The BEST Guacamole Recipe - Will Cook For Smiles (2024)

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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.

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Table of Contents

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:

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Avocado – Select ripe avocados. You’re looking fordarker 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 juicefresh 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 fordarker 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:

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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.

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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.

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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 fordarker 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.

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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 📝commentbelow as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

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Guacamole Recipe

This guacamole recipe features fresh avocados mashed and loaded with tomatoes, red onions, and jalapenos, lime juice, and spices.

4.86 from 21 votes

Print PinSave 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 CustomaryMetric

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 knifeand then gently twist and pull it out.

  • Use a large spoon to get in between the avocado pulp and the skinand 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 fordarker green colorwithsome wrinklesbutnotdeep wrinkles. So don’t pick lighter green avocados or ones with deep wrinkles. Also, try to get avocados that have thelittle 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 juiceover the top. Try to get the lime juice evenly all over the top andcover it flushwith 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 therefrigeratorforup 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.

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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...

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The BEST Guacamole Recipe - Will Cook For Smiles (2024)

FAQs

What kind of onion is best for guacamole? ›

Most people prefer to use sweet white onion in their guacamole recipe. Red or yellow onion tends to give the guacamole too strong of a garlic flavor.

What kind of avocado is best for guacamole? ›

Buy small, rough-skinned Hass avocados. Their rich flavor and buttery texture are essential for guacamole. Large, bright-green avocados are fine for salads but aren't rich enough for guacamole.

How to make a lasting guacamole? ›

Pour a thin but visible layer of water or lemon/lime juice over the guacamole to form a barrier with the air. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap, so it is flush with the guacamole to prevent air pockets, or put the guacamole in a sealed tub.

What is the difference between Mexican guacamole and American guacamole? ›

Generally speaking, the guacamole in Mexico is going to taste a bit fresher. The avocados, cilantro, and even the chiles used in the Mexican version are likely to be significantly fresher than those in the U.S. version.

Should guacamole have tomatoes? ›

Tomatoes are great — but not in guac.

They don't add anything other than filler. When you eat guac, what you want is creamy avocado, fresh lime, savory onion, salt, and maybe a little cilantro, if that's your thing. I'm never putting tomatoes in my guacamole and neither should you.

What can I use in place of cilantro in guacamole? ›

Cilantro Substitute in Guacamole

To deliver the same results sans cilantro, use a combination of cumin, parsley, coriander, and lime. Cumin offers a more savory flavor, and parsley gives the guacamole the earthiness of cilantro, while coriander and lime give off a lively, citrus flavor.

What kind of guacamole does Taco Bell use? ›

Add the fact that our guacamole is made with real Haas avocados and you've got a taste-bud symphony going on here.

Can you use lemon juice instead of lime juice in guacamole? ›

I like the flavor better with lemon juice, but lime works too. If you're out of fresh lemons or limes, try using bottled lime or lemon juice. Although, freshly squeezed juice is definitely the best! Salt: Salt enhances the flavors and brings it all together.

What is real guacamole made of? ›

Here's all you need for traditional guacamole: ripe avocados, coriander/cilantro, red onions, jalapeño or Serrano chilli, lime and salt. Avoid unnecessary fillers such as sour cream and cream cheese. They only dilute flavour. Popular optional extras include: garlic, tomato, cumin powder.

Why should you leave the lime out of guacamole? ›

You see, lime is a very strong acidic flavor and it can easily overpower the delicate flavor of the avocado. Instead, finely dice red onions and pickle them with lime juice for 15-30 minutes.

What is a natural preservative for guacamole? ›

Top with lime juice and plastic wrap

Avocados and most other fruits and veggies contain an enzyme (polyphenol oxidase) that reacts with the oxygen in the air and turns the flesh a dull shade of drab, known as oxidation. Limes are very acidic and contain loads of ascorbic acid, aka, vitamin C, which combats the enzyme.

Should homemade guacamole be refrigerated? ›

Make your guacamole, then place any uneaten dip in a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dip, lightly pressing all over to make sure the plastic is directly in contact with the entire surface of the dip. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

How do you enhance guacamole? ›

The onions and garlic add a nice zing to guac, but consider these spicy extras for an even spicier recipe: chopped jalapeno peppers (up to 1 whole, minced), cayenne pepper (up to 1 tsp), red pepper flakes (up to 2 tsp), hot sauce of your choice (to taste), diced green chiles or additional black pepper.

Why you should leave the lime out of guacamole? ›

You see, lime is a very strong acidic flavor and it can easily overpower the delicate flavor of the avocado. Instead, finely dice red onions and pickle them with lime juice for 15-30 minutes.

How much lemon juice to keep guacamole from turning brown? ›

I simply squeezed the juice from half a lemon over the surface of the prepared guacamole. I checked for browning after one hour, one-and-a-half hours, and two hours.

How to elevate your guac? ›

Other seasonings and spices like paprika or cayenne can add a kick to standard guacamole. Crushed red pepper, cayenne, paprika, or even garlic powder can up the flavor in a store-bought guacamole and allow you to cater it to your own tastes.

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