by the classics, then I have a recipe you need to try. This grilled corn guacamole is a simple yet delicious twist that's packed with flavor and is easy to make. Especially during the summer when you can get your hands on local corn on the cob, I'm confident this will become you're go-to party appetizer.

This guacamole with corn has a truly divine combination of flavors. The avocado mash is rich and creamy, but it also gets freshness from cilantro, complexity from cumin, and acidity from lime. To that mash you'll add grilled red onion, which has a nice sweetness and delicate char. The star of the show, of course, is grilled local corn that is packed with sweetness and juiciness.

Ready to dive in? Once you start making this grilled corn guacamole, you may never want to go back to plain guac again.

Woman's hand dipping a tortilla chip into a large serving bowl of grilled corn guacamole.

How to Make Guacamole with Corn

This unique grilled corn guacamole is easy to make, especially if you grill the veggies in advance. You'll just cut the onion into rounds and remove the husks from the corn, then grill both until tender and lightly charred. Let the veggies cool, chop the onion and cut the corn from the cob, and stir them into a simple avocado mash with lime juice, cilantro, sea salt, and a bit of cumin.

As written, the recipe uses four avocados and yields enough for 6-8 appetizer sized servings. You can easily scale up or down as needed.

You'll notice that this guacamole with corn omits many of the common add-ins (tomatoes, raw onions, garlic, jalapeno, etc.). That's because I've created this guac version to feel fresh and summery rather than super-savory. That said, you can certainly experiment with adding whatever other guacamole ingredients you typically enjoy.

Spicy Grilled Corn Guacamole Variation

Like things spicy? You can easily add some heat into this summery guacamole with corn. Feel free to stir in finely chopped or very thinly sliced fresh, grilled, and/or pickled jalapenos, adjusting the heat level to your own tastes. Because corn and red onion both have some sweetness (especially when grilled), adding some heat balances the flavors nicely.

Mexican Street Corn Guacamole Variation

As written, this recipe is vegan. However, if you want to turn this simple guacamole with corn into Mexican street corn guacamole, try stirring in a quarter cup of crumbled cotija cheese. Feta could also work if you can't find cotija.

Make-Ahead Tips

Because avocados brown quickly, I don't suggest making this grilled corn guacamole ahead of time. However, if you grill the veggies a day in advance (just store them in sealed containers in the refrigerator), the final assembly will take only a few minutes. If the guacamole will need to sit out for a short amount of time (up to 30-60 minutes), try brushing the surface with additional lime juice and then covering it with a layer of plastic wrap.

Bowl of guacamole with grilled corn (cut off the cob), grilled red onion, and cilantro.

Other Guacamole Variations

If you enjoy exploring different guacamole variations, then you've come to the right place. If you have access to an assortment of tropical fruit, then you'll love this tropical fruit guacamole; it's perfect for a summer picnic on the beach. Similarly, this simple pineapple guacamole has tropical vibes that are wonderful for the warmer months.

Winter time? That's ok, guacamole works great all year round. This caramelized onion guacamole has a cozier feel and is great for winter weekends. For November and December, this holiday guacamole with pomegranate and figs is a show-stealing appetizer.

Like more texture? Avocado also works great in salsa, especially alongside other fruit. Check out this fruit salsa guide for tips, ideas, and examples.

Bowl of grilled corn guacamole, shown alongside tortilla chips, cucumber slices, baby bell peppers, and two tropical cocktails.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this guacamole with corn, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

  • Red onion
  • Corn. This recipe is best if you use local corn on the cob grilled outdoors. However, in the off-season, you can also grill frozen corn on an indoor grill pan or even use pre-grilled frozen corn.
  • Oil of choice
  • Ripe avocados
  • Lime
  • Cumin
  • Sea salt
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Chili salt

Cloce-up of guacamole with corn, showing the grill marks on large clusters of corn kernels cut off the cob.

Closing Thoughts

How will YOU enjoy this easy and flavorful grilled corn guacamole? Although it's wonderful with veggies and chips for dipping, there are many other ways to savor it. Try scooping it onto a salad or dolloping it on top of tacos or even black bean burgers. Thanks to the corn, it can pair with a wide variety of dishes including Mexican fare or summery classics.

The photos in this post depict our ideal date night at home: cocktails (you'll see my favorite Planter's Punch in some of them) and casual finger foods. It's the best way to spend a Friday evening after a long week. I hope you'll enjoy this guacamole with corn as much as my husband and I do!

Serving bowl of grilled corn on a white background, shown with tortilla chips and colorful raw vegetables for dipping.

Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

Suggested Pairings

Blackberry Coconut Margarita

Grilled Corn, Strawberry, and Avocado Salad

Rainbow Mexican Black Bean Salad

Margarita-Inspired Mexican Cauliflower

Healthy Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Peppers

Grilled Corn Guacamole

Guacamole gets a BBQ-appropriate update with the addition of everyone's favorite summer veggie: corn on the cob. This grilled corn guacamole is exactly what you'll want at every party this season.

Author:
Lee

Ingredients

  • Small red onion
  • 2 ears of fresh local corn
  • Oil of choice for grilling
  • 4 ripe avocados
  • Juice of a lime
  • Pinch of cumin
  • Generous flaky sea salt
  • Small handful of fresh cilantro
  • Optional sprinkle of chili salt

Instructions

  1. Remove the skin from the onion and cut it into rounds. Remove the husks from the corn.
  2. Grill the onion and corn on a well-oiled grill over medium heat, flipping half-way through, until tender and lightly charred on both sides. Set aside until cool.
  3. Dice the onion and cut the corn off the cob. Chop the cilantro finely.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, mash the avocados, lime juice, cumin, and sea salt. Taste and adjust the salt and lime to your preferences.
  5. To the avocado mash, add the diced onion, corn kernels, and cilantro, then mix gently.
  6. Transfer the guacamole to a serving dish. If desired, garnish with a sprinkle of chili salt.

Leave a Comment

Please Share Your Thoughts!

Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.

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DM
August 25, 2024
My family has made this 3 times this grilling season everyone enjoys it. Good way to get grilled food into the appetizers. Last time we added pickled jalapanos and it was very good.
Chelsea
July 6, 2023
Bookmarked! I’m so excited to try this at our next BBQ with local sweet corn.
Mariela
November 29, 2021
This sounds like a dream guacamole!!! The recipe is amazing and delicious. Adding corn is a great idea. I’m giving this recipe a try!!
Lee
February 17, 2021
Marie- Sure thing, this will totally work with frozen corn when you're out of season. When I use frozen, I grill it inside on a grill pan; works great. If you don't have a grill pan, a big skillet will work. The key is to just char it a bit and add some flavor.
Marie
February 16, 2021
Do you think this could work with frozen corn? It's all I can find now.
Cold Climber
June 24, 2020
This is one of my absolutely favorite recipes! So easy, ingredients are super easy to find (and almost always on hand), and a crowd-pleaser... no matter how large a batch I make, it never survives to see the inside of the fridge that evening :)