Is it un-American of me to say I don’t LOVE bacon? I like it well enough, and I enjoy it on occasion. But bacon has had its day in the sun for a few too many days in my opinion. Bacon-infused donut with bacon filling and maple bacon frosting, bacon-wrapped hot dog with bacon jam on a cheddar bacon bun, deep-fried battered bacon – I’m gonna take a strong pass on all of this. Bacon is a great flavor but this is all just too much.
I will say that there are a few times when I think bacon shines best, and this recipe showcases one of those times perfectly. The sweet fresh corn with the creamy rich avocado and the salty crisp bacon. Now this is a concoction I can support! Super simple stuff going on right here, which is why I think it works.
Start off by cooking a few slices of bacon, making sure to reserve the bacon fat. Next, cut the kernels off a cob of corn. One of my favorite kitchen tips: lay the cob on its side (as in the picture) and slice the kernels off at an angle down towards the cutting board. Rotate the cob, and slice the next section of kernels off. Loads of people will say the easiest way to do this is to stand the cob up and “saw” the kernels off. Don’t do it. It makes a HUGE mess. And corn juice is starchy and sticky and a pain to clean up. This way is mess free. Give it a try.
Cook the corn in the reserved bacon fat with a few paper-thin slices of jalapeno and some chili powder. While all that’s happening prep the guacamole. I like to keep the avocados in my guac nice and chunky, but I like my other ingredients nice and fine. Go with what you like – I know guacamole texture can be fairly divisive.
I like to treat this guacamole as more of a dip and display the different components separately. The thought of destroying crispy bacon by mixing it with moist avocado didn’t seem like a good plan. If you want to mix this up, go for it. The world is your oyster! Crumble on some queso fresco, grab some tortilla chips, and you’re ready for summer.
Bacon Sweet Corn Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon
- 1 cob fresh corn, kernels removed (can use 1/2 cup frozen, thawed, drained corn)
- 1 jalapeno, half sliced paper-thin, half seeded and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 medium ripe avocados
- 1 tablespoon minced white onion
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
- juice from 1/2 a lime
- 2 ounces queso fresco
- chopped cilantro and tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
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Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the strips of bacon and cook until they are good and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, keeping the bacon fat in the saute pan. Roughly chop the bacon once it's cooled.
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With the pan still on medium heat, add the corn kernels and the sliced jalapeno. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the corn is cooked through and begins to brown in a few spots. Add the chili powder, remove from the heat, and season with salt and pepper.
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While the corn is cooking, prepare the quacamole by cutting the avocados in half, removing the pit, and scooping out the avocado meat into rough chunks into a medium bowl. Add the minced jalapeno, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix until it's the consistency you're looking for. Add salt and more lime juice to taste.
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To assemble, transfer the guacamole to your serving dish and add the corn, bacon, and queso fresco. I like to keep my components separate, but you're more than welcome to mix them or mix everything all together. Serve with more chopped cilantro and tortilla chips. Enjoy!