This easy and delicious guacamole recipe is something you’ll want to be making on repeat! With simple ingredients like ripe avocados, juicy tomatoes, fresh lime juice and all the good seasonings, you can make homemade guacamole that beats any store-bought version.
This Mexican avocado-based dip has so many uses, it’s become one of our favorite condiments. Use this easy guacamole recipe on nachos, tacos and all of your favorite Mexican dishes.
Use it as a topper for eggs, toast and as part of a Mexican layer dip. Let’s make it!
What’s in this Simple Guacamole Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best guacamole recipe ever:
- Ripe avocados. Keep reading to learn how to choose the best avocados for guacamole.
- Tomatoes. Any kind of large tomato will work, because we’re going to seed and dice them. Smaller tomatoes like grape tomatoes are annoying to dice, so go for a larger variety.
- Red onions
- Jalapeño peppers. If you like a little bit of heat, go for fresh jalapeños. If your style is more mellow, try using pickled jalapeños.
- Fresh cilantro. A must-have in most authentic guacamole recipes. If you’re not a fan, just leave it out.
- Lime juice. In a pinch, go ahead and substitute lemon juice.
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper. You can also substitute chili powder.
- Garlic
- Salt
How to Make this Guacamole Recipe
The best part about making guacamole from scratch is that you can control the texture. Guacamole that’s too thick can be difficult to dip, while guacamole that’s too thin can be messy and runny.
Use a fork or potato masher to partially mash the avocados, leaving some larger chunks of avocado pulp. Then, chop up the onions, tomatoes and cilantro as roughly or as finely as you like. Gently fold everything together.
How to Serve Guacamole
This homemade guacamole is so versatile, there are lots of ways to enjoy it. Here are some ideas:
- Use guacamole to garnish your favorite Mexican food like nachos, tacos and enchiladas
- Add guacamole to fresh salads for an extra dose of healthy fat
- Top scrambled eggs with guacamole and pico de gallo for a Mexican omelette
- Dip your favorite homemade chips and vegetables into guacamole
How to Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown
Avocados turn brown due to oxidation, i.e. coming into contact with air. Sometimes you’ll see that the surface of your guacamole turns an unpleasant shade of brown, but when you stir it again, the underneath is a beautiful green color.
Oxidation happens, and most times a quick stir will restore your guacamole to its original color. Other ways to stave off oxidation are:
- Cover guacamole with a piece of plastic wrap before you seal it in an airtight container. Make sure the plastic wrap comes in direct contact with the surface of the guacamole.
- Spray guacamole with a thin layer of cooking spray before sealing it in its container.
- Keep the avocado pit in the guacamole when you store it.
- Squirt the guacamole with a little lime juice to revive the color.
How to Store Guacamole
Leftover guacamole can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.
If you want to store guacamole for longer than two days, you can freeze it. Frozen guacamole can last for up to three months in the freezer.
The best way to freeze guacamole is to place it in an airtight container, and make sure there’s no air in the container. It’s best to freeze guacamole in small portions, so you don’t have to defrost a large amount at once.
How to Pick a Ripe Avocado
Beautiful, ripe avocados are the key to the best homemade guacamole recipe. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find perfectly ripe avocados at the grocery store.
Avocados that are underripe are difficult to work with and lack flavor. Mushy avocados that are overripe don’t make good guacamole.
Here’s what to look for on the quest for the best avocados for good guacamole:
Inspect the skin
Look for dark brown, bumpy skin. If the skin is too green, it’s not ripe enough. If the skin is too black, it’s probably going to be black on the inside too. Yuck.
You should also be able to see the stem, which is more of just a little knob. If the stem has already popped off of the avocado, it’s probably bad inside.
Give it a squeeze
Place the avocado in the palm of your hand and give it a very gentle squeeze. If it has some give, it’s ripe. If it doesn’t yield at all, it’s not ready for guacamole. If it yields too much, chances are it’s overripe.
How to speed the ripening of an avocado
If you have to choose between an underripe and an overripe avocado, go for the underripe one. To speed the ripening process once you get it home, place it into a brown paper bag along with any other fruits you have, like bananas or apples.
The other fruits give off gases that will speed the ripening process of your avocados. Keep them in the paper bag at room temperature on the counter top until they reach the desired ripeness.
Can you make this guacamole recipe ahead of time?
You can prepare this entire recipe ahead of time! Be sure to cover it tightly in an airtight container and make sure you seal out any air. When you’re ready to enjoy it, give it a little stir to revive it.
When you make this classic guacamole recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more Mexican recipes, try these:
- Easy Hot Elote Dip Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
- 3 Cheese Tex Mex Queso Dip Recipe
- Gluten Free Mexican Rice Recipe
For more recipes using fresh avocados, try these:
- Avocado Lime Ranch Salad Dressing & Dip
- Creamy Shrimp and Avocado Salad
- Chipotle Chicken Melt with Avocado
How to Make the Best Guacamole Ever (Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp. jalapeño peppers seeded and minced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Pit the avocados, scoop out and mash with a fork in a medium-sized bowl. Fold in remaining ingredients and serve.
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