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Home » Appetizers » Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole Recipe

Created: April 29, 2020 Updated: April 10, 2023 by Lyuba Brooke 35 Comments

104.7K shares
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The most amazing Guacamole you will ever try. This guacamole recipe features fresh avocados mashed and loaded with tomatoes, red onions, lime juice, and jalapenos. It’s also flavored with fresh herbs and spices, which takes this recipe to a new level of delicious.

Classic guacamole is a great compliment to Huevos Rancheros for breakfast and shrimp tostadas or shrimp tacos for lunch.

scooping out some guacamole with a tortilla chip.

Table of Contents

  • Ingredient Notes:
  • Instructions:
  • How To Store Leftover Guacamole
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Appetizer Recipes To Try
  • Guacamole Recipe

As much as I love getting creative and sharing original and unique recipes, I also love to make classics. Guacamole is one of my favorite classic dips. It’s ready in about five minutes, it’s healthy and so delicious!

Why is is healthy? I’m sure by now we all know avocados as the “healthy fat” because it might be high is fat but it is healthy fat. It’s also packed with about 20 different vitamins and minerals including Vitamins K, C, B, and E, potassium, folate, fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids, and so much more. All together, there are a lot of health benefits to eating avocados.

My favorite way to include avocados in my diet is this dip. I’ve played around with this recipe for years and this one is a winner by far. The key ingredients that make this recipe amazing are fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cumin. All add so much flavor to the dip.

I know many people like to have their guacamole plain, simply avocado, and some lime juice. But it’s just so much better with a pop of flavor from red onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, spices, and herbs. Mashed avocado is just a mashed avocado without all the extra veggies, herbs, and spices in it. So don’t be afraid to add more flavor.

Ingredient Notes:

ingredients to make guacamole on a sheet tray labaled.

Avocado – 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, the avocado is over-ripe.

Tomatoes – choose tomatoes on a vine, they have the best aroma and the freshest taste. Make sure tomatoes are not too soft or it will be hard to dice. 

Red Onion – red onions have a great hint of sweetness and a little crunch. 

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. 

Lime juice – fresh lime juice makes guacamole what it is. Choose ripe, fresh lime and you will get more juice out of it.

Chili powder, cumin, salt – this is where my recipe beats out the competition, the seasoning. Choose chipotle chili powder for extra smokey flavor. Adding cumin with chili powder brings out a lot of flavors in guacamole.

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.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Instructions:

collage of four images of steps to take out avocado flesh.

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 (1) and then gently twist and pull it out (2). Use a large spoon to get in between the avocado pulp and the skin (3) and scoop out avocado pulp out of each avocado half (4). Scrape out the inside of the leftover skin if needed. Discard the skin and pits.

Prepare Guacamole:

Step 1: 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. 

Step 2: Seed and mince jalapeno. (TIP: if you want spicy avocado, you can leave some seeds in.) Mince red onion and dice tomato and add veggies to avocado. Squeeze in lime juice and add remaining ingredients to the bowl, mix well. Taste to see if you need more salt.

collage of two photos of steps to make guacamole by mashing avocado and then mixing.

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.

guacamole in a wooden bowl with chips around it.

Recipe FAQs

How Healthy Is Guacamole?

Avocados are a pretty healthy fruit and is considered a “healthy fat” that you DO need in your diet. It’s also packed with about 20 different vitamins and minerals including Vitamins K, C, B, and E, potassium, folate, fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids, and so much more.

All together, there are a lot of health benefits to eating avocados, which is the main ingredients in guacamole. (WebMd)

How To Pick Ripe 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.

Second step is to 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.

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.

some guacamole on a yellow tortilla chip.

More Appetizer Recipes To Try

Enchilada Verde Dip

Strawberry Salsa

Salsa Verde

Queso Blanco with Chorizo

White Queso Dip

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!

scooping out some guacamole with a chip.

Guacamole Recipe

This guacamole recipe features fresh avocados mashed and loaded with tomatoes, red onions, and jalapenos, lime juice, and spices.
4.85 from 19 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 (Makes about 2 cups)
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe avocados
  • 1 medium tomato seeds removed
  • 1/2 medium 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
US Customary – Metric

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

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 690IU | Vitamin C: 29.5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on August 13, 2014.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

104.7K shares

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cinco de Mayo, Gluten Free, Mexican and Tex-Mex, Popular Posts, Super Bowl Recipes, Vegetarian

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.

Comments

  1. Micky E says

    March 21, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    Very good and easy ingredients that you usually have on hand.

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    January 22, 2023 at 1:50 am

    5 stars
    My friends and I loved this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Kasey says

    January 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm

    5 stars
    Best recipe I’ve found!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 25, 2023 at 9:58 pm

      Thank you, Kasey!

      Reply
  4. Glucoberry says

    December 9, 2022 at 12:22 am

    Made this today to go with my nachos for Super Bowl Sunday. Came out excellent!! Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply
  5. jams willams says

    September 8, 2022 at 1:09 am

    Thanks, Melinda! What a great tip!

    Reply
  6. aditya says

    August 7, 2022 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    super! Our favorite guacamole! thanks you

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 8, 2022 at 11:01 am

      You are so welcome!

      Reply
  7. Mary says

    January 18, 2022 at 8:50 pm

    I’ve never thought to add cumin and chili powder, I’ll have to try that to spice things up.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 25, 2022 at 10:26 am

      I think it gives it a little more flavor, I hope you like it!

      Reply
  8. KRL724 says

    April 30, 2020 at 11:29 am

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, for NOT including garlic!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 1, 2020 at 12:15 pm

      So glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jane says

    April 23, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for a party and it was a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 23, 2020 at 5:01 pm

      I’m so pleased you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

      Reply
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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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