This is the guacamole recipe my family makes again and again! I’ve made this easy guacamole with fresh ingredients more times than I can count, and I am always happy that I did.
Watch the Video
Guacamole, which originates from Mexico, is one of my favorite foods. I’ve passed my obsession to my 3-year-old, who can finish a bowl of guacamole all by himself.
For this easy recipe, we stick as close to authentic guacamole as possible. It calls for all fresh ingredients (no dried spices!) and ripe avocados.
Key Ingredients
- Avocados: Use ripe avocados for the best guacamole. To pick them, gently squeeze the avocado with the palm of your hand. If it yields a little when pressed, it’s ready to eat. You can also check under the stem. If the stem pulls away and the area underneath is green, you’ve found an avocado perfect for guacamole.
- Onion: When available, I use white onion to make guacamole, and I let them sit in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them. Just 10 minutes in water takes away the raw bite of the onion. I often use this trick in our recipes, such as in this recipe for pico de gallo.
- Lime: Fresh lime is best for this recipe. I’ve used lemon in a pinch, but stick with lime for the most authentic flavor.
- Cilantro: I’m generous with fresh cilantro for this recipe. If you aren’t a fan, you can leave it out.
- Jalapeño: Adds heat. You can adjust how spicy your guacamole is by removing or leaving the seeds and white membrane inside the pepper. Watch the video to see me remove them.
- Tomato: This is optional, but I add it, as you can see from my photos. Tomato isn’t always included in authentic guacamole recipes, so it’s up to you if you want to add it.
How to Make Guacamole
You’ll need 5 minutes to make guacamole. Add the avocado flesh to a bowl. (I use a spoon to scoop it out of the peel.) Or, if you have one, add them to a molcajete y tejolote (mortar and pestle).
Next, gently mash the avocado with a fork. I love it when guacamole has some texture, so keep it a little chunky. Now is a good time to add some lime juice, too.
Now gently stir the remaining guacamole ingredients and season with salt. That’s the onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and tomato. Then, serve your homemade guacamole with tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes (here’s how to make homemade tortilla chips).
How to Keep Guacamole from Turning Brown
Fresh guacamole is best enjoyed soon after making it. As the avocado sits, it will begin to brown. The lime juice in our recipe helps a little, but it will eventually brown. To stop guacamole from turning brown, press a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper down onto the guacamole, making sure that there’s no space of air between them. Then, store this way in the fridge for a day or two.
What to Serve with Guacamole
Besides tortilla chips, we love serving homemade guacamole next to other dips and salsas. Try fresh pico de gallo, this easy restaurant-style salsa, our roasted tomato salsa, and this amazing green salsa made with roasted tomatillos.
Guacamole is excellent with pork tacos, these chile butter shrimp tacos, our vegetable tacos, or scooped on top of this easy taco soup. I also love it with red chicken enchiladas and on top of this easy black bean soup.
Easy Guacamole
- PREP
- TOTAL
This is our family’s favorite guacamole recipe. For the best guacamole, use ripe avocados. You’ll know when an avocado is ripe when it gives a little when you squeeze it. Keep unripe avocados at room temperature until they are ready. See this tutorial for more about buying, cutting, and storing avocados.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 ripe medium avocados
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped, optional
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper, with seeds and membrane removed, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Directions
1Add the chopped onion to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes, drain, and then rinse. This simple step tones down the raw flavor of the onions.
2Cut avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, scoop out the flesh, and add to a bowl.
3Use a fork to mash the avocado into a chunky dip.
4Stir in the drained and rinsed onions, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, and salt. If you are adding it, add the finely chopped jalapeño.
5Taste the guacamole and adjust with more salt or lime juice.
6Guacamole is best when eaten soon after making it, but to store it and prevent it from turning brown, press plastic wrap down onto the guacamole and refrigerate for up to two days.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Spicy Guacamole: I love adding diced jalapeño to my guacamole, but since I prefer it on the milder side, I remove all of the seeds and white membrane inside the pepper (you can see me do this in the video). If you love spicier guacamole, add the whole pepper (seeds and all). Serrano peppers are a good substitute, but remember that they can be hotter than jalapeño peppers.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I just discovered Inspired Taste while looking for a tomato soup recipe. (Having made Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce, I can tell that your soup will also be really good – and it’s so easy.) Then one recipe after another in your blog caught my interest and I could hardly stop reading. Your whole approach to food appeals to me, and the additional supporting information and explanations that you provide are helpful, interesting, and thorough – and I appreciate that everything is very clear and well written. So, it looks like I’m an instant fan who will certainly be trying many of your recipes – and I’ll be starting today with that wonderful tomato soup of yours. (I’ve been cooking long enough to know how good it will be, so in anticipation I’m giving it 5 stars.)
Our ALDI store had guacamole containers that sealed very well and the ‘green gold’ would last 3 or 4 days (if it lasted that long) before turning brown. At the time, it was $6. I also use their cans of diced tomatoes with onion and jalapeño , a sprinkle of adobo and some lime zest. My bride hasn’t complained once
Quick and easy recipe. I did add garlic (garlic lover) and substituted parsley for cilantro, because that’s what I had on hand, and because the smell of cilantro makes me ill….go figure.
Simple, delicious
Great recipes!!
BEST Guacamole!!! Made it twice in a week ! Love your recipies
Thanks for your avocado recipes. We have a glut of avocadoes in Australia this year and last year mostly due to weather conditions. Usually we used to pay $2.50 for one avocado and now can get them for $1. each. I shall try no churn avocado ice cream soon.