Guacamole Recipe
Featured Comment
The best homemade guacamole ever! Thank you! ~Stacy
Quick Look: Guacamole Recipe
• ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
• 🍳 Cook Time: None
• 🕒 Total Time: 15 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 4 (about 2 cups)
• 📊 Calories: ~336 kcal per serving
• 🔥 Cook Method: Mash the avocados, mix in fresh ingredients, and serve!
• 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Fresh, creamy, zesty, and slightly spicy with lots of texture.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, perfect for quick snacks or entertaining.
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Guacamole is one of my favorite classic dips that I put my own special touch to it. I’ve made this guacamole recipe more than 10 years ago, and so many people enjoyed it my way, that is the only way now! While traditional guacamole is simple, my version builds on those classic flavors with a little extra seasoning and texture to make it truly irresistible.
Now, this is a flavor you will want on your chips, nachos, shrimp tacos, jalapeno popper quesadillas, and so much more!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what goes into this guacamole and why each ingredient matters:
- Avocados – The base! Use ripe avocados for the best creamy texture.
- Tomato – Adds freshness and a little sweetness (remove seeds to avoid excess liquid).
- Red onion – Gives a sharp, slightly sweet bite.
- Jalapeño – Adds heat (adjust to taste).
- Cilantro – Bright, fresh flavor (optional if you’re not a fan).
- Lime juice – Adds acidity and helps slow browning.
- Cumin & chili powder – Adds depth and a subtle smoky flavor.
- Salt – very important because it brings all the flavors together. Before adjusting any other flavors to your preference, always adjust salt first. Salt is responsible for a lot of flavor.
How to Choose Avocado and Other Ingredients
- What To Remember When Selecting Avocados: Select ripe avocados. You’re looking for darker green color with some wrinkles but not deep wrinkles. A ripe avocado also yields when you gently press it. If it yields too easily (feels soft), the avocado is over-ripe. If it doesn’t yield at all (feels hard) it is not ripe yet. Also, try to get avocados that have the little stem still attached.
- Tomatoes – Make sure tomatoes are not too soft or it will be hard to dice. Do hollow out the seed area from the inside of the tomato or it will add too much liquid to the guacamole.
- Jalapenos – you can adjust heat level with jalapenos. If you want spicier result, use jalapenos that have some veins in the skin and add the seeds. Choose smooth, firm jalapenos for less heat and discard the seeds.
- If you want spicy guacamole – you can choose spicier chili peppers like red chili peppers, habanero, or serrano.
How To Make Guacamole
- Prep the avocados: Cut them in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl.
- Mash to your desired texture: Use a fork or potato masher to mash your avocados. Keep it chunky or smooth, it’s totally a personal preference.
- Add the mix-ins: Stir in diced tomato (seeds removed), minced onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Season and mix: squeeze in fresh lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Taste and adjust: Taste and adjust salt first. Other things people adjust to taste are lime juice or spic.
- Serve immediately: Guacamole is best fresh!
Easy Guacamole Variations
- Spicy guacamole: Add serrano or habanero peppers.
- Chunky guacamole: Mash less and leave bigger avocado pieces.
- Smooth guacamole: Mash thoroughly for a creamy dip.
- No cilantro: Skip it if you’re sensitive to the flavor.
- Extra veggies: Add a little diced bell pepper, diced cucumber, corn, or green onion.
- Add some cheese: Try some crumbled cotija cheese on top.
How To Store Leftover Guacamole
- Lime juice and air-tight covering will help keep your guacamole fresh longer. Based on personal experience, I recommend storing guacamole in a glass bowl or glass food storage container.
- Transfer the leftover dip into a glass container and squeeze some lime juice over the top. Try to get the lime juice evenly all over the top and cover it flush with a sheet of plastic wrap. Plastic wrap should be touching the top of guacamole to create a barrier between the dip and the air.
- Store the leftover guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- PRO TIP: Fresh lime juice and air-tight covering will help keep your guacamole fresh longer.
Can I Make Guacamole Ahead of Time?
- No, guacamole is not something you make ahead of time! While you can store leftover guacamole, it will not be as good as fresh. It also does not have a long shelf life.
- Avocado is also prone to oxidation soon after being open, so you have to put it some effort to minimize it. And even then, some oxidation will still occur.
Guacamole FAQs
It should feel slightly soft when gently pressed and have a darker green skin.
Personally, I don’t recommend it because the texture is not pleasant when thawed.
