Guacamole

As an avid lover of Mexican cuisine, you could say I’m a little picky when it comes to guacamole. I’ve had my fair share of the iconic dish, ranging from out of this world to mediocre at best.

To ensure that I was able to enjoy the best homemade guacamole every single time, I knew I had to come up with my own recipe to share. This authentic guacamole recipe guarantees to be the best ever. Just wait and see.

I’ve found that far too often, people overthink guacamole and end up with lackluster results. One of the most important aspects of a really great-tasting rendition of this iconic dish is using only the freshest and highest-quality ingredients. Keep things simple. 

My guacamole is made with ripe avocados, fresh cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, red onions, cumin, salt, and pepper. It’s fresh, wholesome, and bursting with incredible flavors.

When you find the perfect guacamole recipe, it can be an amazing tool to keep in your back pocket for dinner parties, taco nights, and game days. Trust me, this is that recipe.

This zesty and flavorful dip is super easy to throw together and tastes fabulous with all your favorite Mexican dishes.

Serve this authentic guacamole alongside everything from chips and nachos to tacos, enchiladas, and burrito bowls. You could also add it to burgers, sandwiches, and even salads.

Looking for more authentic Mexican salsas? Try this Salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo, Habaerno Salsa, and Ranchero sauce.

Key Ingredients

To bring this dish to life, you will need the following key ingredients:

• Avocados. In this case, the larger the better! Avocados are a fantastic source of healthy fats that are oh-so-delicious. Make sure to opt for perfectly ripe avocados that are firm, but with a slight bit of give. Haas avocados are the most common but almost any ripe avocado can be used for guacamole.
• Cilantro. Opting for fresh herbs versus dried herbs is absolutely essential when it comes to guacamole. If you don’t like cilantro, you can leave this out or swap in fresh parsley.
• Red onion. This adds a great variation to the texture, as well as a freshness and delicious bite. Soak the onions in cold water if you prefer a less pungent onion flavor. Any color onion can be used. White onion is more traditional.
• Jalapeno. This adds just enough kick to enhance the dish without making it overly spicy. If you’re worried about having too much heat, just make sure to remove the seeds first. For more spice, use serrano peppers.
• Lime juice. Make sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best results. The acidity in this ingredient enhances the flavors of the guacamole, making it even more delicious. Lemon juice can be used as well but the flavor is slightly different.
• Spices. Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, which is essential when it comes to brightening up the mild flavor of avocados. I also like to add black pepper and cumin to kick this dish up a notch in the flavor department.

Secret shortcut: Short on time but still want to make amazing guacamole? I've got a secret trick. Simply mash 3-4 avocados with a fork and stir in 1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite salsa verde. Season with salt and you have some really delicious guac!

How to Make The Best Homemade Guacamole

Follow these easy steps to make truly delicious guac.

1. Make sure your avocados are nice and ripe, without being mushy. They should give slightly when you press.
2. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Normally I do this by carefully pressing my knife into the pit and then turning the knife until the pit pops out.
3. Scoop out the avocado flesh using a spoon. Discard any browned or darkened areas. Then use a fork (or molcajete) to mash the avocado. It should still maintain some texture.
4. Gently stir in the cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This step is critical since avocados vary in size and flavor Add salt and lime juice as needed so the guacamole has tons of flavor.

How to Choose Avocados

The most important step to making guacamole is actually choosing the right avocados. The avocados should be ripe but still have some firmness.

Start by looking for avocados with the stem intact. The skin should be dark green and it can be bumpy or smooth. Then pick up the avocado and gently press on the skin. It should be firm but have a slight give.

If none of the avocados are ripe, opt for firm avocados over mushy avocados. Mushy avocados have lots of brown spots and a spoiled flavor. It is better to wait a couple of days for the avocados to ripen.

