My family can’t stop making this guacamole! With our easy recipe you’ll have fresh, authentic flavor in under 10 minutes using avocados, onion, lime, and a simple trick I swear by. Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, or just a spoon!
This homemade guacamole does not last long in my house! We all love it! The recipe has even made its way through our extended family, too, with my niece making it her special dish for years (that’s how you know it’s good!). If you love that truly fresh, authentic guacamole taste, this is definitely for you.
What makes this recipe so special is that we soak the onions in cold water before adding to the guacamole. This simple step dramatically removes the onion’s raw bite, so it blends in perfectly without overpowering the avocado and lime. Trust me, it makes a difference! I hope you try it, and if you do, I highly recommend serving this guac with homemade tortilla chips!
Key Ingredients
- Avocados: For the best guacamole, make sure your avocados are ripe. I gently squeeze one with the palm of my 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 a perfect avocado! See how to pick avocados for more tips!
- Onion: I love white onion for guacamole, and I let them sit in cold water for 5 minutes before adding them. Just a few minutes in water takes away the raw bite of the onion. I often use this trick in our recipes, like this pico de gallo.
- Lime: Fresh lime is best. 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.
When making guacamole, gently mash your avocados. It’s better with some texture, so leave it a little chunky. Also, don’t forget my trick about soaking the onions (it only takes 5 minutes). Then, before serving, make sure that you taste it! I usually end up adding a bit more salt and lime juice. I hope you love this one, and if you have some extra avocados leftover, here are all of our avocado recipes!
Perfect Guacamole
- PREP
- TOTAL
We really can’t stop making this easy guacamole, which never lasts long when we serve it! 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 your unripe avocados at room temperature until they are ready.
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
1Prepare onions: Add 1/4 cup finely 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.
2Make guacamole: Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, scoop out the flesh, and add to a bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado into a chunky dip.
3Stir in the drained and rinsed onions, 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 small chopped tomato (optional), and 1/4 teaspoon salt. If you are adding it, add the finely chopped jalapeño. Taste the guacamole and adjust with more salt or lime juice (I usually end up adding 1/4 teaspoon more salt and a spritz of extra lime).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Guacamole 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, making sure that there’s no space of air between them, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- 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.
- What to serve next to guacamole: I love tortilla chips or homemade tortillas, but guacamole is excellent next to other dips. Try fresh pico de gallo, this easy restaurant-style salsa, our roasted tomato salsa, and this amazing green salsa made with roasted tomatillos. I also love homemade queso!
- My favorite meals with guacamole: I always add it to these pork tacos, my chile butter shrimp tacos, and these vegetable tacos. You can scoop them on top of this easy taco soup or this black bean soup. I also serve with fajitas and enchiladas!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I added this easy recipe to my favorites.
I made this today and very good.
So happy you enjoyed it!
finally found the best guac recipe, thank you! 🙂
Love this recipe… Made it to go with Beef Enchiladas and it was easy to make and tastes excellent!!
Sounds amazing!
Looks delicious! I like to you red onion and a bit of fresh garlic.
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.)
So happy you have found us, Eva! Thanks for coming back!
I’ve never made quacamole before but this is so much better than store bought!
I’m so glad you think so! Thank you for coming back.
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
So happy you love it, Carol!
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.