Yes, cilantro is optional, so leave it out if you’re not a fan
Acid! You need lime juice to keep it from turning brown once opened. In guacamole, add some on top if you are not serving right away.
Use less spicy jalapeno and take out all seeds and membrane for less spice. Use spicier peppers for more spice.
More Mexican Inspired Appetizer Recipes
If you’re looking for more Mexican-inspired appetizers to serve alongside this guacamole, there are plenty of delicious options to try. Bite-sized guacamole cups are perfect for parties, while shrimp salad stuffed avocado and chicken salad stuffed avocado make a fresh and satisfying avocado recipe. For something warm and indulgent, queso blanco with chorizo and homemade queso blanco is always a crowd favorite, and pairing it with my homemade salsa recipe or vibrant salsa verde recipe adds a fresh, zesty kick to any spread.
If you’ve made my guacamole recipe and found a lot of good information here, PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!
Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 ripe avocados
- 1 medium tomato seeds removed
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1 lg jalapeno
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp fresh minced cilantro
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder more if you want extra kick
- Salt to taste
Instructions
How To Cut Avocado:
- Cut avocados in half. To take out the pit, use a little bit of force to hit the avocado pit with a knife and then gently twist and pull it out.
- Use a large spoon to get in between the avocado pulp and the skin and scoop out avocado pulp out of each avocado half. Scrape out the inside of the leftover skin if needed. Discard the skin and pits.
Make Guacamole:
- Place the avocado pulp into a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork or a potato masher. Make sure the avocados are ripe or it won’t mash well.
- Seed and mince jalapeno. Mince red onion and dice tomato. Add veggies to avocado. (Note: for spicy avocado, keep the jalapeno seeds, that's where most of the spiciness comes from.)
- Squeeze in lime juice and add remaining ingredients to the bowl, mix well. Taste to see if you need more salt.
- Transfer into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips of your favorite veggies.
Video
Notes
- Picking Avocados: When selecting ripe avocados, first you are looking for darker green color with some wrinkles but not deep wrinkles. So don’t pick lighter green avocados or ones with deep wrinkles. Also, try to get avocados that have the little stem still attached.
Next, pick it up and give it a gentle squeeze. A ripe avocado yields when you gently press it. If it yields too easily, the avocado is over-ripe. If it doesn’t yield at all, it is unripe. - Saving Leftovers: Transfer the leftover dip into a glass container and give it another squeeze of lime juice over the top. Try to get the lime juice evenly all over the top and cover it flush with a sheet of plastic wrap. Plastic wrap should be touching the top of guacamole to create a barrier between the dip and the air.
- Store the leftover guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on August 13, 2014.
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Categories:
Appetizer Recipes, Cinco de Mayo Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Super Bowl Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
The best homemade guacamole ever! Thank you!
Wow! Thank you for the sweet compliment! I’m so glad you loved it!
Never got to the video, way too many ads to keep me interested!🤨
I totally understand the frustration! Just wanted to share that running ads is how I’m able to do this as it is my job and keep all of the recipes free for readers. 😊 To make it easier, there’s a “Jump to Recipe” button right at the top of every post. Clicking that will take you straight to the recipe card without scrolling through the ads or story. Hope that helps, and thank you for visiting! 💛
This is my go-to guac recipe whenever I host friends for a movie or game night. Everyone scarfs it down in minutes! The perfect amount of spice to give the avocados flavor without it being overpowering. I do always ask about adding cilantro, however, since I learned it tastes like soap for some people.
Love hearing this is your go-to for movie and game nights—such a compliment! And so smart to check on the cilantro first; it’s definitely one of those love-it-or-hate-it ingredients. Thanks for sharing your tip, and I’m so glad it’s always a crowd-pleaser! 🥑
This is the best guacamole! I don’t have it anywhere other than at home because I can add tomato, onion and spices to it. Thanks for the recipe!!
I’m thrilled to hear you think this is the best guacamole! Thank you for sharing your feedback, and enjoy your homemade guacamole!
Absolutely the best guacamole recipe I’ve found…and I’ve tried a lot of them. My guests have concurred wholeheartedly!! Thank you so much! 😁
Wow! Thank you for such a big complement I am so glad everyone liked it!
Very good and easy ingredients that you usually have on hand.
My friends and I loved this recipe!
Best recipe I’ve found!
Thank you, Kasey!
Made this today to go with my nachos for Super Bowl Sunday. Came out excellent!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks, Melinda! What a great tip!
super! Our favorite guacamole! thanks you
You are so welcome!