When it comes to guacamole, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur. After years of making bucketfuls of this creamy and flavorful Mexican dip for catered events and in restaurants, I can confidently say that the secret to the best authentic guacamole is to keep it simple! No frills, no extras, just good quality ingredients and a little squeeze of lime juice is all you need.
Fresh guacamole can be served as a dip scooped up with fresh, homemade tortilla chips (for the ultimate treat!)or it can be served alongside your favorite Mexican dishes such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and/or salads.
The Best Homemade Guacamole
Packed full of flavor, this easy Guacamole recipe comes together quickly and is always a crowd pleaser. During my catering years, this creamy avocado dip was one of my most requested Mexican menu items – together with my favorite Authentic Mexican Salsa and this melt-in-your-mouth Carne Asada recipe.
I’m sharing this restaurant-style Mexican recipe so you too can enjoy the flavors of the absolute best guacamole, at home any time. But beware, this recipe is ridiculously delicious and highly addictive.
Easy Guacamole Ingredients
Be sure to check the printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and their exact quantities.
- Avocados: Ripe avocados are a must. I prefer Haas avocados.
- Onions: I love red onions in guacamole. If you like mild flavored onions, I suggest you rinse the red onions under cold running water first or use white, yellow or brown onions.
- Jalapeños: Remove the seeds and the veins if you prefer your guacamole mild. If you prefer a spicier guac, serrano chiles are great.
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, skip it or add chopped parsley.
- Lime Juice: Nothing compares to the flavor of freshly squeezed lime juice. Lemon juice can be used as well.
- Salt: I use sea salt.
- Optional Ingredients: Tomatoes, diced are optional and not something I usually add to my guac recipe. If you decide to add tomatoes, choose “meaty” tomatoes like Roma or plum tomatoes. Remove the seeds to prevent the guacamole from getting watery.
How To Make Guacamole From Scratch
- Combine the onions, jalapeño peppers, half of the chopped cilantro and salt in a medium bowl. With a fork, mash the ingredients together a few times just to quickly bruise them to make them aromatic.
- Scoop the flesh of the avocados into the bowl, discarding any bruised, browned areas. Mash the avocado coarsely or until it reaches your desired texture. Stir in the rest of the cilantro and lime juice. If you are using tomatoes, stir them in. Mix to combine and taste. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste.
Smooth Vs. Chunky Guacamole
Mash the avocado as much or as little as you want. I love smooth and chunky guacamole equally, but I think some chunks are always nice for texture.
Recipe Tips
- For the best flavor, only use ripe avocados and remove any and all brown spots from the avocado before mashing.
- Avocados are easier to mash when they are at room temperature.
- Dice the onions and jalapeños, smaller pieces meld better making the guac a lot tastier.
- Use fresh lime juice. The second best choice is fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice is never an option (unless you are in the North Pole).
- Mash the avocados with a fork or a pastry cutter and leave a few bigger chunks for texture.
- If the onions are strong tasting, place them in a mesh strainer, sprinkle some salt and toss to combine. Wait about 2-4 minutes and rinse under cold running water.
- Authentic Mexican guacamole does not include tomatoes, but you can add them if you want. Deseed the tomatoes to prevent the guac from getting runny.
How To Choose The Right Avocado
Ripe avocados are the key to the best homemade guacamole. A ripe avocado should be firm but give slightly when you press gently. Their skin should be dark green, sometimes turning dark purple.
Avocados that are too soft are past their prime, mushy and most likely have brown spots inside. Their skins look black and sometimes have spots.
Hard to the touch avocados are not ripe enough, light green in the inside and tasteless.
It’s best to pick avocados that have the stem still intact. Most people know that under the stem hides the sneak peak of the inside of this creamy and rich fruit; however, I shy away from removing the stem to see what’s in store for me. I feel that too many people remove the stem and leave the avocados behind even if that little spot looks perfectly green. That only means the next person won’t take that avocado since the stem is already removed (and the green spot is most likely brown due to oxidation).
How to Ripen Avocados
We all know under-ripe avocados are hard and they always seem to take for ever to soften. That is until you blink and they are overly ripe and useless. I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about.
If you have a bunch of hard avocados, place them in a paper bag. This will speed up the time they take to get perfectly ripe.
To slow down the ripening process, place them in the refrigerator.
How To Store Guacamole
Guacamole is best if eaten right after it is made. Avocados just like apples oxidize quite fast after they are cut. The lime juice in the guacamole slows the oxidation process a bit, but it will not prevent it completely. After a while, the guac will get dark.
