4 Chips And Dip Recipes for the Perfect Taco Night: Guacamole, Salsa Verde, Fresh Pico de Gallo, and Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños

Elevate your next taco night with these Chips and dip recipes: smooth Guacamole, Roasted Salsa Verde, fresh Pico de Gallo, and Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños.

Chips & Dip!

Smooth Blender Guacamole

Good guacamole doesn’t need much — just ripe avocados, a handful of bright, punchy ingredients, and a food processor to bring it all together in minutes. This version is smooth and deeply flavoured, with heat from serrano chilli, sharpness from fresh lime, and a fragrant finish of chopped cilantro. It’s the kind of recipe that disappears from the bowl almost instantly, whether you’re serving it as a dip at a party, spooning it onto tacos, or eating it straight with a bag of chips. Make it just before you need it for the best colour and flavour.

Guacamole Ingredients

• 4 ripe avocados
• 1 serrano chilli, stem, ribs, and seeds removed
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Guacamole Method

Peel and pit the avocados. Place them in a food processor along with the serrano chilli, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro. Season generously with salt and pepper. Blend until fully smooth and combined.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Guacamole Recipe Notes

For a chunkier guacamole, mash the avocados with a fork rather than blending, and finely dice the chilli and garlic before mixing everything together by hand.

Serrano chilli brings a bright, clean heat. Removing the ribs and seeds keeps it mild and flavourful — if you like things spicier, leave them in or add a second chilli. Jalapeño is a good substitute if serrano isn’t available.

Guacamole is best made fresh and served straight away. If you need to make it a little ahead, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface to limit air exposure, and refrigerate for up to a few hours. The lime juice will help slow browning.

Guacamole also freezes surprisingly well and is a great way to preserve that bright green colour. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag, press out any excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Roasting transforms tomatillos entirely — their sharpness mellows, their natural sweetness deepens, and the edges caramelise just enough to add a subtle smokiness that you simply can’t get from boiling. This roasted salsa verde comes together in under 30 minutes and is one of the most versatile things you can keep in the fridge. Spoon it over tacos, stir it into scrambled eggs, use it as a base for braised chicken, or serve it straight from the jar with tortilla chips. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll find yourself making on repeat.

Salsa Verde Ingredients

• 2 lbs tomatillos, husks removed
• 3 to 4 jalapeños, stems removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ cup water
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Salsa Verde Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them well under cold water to remove any stickiness. Trim the stems from the jalapeños. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion chunks, and garlic cloves on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season generously with kosher salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft, blistered, and beginning to caramelise at the edges.

Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices from the baking sheet to a blender. Add the cilantro, cumin, and ¾ cup water. Season with a little more kosher salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth and well combined, adding a splash more water if needed to reach your preferred consistency.

Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, or allow to cool and transfer to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salsa Verde Recipe Notes

The jalapeños are optional if you prefer a mild salsa — simply leave them out. For more heat, keep the seeds and ribs in, or add an extra jalapeño before roasting.

If the salsa tastes bitter, add a small pinch of sugar to the blender before blending — even ¼ teaspoon is enough to round out any harshness without making the salsa taste sweet.

This salsa keeps well in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavour deepens as it sits, making it even better the next day.

Fresh Tomato Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo is one of those recipes that proves how little effort it takes to make something truly great. Just a handful of fresh ingredients — ripe Roma tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and lime — chopped and combined in a bowl. No cooking, no equipment, no fuss. It’s the kind of thing you can throw together in ten minutes and it will still be the first thing to disappear from the table. Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, spoon it over tacos or grilled fish, or pile it onto scrambled eggs in the morning. However you use it, it’s endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to improve on.

Pico de Gallo Ingredients

• 1 lb Roma tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed, finely diced
• 2 jalapeños, stems, ribs, and seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves picked and finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Pico de Gallo Method

Wash the tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro thoroughly. Halve the tomatoes and use a small spoon or your fingers to scoop out the seeds and pulp, then finely dice the flesh into roughly ¼-inch pieces — removing the seeds and pulp keeps the pico from becoming watery and gives you a more concentrated tomato flavour. Finely dice the jalapeños and red onion to the same size. Pick the cilantro leaves from the stems and chop finely.

Add all the prepared vegetables and cilantro to a large bowl. Squeeze over the lime juice, season generously with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine.

Allow the pico de gallo to sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving — this gives the flavours time to meld and draws out a little of the tomato juice, which loosens everything into a scoopable, saucy consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning before bringing to the table.

Pico de Gallo Recipe Notes

For a milder pico, use just one jalapeño and make sure all seeds and ribs are removed. For more heat, leave the seeds in or add a second chilli. Serrano is a good substitute if jalapeño isn’t available — it’s slightly hotter, so start with one.

Roma tomatoes are ideal here as they’re meaty with less juice and fewer seeds than other varieties, making them easy to prep and giving a better texture. If you can’t find them, any ripe, firm tomato will work — just be thorough about removing the seeds and pulp.

Pico de gallo is best made fresh and eaten the same day. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though the tomatoes will soften and release more liquid over time. Give it a stir and taste for seasoning before serving.

Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños

These pickled carrots and jalapeños are one of those fridge staples that quietly make everything better. Bright, tangy, and just the right amount of spicy, they’re the ideal condiment to have on hand — piled onto tacos, tucked into burritos, served alongside grilled meats, or eaten straight from the jar. The brine comes together in minutes, and after just 24 hours in the refrigerator they’re ready to go. Make a batch on a Sunday and you’ll be reaching for them all week.

Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños Ingredients

• ½ lb (about 3 to 4 medium) carrots, peeled
• 2 jalapeños
• ½ medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños Method

Peel the carrots and slice them on the diagonal into ¼-inch pieces. Trim the stems from the jalapeños and slice them thinly on the diagonal. Slice the onion into thin julienne strips. Pack the carrots, jalapeños, and onion snugly into a clean 16 oz mason jar.

Combine the vinegar, water, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt, then remove from the heat.

Carefully pour the hot brine over the vegetables, making sure the liquid completely covers them — if needed, press the vegetables down gently with a spoon. The garlic and bay leaves can be tucked in alongside the vegetables. Seal the jar tightly and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Once cool, transfer the jar to the refrigerator and leave for at least 24 hours before eating. The flavour deepens and the vegetables soften slightly the longer they sit.

Pickled Carrots & Jalapeños Recipe Notes

This recipe is scaled for one 16 oz mason jar. To make a larger batch, simply double or triple the quantities and divide between additional jars.

Mexican oregano is the preferred choice here — it has a more citrusy, slightly floral flavour that suits the brine beautifully. It can be found at most Latin grocery stores or online. Regular dried oregano works as a substitute if that’s what you have on hand.

For more heat, leave the seeds and ribs in the jalapeños, or add a third chilli. For a milder pickle, remove the seeds entirely.

Pickled carrots and jalapeños keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Make sure the vegetables stay submerged under the brine — if any float above the liquid, press them back down before resealing.

These are wonderful as a condiment alongside tacos, grilled chicken, fish, or eggs. They also make a great addition to grain bowls or sandwiches.

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