Make this classic guac in minutes and learn what to put in guacamole to make it even tastier! This is a healthy snack and also a delicious appetizer/party food when served with chips. Make it spicy or go mild! Either way, this party staple will not disappoint.
Original post: January 2019 | Updated: April 2021
Why This Recipe Works
Guacamole is one of those foods that is always appropriate, am I right?! I’m always glad to see it at a party and I love catching its gaze when I open my refrigerator door. It tastes AMAZING when paired with just about every single savory food on the planet. But it must be homemade.
Classic guacamole recipe is so easy to prepare fresh and in the moment. Once all the ingredients are mixed together, you can add it to burgers, salad, rice, tacos, a big ol’ pile of baked potato chips, fries, vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, eggs and I could literally go on and on.
Hold off on buying guac from the grocery store. It is nowhere near as delicious and fresh! Thankfully this is an easy recipe and literally takes minutes to throw together.
Use this recipe as a template to create your next batch and I’ll teach you what to put in guacamole to spruce it up!
Recipe Ingredients
The basic ingredients that go into guac are listed below. Use this ingredient guide as your “template.”
Avocados – Avocados act as the base for guacamole, so this is the one and only ingredients that is an absolute necessity. Select a few perfectly ripe avocados and chop them up!
How do you know when an avocado is ready to eat? Place it in your hand and give it a gentle squeeze. If it is as hard as a rock or if it is mushy to the touch, it is not ready. When you squeeze the avocado, there should be a tiny bit of give.
Cilantro (aka coriander) – Some people fall into the camp of really disliking the taste of cilantro. If this is you, replace it with chives or Italian parsley or just omit it entirely.
Garlic – Use fresh minced (or pressed) garlic, whenever possible, for the freshest flavor. If you do not have fresh on hand, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder is the perfect replacement.
Onion – Go red! Red onions provide an extra bit of spice, which accompanies guac perfectly.
Lime juice – The remaining ingredients can feel dry in your mouth without a liquid such as lime juice to bind everything together. Lime juice enhances the consistency AND the flavor!
Salt and pepper – Go big with the salt and pepper and taste as you add!
What to Put in Guacamole – The Extras!
Using a template of basic ingredients is great in a pinch, but there is so much room to add extras to your batch of guac! Here are some great recommendations:
Add spice. 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.
Add texture. Guac can have a bit of a mushy texture when over-mixed and these ingredients will spruce up the texture profile (add up to 1 cup total): salsa, diced or chopped tomatoes, extra chopped red onion, green onion slices or finely chopped bacon.
Add flavor. If you find that your batch of guacamole needs a boost in flavor consider adding any of the following (add in small bits and taste test as you add!): Extra salt, garlic salt, taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, chopped mangos or other tropical fruit or crab meat.
Add creaminess. Maybe your guac is too chunky and you need to add a touch of creaminess. If this is the case, add between 1/2-1 cup total of the following: cream cheese (softened), sour cream or a blended (not chunky) salsa.
How To Make a Basic Guacamole Recipe
One of the best things about guacamole is that it requires so few ingredients and so little time to prepare (6 ingredients and 10 minutes, to be exact!). It is the BEST kind of snack and appetizer.
Step 1
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Mix and mash (if needed) and serve with chips of any variety or even veggies or pita wedges.
Best Way to Cut an Avocado
Learn the best way to cut an avocado quickly and easily! Step-by-step instructions included, as well as a short instructional video.
How to Choose a Ripe Avocado
If avocados go on sale, it’s great to pick up a handful and let them ripen at home. There are so many ways to enjoy them that they’ll never go to waste. Selecting an avocado that is ready to enjoy takes a little more knowledge, however. Try these simple tests to select your next avocado batch:
Test 1 – A good test to check ripeness is to use your fingers and push gently into the avocado to see if it yields to pressure near the top where it was connected to the tree. If it gives freely and feels mushy, the avocado is past its prime. If the avocado is rock-solid and there is no give to touch, the avocado needs a few more days to ripen.
Test 2 – Pop off the stem of the avocado where the avocado separated from the tree (see step 1 below for a visual). If a dark brown color is revealed, the avocado is past its prime. When you find it impossible to remove the stem nub, the avocado is not ripe enough to eat. If a green color is revealed, perfectly delicious avocado flesh is ready to be enjoyed!
How to Store Avocados
If you are not able to enjoy an entire avocado once it’s been cut into, see the following tips in order to keep them fresh until next time (these tips will give you an extra 1-2 days to use the remainder of the avocado):
Option 1 – If the avocado is a complete half, store the half that still has the pit attached. Brush or squirt lemon juice over the exposed portion of the flesh (skip the lemon juice step if you don’t have access to it).
Tear off a small piece of plastic wrap and press it directly onto the surface of the avocado flesh and place it in the fridge for later use.
Option 2 – If the avocado’s skin has been removed, squirt lemon juice over pieces and mix together well. Place in an air tight container or press plastic wrap tightly against the surface and store in fridge.
FAQ About Guacamole
Guacamole can be frozen for up to 3 months. Mashed avocados themselves freeze very well, but we wary of the extra ingredients added to the guac such as onions and peppers which don’t always freeze well.
The word “guacamole” comes from Mexico and translates to “avocado sauce.” It is an avocado-based dip or spread commonly eaten in Mexico and the United States.
Guacamole is most commonly used as a dip for chips or veggies. However, it is a versatile food with many more delicious uses. It can be used as a spread on toast or for a sandwich or as a replacement for salad dressing.
Once prepared, guacamole does lose its freshness fairly quickly. When stored in an airtight container (preferably with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of it, as well), it can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days. When it turns brown, it should be discarded.
If you are wondering which types of onions to add to guacamole, red onions add an extra zing and punch of flavor. With that said, you really can’t go wrong with any variety of onion when it comes to guac. Yellow, white and even green onions all taste amazing when thrown in. It depends on your tastes and what you prefer.
Related Recipes
Other Cinco de Mayo Recipes
- This spicy bean salsa recipe is fresh, zesty, delicious and great for parties. It is also the perfect food to have hanging out in your fridge all week for lunch wraps, salads or to top grilled chicken with.
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is the BEST! It is packed with flavor, it is super easy to make and it tastes like it’s been cooked low and slow all day long. Throw it together for your next family dinner OR your next big gathering. Either way, it’ll get devoured!
- This is the BEST shredded chicken you will ever eat! SO GOOD! Making shredded chicken for tacos in the Instant Pot requires only FOUR ingredients. The meat turns out flavorful, tender and juicy every single time. Perfect for taco night!
- This is the best margarita recipe EVER! My husband spent years perfecting this delicious tequila cocktail. You will never need another margarita recipe again!
- Introducing the best 7 Layer Taco Dip you’ll ever meet! It’s the perfect appetizer and party food and it is always the first thing to get devoured.
- Make Churros the easy way by baking them in the oven! Baked Churros are a great snack or dessert to enjoy on Cinco de Mayo or any time of the year.
What to Put in Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 avocados peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup red or yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well, mashing the avocados with a fork until desired consistency is reached. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve chilled, with Homemade Baked Potato Chips for a healthy Whole30 compliant snack or appetizer!
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