The best way to store guacamole is to place it in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Press the plastic wrap so it covers the entire surface area. Cover the container and refrigerate for 2 days.
Guacamole Variations And Add-Ins
I love the traditional basic guacamole recipe; however, if you want to experiment here are a few fun ideas:
- Fresh Garlic: Add fresh minced or grated garlic.
- Corn: Add roasted, grilled or fresh corn.
- Fruit: Add chopped mango, pineapple or orange segments.
- Bacon: Add crispy bacon.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Make it super creamy with any of these two ingredients.
- Seasonings: Everything Bagel, ground cumin, ground chili pepper.
- Pesto: Omit the cilantro and add store bought or homemade pesto instead.
- Tahini: Sesame paste and chickpeas make the best and creamiest Avocado Hummus.
What Can I Serve With Guacamole
Traditionally we serve guac with chips, but there are other options that pair with this tasty and creamy avocado dip perfectly.
This guacamole recipe can be served with corn chips, carrots, celery sticks, crackers, jicama, tomatoes, pretzels and pita chips.
As a topping, the possibilities are endless! Guacamole adds lots of flavor to grilled meats like this Tequila Lime Chicken, casseroles, sandwiches, burgers, eggs, etc.
How Do you Make Guacamole That Doesn’t Turn Brown?
To prevent guacamole from turning brown quickly, make sure you add lime juice. Lime or lemon juice help in keeping avocado from turning brown quickly. Also, when storing guacamole in the refrigerator, try to keep it covered tightly with a layer of plastic wrap. The plastic should touch the guac. Less exposure to air means less oxidation which is what makes the avocado go brown. Keep in mind that fresh guacamole made with no additives or preservatives will eventually turn brown.
Guac Recipe FAQs
What are the best onions for guacamole?
Honestly, red, brown, yellow and white onions all will make a good guacamole. I prefer red onion because it adds some color but that is simply a personal preference. I’ve seen authentic guacamole recipes that used either one.
What are the best tomatoes for guacamole?
Although this guacamole recipe doesn’t asks for tomatoes, it is an optional ingredient that you are welcome to add. I prefer Roma tomatoes which have less seeds and will prevent watering down the guac.
How do restaurants keep avocados from turning brown?
As someone that worked in restaurants I can tell you that avocados turn brown in restaurants as fast as they do at home! In the kitchen, cooks always joke around that 2 minutes after cutting into an avocado, the avocado is dead! Obviously that is just a silly joke. The best thing to do is squeeze fresh lime or lemon juice over the cut avocado and keep it covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. If you still have the half with the pit, store that one and use the one without the pit first. Not removing the pit helps in keeping them looking fresh just a bit longer. Unfortunately, there is no other magic secret that has ever worked consistently.
Storing
Are you wondering what to do with leftover guacamole? Unfortunately, guacamole doesn’t keep well for long. You can store it, tightly covered in the fridge for about 2 hours but after that, it turns brown and unappealing. Since I rarely have any guac left, this is not a problem for me however, you can always turn guac into a salad dressing by adding additional ingredients such as lime or lemon juice and olive oil!
Easy Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup red onions, finely chopped (brown or white onions can be used)
- 1 – 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped (remove the ribs for less heat).
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 3 ripe Hass avocados, halved and pitted
- 1 – 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste
- 1 ripe Roma tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
To Serve:
- Tortilla Chips
Instructions
- Combine the onions, jalapeño peppers, half of the chopped cilantro and salt in a medium bowl. With a fork, mash the ingredients together a few times. This will bruise the ingredients a bit making them aromatic. You can also mash the ingredients together in a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle (molcajete).
- Scoop the flesh of the avocados into the bowl, discarding any bruised, browned areas. Mash the avocado coarsely or until it reaches your desired texture. I like a few small chunks to remain. Stir in the rest of the cilantro and lime juice. If you are using tomatoes, stir them in. Mix to combine and taste. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste.
Notes
- For the best flavor, only use ripe avocados and remove any and all brown spots from the avocado before mashing.
- Avocados are easier to mash when they are at room temperature.
- Dice the onions and jalapeños, smaller pieces meld better making the guac a lot tastier.
- Use fresh lime juice. The second best choice is fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice is never an option (unless you are in the North Pole).
- Mash the avocados with a fork or a pastry cutter and leave a few bigger chunks for texture.
- If the onions are strong tasting, place them in a mesh strainer, sprinkle some salt and toss to combine. Wait about 2-4 minutes and rinse under cold running water.
- Authentic Mexican guacamole does not include tomatoes but you can add them if you want. Deseed the tomatoes before adding.
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