Tips for the Making Amazing Guacamole

Want to make the best guacamole ever? Of course, you do! To help you do just that, here are some of my top tips and tricks:

• Pick ripe avocados. You want to find avocados that still have the stem cap attached, as this helps to prevent brown spots. You can tell an avocado is ripe when you press on it and it’s firm with a slight give.
• Fresh is best. For the best-tasting guacamole, you will need to use fresh ingredients. This means using only fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, and red onions. Fresh flavors are key here.
• Up the spice. Don’t be afraid of a little spice, especially when it comes to guacamole! Avocados are mild and fatty, so they brilliantly balance the slight heat from jalapenos. To up the heat level of this dish, leave the seeds in your jalapenos or add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the mix.
• Don’t make it too early. To avoid oxidation taking over and altering the color and flavor of your dish, avoid preparing it too early before you’re ready to enjoy it.

What to Serve with Guacamole

You can really serve this dish with just about anything, whether you’re prepping for a taco night or cooking up burgers on the grill. If you’re looking for some ideas, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with guacamole:

• Chips. Chips and dip is a Mexican classic. Serve your guacamole alongside some baked tortilla chips for a quick and easy appetizer or snack.
• Fresh veggies: For a lighter option, serve guacamole with carrots, celery, mini bell peppers, radishes, and other crunchy fresh vegetables.
• Tacos. I am fully convinced that a dollop of fresh guac makes any taco taste better. Try serving this dish alongside some Fish Tacos, Steak Tacos, or Shredded Chicken Tacos.
• Burritos and bowls. Just like tacos, this refreshing dip is the perfect way to top off any of your favorite burritos. Personally, I recommend these Chicken Burrito Bowls and Southwest Chicken Bowls.
• Quesadillas. A dollop of guac is fantastic for serving as a dip for quesadillas. Try serving this dish alongside Healthy Chicken Quesadillas or Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas.
• Toast. For a Mexican-inspired twist on the classic avocado toast, try spreading some of this Homemade Guacamole on top of toasted sourdough. For added protein, add a fried egg! Seriously, you won’t regret it.
• Fajitas: Pair this homemade salsa with chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, or shrimp fajitas.
• Breakfast: Guacamole tastes amazing with eggs, especially Mexican-inspired egg dishes like Huevos a la Mexicana and Breakfast Burritos.
• Authentic Mexican recipes: If you are looking for something more traditional, serve this with tostadas, pollo asado, carne asada, or slow cooker barbacoa.

Change it Up! Popular Flavor Ideas

There are so many different ways that guacamole is served and made. Here are some creative ideas for customizing your guac!

• Add sweetness: If you like sweeter guacamole, consider adding chopped apples, pineapple, mango, or pomegranate seeds. Some people even add dried cranberries.
• Garlic: This topic is contested in guacamole recipes and many traditionalists don’t include garlic. If you want to include garlic, add 1 clove of finely minced garlic. To mellow the flavor, add it to the bowl with the lime juice for 5-10 minutes before adding the avocado.
• Crunch: If you want to add some crunch to your guacamole, consider toppings the finished dish with pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds), crispy bacon, radishes, or pickled red onions.
• Cheese: Cheese is never a part of authentic Mexican guacamole, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. Top the guacamole with some queso fresco, queso cotija, or feta cheese before serving.
• Tomatoes: Tomatoes are another controversial ingredient in guacamole. Most traditional Mexican recipes don’t include tomatoes. If you like tomatoes in your guacamole, add 1-2 diced Roma tomatoes. Remove the seeds and juice for best results.

How to Soften a Hard Avocado

The very best way to soften a hard avocado is to put it in a brown paper bag with some bananas. The bananas release ethylene gas as they ripen and speed up the process.

This won’t happen immediately but this trick uses within 1-2 days when starting with hard avocados.

How to Store Guacamole So It Doesn't Get Brown

There is no doubt that Guacamole tastes best when served fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you can seal them up in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2-3 days.

One of the tough things about any homemade guacamole is that it browns in the fridge due to oxidation. Here are a few quick tricks you can do to prolong the beautiful color of your dip:

• Lime juice. Adding extra lime juice before storing your leftovers can go a long way in preserving the color. Additionally, you can mix in more lime juice just before serving it again to freshen it back up.
• Seal tightly. It’s important to keep as much oxygen out as possible. To do this, I recommend packing your guacamole into the container tightly, then pressing a layer of saran wrap (plastic wrap) over the top and pressing it down so it touches the guacamole. This prevents air from getting in. Then seal the container.
• Pit. Another hack for keeping your guacamole green is to seal it in an airtight storage container with the pit.