Perfect Guacamole
My family swears by this guacamole recipe! The best, most authentic guacamole starts with fresh ingredients and a few simple tricks that guarantee perfect texture and flavor. All you need are avocados, onion, cilantro, lime, tomato, and salt. It’s so simple, and so good! I’m not kidding when I say this homemade guacamole recipe does not last long in my house. The whole family loves it so much my teenage niece has even made it her special dish for years (and that’s how you know it’s good!). Even though guacamole is all about simplicity and fresh ingredients, we’ve found that a few tricks can help you make the very best guacamole. Once you see the difference, I know you’ll be ready to make this on repeat. It’s an instant classic! For more, I highly recommend serving this guacamole with my Easy Salsa or Homemade Queso and a big bowl of Homemade Tortilla Chips! For another classic dip, featuring a layer of guacamole, be sure to try my 7 Layer Dip. 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 and really love the extra fresh flavor. 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 and really love the extra fresh flavor. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make My Family’s Best Guacamole Recipe Guacamole is simple, but the way you make it can make all the difference. With just a few simple ingredients, these tricks will help you get the best flavor and texture. Tip 1: Tame the onions. So I use this trick a lot for recipes that call for raw onions. I love them, but do not enjoy it when the raw, pungent flavor of onion overpowers everything else, leaving you with onion breath. My answer to this is to let my onions sit in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes before draining. This super simple trick cuts down on that oppressive onion flavor, while retaining their crunch. Try it and you’ll see what I mean! (I also use this trick for my favorite salsa recipe, too.) Tip 2: Leave some texture. When making guacamole, gently mash your avocado; don’t puree it. The best guacamole has a little texture left. I use a fork (watch me make guacamole in our video below). Tip 3: Always taste before serving. Avocados love a little extra salt and lime. So, before you serve your guacamole, always take a bite. If it doesn’t “pop” with flavor, add an extra pinch of salt and a fresh squeeze of lime juice. And there we have it, I hope my family’s tips help you make your best guacamole yet. If you have any leftover avocados, be sure to check out our other avocado recipes! We’ve even made a Grilled Avocado Guacamole before (it’s actually really good if you’re curious!). Perfect Guacamole PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins We really can’t stop making this easy guacamole recipe, 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. I highly recommend serving guacamole with my Homemade Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Homemade Queso and a big bowl of Tortilla Chips! 6 Servings Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 3 ripe medium avocados ¼ cup finely chopped onion 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice ¼ 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 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt Directions 1Prepare onions: Add the 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. 2Mash the avocados: 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. 3Make the guacamole: Stir in the drained and rinsed onions, lime juice, cilantro, tomato (optional), and ¼ 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 ¼ teaspoon of extra salt and a spritz of extra lime). 1Prepare onions: Add the 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. 2Mash the avocados: 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. 3Make the guacamole: Stir in the drained and rinsed onions, lime juice, cilantro, tomato (optional), and ¼ 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 ¼ teaspoon of extra 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. 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. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of recipe / Calories 119 / Protein 2g / Carbohydrate 8g / Dietary Fiber 5g / Total Sugars 2g / Total Fat 10g / Saturated Fat 1g / Cholesterol 0mg AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? 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