Easy Homemade Guacamole
on Feb 01, 2017, Updated Jan 29, 2024
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The best thing that can happen to a ripe avocado (though I am open to debating) has to be homemade guacamole.
Did you know that Americans eat 7 pounds of avocados on average per year? And that’s up from 1 pound back in 1989? Holy guacamole! But I believe it…and I also fully understand that if 7 pounds is the average, I must be eating a whole lot more. Seven pounds a month? All things are possible.
It’s hard to think of a more popular partner for crunchy chips than simple homemade guacamole. Creamy avocados all blended up with a bit of onion, some chopped tomatoes, a healthy dose of fresh lime juice, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Minced jalapeños and chopped fresh cilantro are optional, but I always include them or make one batch plain and one with these authentic add-ins.
Of course, guacamole is amazing with tortilla chips, but if we’re having nachos, chili, enchiladas, or tacos, it’s one of the must-have companions. (Also try avocado crema; a smoother, even creamier alternative!)
Table of Contents
Perfect Guacamole: Lime juice, avocado, onion, and tomato add up to the best and easiest homemade guac ever. Minced jalapenos and fresh cilantro also highly recommended!
The Best Avocados for Guacamole
The secret to great guacamole is perfectly ripe avocados. Don’t be lured in by those oversized avocados. Hass avocados are smaller, darker green, and bumpier than other varieties of avocados and, in general, have a deeper, richer flavor with denser flesh. They are mostly grown in Mexico and California.
They are nutrient-rich and have a nice amount of various essential vitamins and minerals. The fat they contain is understood by health experts to be the “good” fat, monounsaturated fat, which, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fat, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease.
How to Ripen Avocados for Guacamole
You really need perfectly ripe avocados to make good guacamole. Don’t bother if your avocados aren’t nicely soft to the touch. Make another dip!
To ripen avocados quickly, put them in a brown paper bag with a banana or an apple — the natural gasses from the other fruit will help speed up the ripening.
Make Ahead and Storage
If possible, make the guacamole only an hour or two ahead of time. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole, store it in the refrigerator, and stir before serving.
Guacamole Ingredients
The ingredient list for guacamole is quite short; the avocados are the star! These are the ingredients most commonly used in traditional Mexican guacamole.
- Avocados – Hass avocados are the best, but if you can’t find them, any ripe avocado will work.
- Onion – A bit of onion is crucial to good guacamole. Make sure to mince it finely so it blends into the dip. A slightly sweeter white onion is the onion of choice; avoid onions that are too strong, which could overpower the other flavors.
- Tomato – Adds a bit of acidity and sweetness.
- Lime juice – Using fresh lime juice will make a big difference here. It adds so much freshness.
- Jalapeño pepper – This is optional. Remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper for a more gentle level of heat, or leave it out entirely. The heat of the jalapeño resides mostly in the seeds.
- Cilantro – Using fresh cilantro makes all the difference. Only leave it out if you have die-hard cilantro haters in the mix, or scoop out a bit and leave that plain.
- Lots of tortilla chips for serving – Not at all optional! Unless you’re serving the guacamole with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or some other larger dish.
Jalapeños and Cilantro in Guacamole
Jalapeños are hot, and cilantro is a serious love-hate herb. If you’re not sure what your crew will like, you can make the guacamole without those seasonings, then divide the mixture into two bowls. Leave one batch plain and spike the other with jalapeños and cilantro, or one or the other. Make sure to label the bowls if you do this.
How to Serve Guacamole
Of course, you can serve guac in a plain old bowl, but how much fun it is to serve it in scooped-out avocado shells! They might be a little wobbly, but you can nestle the shells in a bed of tortilla chips for more stability. When you are scooping out the avocado to make the guacamole, be careful not to tear the skins.
How to Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown
Air is the enemy of green guacamole. It causes the avocado to oxidize, which results in fairly rapid browning. There are several ways to prevent your guac from browning, but only two really feel like they work without altering the flavor of the guacamole.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole. Make sure all of the air is gently pressed out. You can keep the guac this way at room temperature for a few hours or store the guac with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- Smooth the top of your guacamole and pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the surface. You need enough water so that the guacamole surface is completely covered, but it doesn’t have to be sloshing around in the bowl. You can keep the guac this way at room temperature for a few hours or store the guac with a thin layer of water in the refrigerator for up to a day. Pour off the water before stirring and serving.
- Additional lemon or lime juice on the top of the guacamole also wards off browning. However, it can make the guacamole too tart and overwhelm the flavor of the avocado. If you do want to do this, just hold back on adding the lime juice to the recipe. Save it for last, pour it over the top, using it to “seal” the top of the guac, and then stir it in just before serving. The proportions will still be perfect, and you will have avoided the browning.
FAQs
Covered in one of the two ways outlined above (sealed with water or plastic wrap), it should last from 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Yes! It’s fine. The taste and texture should be affected just slightly, if at all; it’s mostly an aesthetic thing. If the browning is just slight, you can totally stir it so the brown areas blend into the rest of it, and you’re good to go. Or scrape it off and discard it.
Besides perfectly ripe avocados, great guacamole is all about balance in terms of taste and texture. I like to balance out the creaminess of the avocado with the acidity of the lime juice and the spiciness of a jalapeño. I use onion and tomato to add variety to the texture. With the right balance between just a few high-quality ingredients, your guacamole can really shine.
Mashed avocado is the main substance of guacamole, but it typically contains other ingredients as well. Some of the basics are minced onion, tomato, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Often, cilantro and jalapeño are added.
Traditional Mexican guacamole doesn’t;t contain garlic, though many cooks like to add it in. I prefer to stick with just finely minced onion, but if you are inclined to add a bit of minced garlic, go ahead, but use restraint as it can overpower the other flavors.
First, check to see if you’ve added enough salt and pepper. Then, see if it needs more fresh lime juice. You may also want to add a bit more onion.
What to Serve With Guacamole
More Dip Recipes
- Instant Pot Buffalo Dip
- Mexican Salsa Ranchera
- Warm Jalapeño Popper Dip
- Easy Hot Pimento Cheese Dip
- Spicy Pear and Cilantro Salsa
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Easy Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados (preferably Hass)
- ⅓ cup minced onion
- 1 medium-size ripe tomato (cored, seeded, and chopped; about 2/3 cup)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (optional)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Lots of tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and use a knife to cut the avocado flesh into chunks right in the skin, cutting in one direction and then crosswise in a gridlike fashion. Use a spoon to scoop out all of the flesh into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the onion, tomato, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Use a fork or a potato masher to combine the ingredients and mush up the avocado, leaving it as chunky or as blended as you like. Stir in the lime juice, then adjust the seasonings.
- You can serve the guacamole as is with tortilla chips or use on tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or other dishes.
