Tex-Mex Polenta Rounds with Chunky Guacamole
⏲ ~32 min total · prep 18 · cook 14 · 4 servings
Sides⏱ 45 min total🔥 3.7g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups riced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, for frying
- 3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 small roma tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor to rice-sized grains, then simmer with the chicken broth in a covered 3-quart saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the grains are mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Cook uncovered 2-3 minutes more, stirring, until the mash is thick enough to hold a spoon-track — excess water here means rounds that fall apart in the pan.
- Off heat, stir in the parmesan, egg yolk, and chili powder, then spread the mash 1/2 inch thick into a parchment-lined 8x8-inch pan and freeze 15 minutes, until firm at the edges.
- While it chills, build the guacamole: gently fold the avocado chunks with tomato, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp salt, keeping the pieces big and intact — chunky is the point.
- Cut the chilled slab into 8 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, pressing the scraps back together for the last few.
- Heat the avocado oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, then fry the rounds 2-3 minutes per side, until deep golden with a crisp crust.
- Salt the hot rounds and serve immediately with the guacamole spooned alongside.
Why this recipe works
- Broth simmer, then a hard dry-out The riced cauliflower cooks covered for 8-10 minutes, then uncovered 2-3 more until a spoon-track holds in the mash. Every extra spoonful of water here becomes a round that slumps in the oil.
- One egg yolk as the binder A yolk holds the mash together without adding liquid, and the parmesan stiffens it further as it cools. The 15-minute freeze firms the slab's edges so the biscuit cutter cuts clean rounds.
- Chunky by instruction The guacamole folds avocado chunks with tomato, onion, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro and stops while the pieces are still big. Mashed-smooth guacamole turns gluey on a crisp round.
Tips for making this recipe well
The spoon-track is the gate
Stir the mash until a dragged spoon leaves a track that holds. If it slides closed, keep cooking; loose mash means rounds that fall apart in the pan.
Press scraps into the last rounds
After cutting 8 rounds, gather the trimmings and press them back into the cutter. They fry up slightly rougher, and nobody notices under the crust.
Wait for the shimmer
Avocado oil over medium-high should shimmer before the first round goes in. Oil that is not ready steams the crust instead of setting it.
Fold the guacamole with a light hand
Turn the chunks over twice and stop. The lime holds the color green for a couple of hours, but the texture only survives one gentle fold.
Salt the rounds hot
Salt lands and sticks on a freshly fried surface. Wait until they cool and it rolls off.
Serving suggestions
Game day, or any evening when the skillet gets to be the whole show. Salt the rounds the second they leave the oil, spoon the chunky guacamole alongside, and put the platter down while the crust still crackles; the guac waits happily, the crust does not. At 3.7 net carbs a serving, these stand in for chips and dip without anyone asking where the chips went.
Storage and meal prep
The rounds are best straight from the skillet, and leftovers keep 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge; recrisp them in a hot, lightly oiled skillet for a few minutes per side. You can also freeze the fried rounds for 2 to 3 months and recrisp them from frozen. The guacamole is a same-day food; press plastic wrap against its surface, and even with the lime it browns past a day.
Variations worth trying
- Sharper mash Double the chili powder in the cauliflower slab for rounds with more background heat.
- Cotija finish Crumbled cotija over the hot rounds melts slightly and adds a salty, milky edge.
- Salsa roja Serve the rounds with a spoonful of well-drained salsa instead of guacamole when the avocado bowl at the store is empty.
- Small rounds, big platter Cut with a 1 1/2-inch cutter instead and get a party-sized platter; shave a minute off the frying time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the freezer step?
Warm mash drags under the cutter and the rounds slump later in the oil. The 15 minutes firms the edges, and a longer rest hurts nothing.
Why did my rounds fall apart in the pan?
Two usual suspects: the mash never held a spoon-track, or the oil was not shimmering when they went in. Dry the mash harder and heat the oil fully before the first round.
Can I bake these instead of frying?
The recipe is built around the cast-iron fry, and a baked version will set but never crackle. If you try it, brush both sides with avocado oil and expect a softer crust.
How ripe should the avocados be?
Ripe enough to give to a gentle press without sinking. Hard avocados make chunky folding impossible, and overripe ones turn the guacamole soupy.
Can I make the guacamole ahead?
Two or three hours ahead is realistic if you press plastic wrap against the surface. The lime slows the browning; it does not stop it, and past a day the texture goes soft anyway.
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