Best Ever Guacamole
1,102 Comments
Updated Jan 05, 2024
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This is the best guacamole recipe as it’s simple to make and uses fresh, high-quality ingredients. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Easy and delicious!
I’m not one for hyperbole, but this really is the best guacamole recipe. When it comes to crowd-raving guacamole the key is to not get too fancy or try to be too unique. Guacamole is meant to be easy to make and delicious. Plain and simple. It’s a blend of a few high quality ingredients with flavors that meld together beautifully.
After numerous trips to Mexico and working alongside Mexican chefs, I can confirm that this guacamole is the real deal. Fresh, easy, and authentic! Just as you would enjoy it in Mexico.
Guacamole Ingredients
With just eight simple ingredients you can make one of the all-time-best dip recipes.
- Avocados: Want to know how to pick the best, most ripe avocados? See my tips below!
- Onion: I’m using yellow onion which is most often used in Mexico, but you could use red onion as well.
- Tomatoes: Choose Roma tomatoes which are less juicy. No one wants a watery guac.
- Cilantro: One of my favorite herbs and a staple in Mexican cuisine.
- Jalapeno: You can also use serrano pepper for a little extra heat.
- Garlic: Some people like their guac with garlic, others like it without. I love just a little.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime is a must. Don’t use jarred lime juice as the flavor is muted.
- Salt: A pinch of flaky salt brings it all together.
Pick Ripe Avocados for the Best Guacamole
The best guacamole starts with the freshest ingredients. Look for avocados that are ripe, but firm. You definitely don’t want soft and mushy avocados.
So how do you pick good, ripe avocados? First, grab avocados that still have the stem attached. If the stem has been removed in the store, it’s more likely to have brown spots on the inside. Then, gently press on one end. It should be firm, but have a slight give to it.
How Do You Make Guacamole?
Slice three ripe avocados in half, remove the pit and scoop them into a mixing bowl. Then use a fork to gently mash them to your desired level of chunky or smooth. Add the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, lime juice and salt and stir everything together. That’s it. The most delicious, easy guacamole.
How to Store Leftovers (and Keep it Green!)
Guacamole oxidizes and turns brown pretty darn quick. The lime juice helps to slow this process, but it’s inevitable that leftover guacamole will eventually start to brown.
Now, I’ve tried every kitchen hack imaginable to keep guacamole green (I eat a lot of guacamole). So what doesn’t work? Well, let’s start with leaving the pit in the guacamole. This does nothing to prevent browning and there’s no scientific justification for it. Consider it an old wives tale.
Next, many say to add lemon juice. And this helps a bit, but I don’t like that it changes the flavor profile of my beloved guacamole.
The most common guacamole preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on the guacamole to prevent oxidation. And this may work for a day or two. But I’m striving to reduce my plastic consumption and just don’t love this method.
So in my quest to keep my guacamole green I stumbled on this hack – and it’s brilliant.
Here’s how to keep guacamole green:
- Place your leftover guacamole in a storage container and pat it down firmly with a spoon so it’s nice and flat on top.
- Add about 1/2 inch of water on top (I used cold water).
- Place the lid on the storage container and store it in the fridge. That’s it!
- When you want to enjoy the guacamole, drain the water off the top, give it a stir and you’re good to go.
I tested this method for three full days and it worked like a charm. It stays perfectly fresh and delicious. Though I will admit by the third day it does start to get a little more watery. But who has guacamole last that long anyway?
Watch My Guacamole Recipe Video
While this recipe is easy to make, I have some tips for making the best guacamole recipe you’ve ever tasted. Watch my step-by-step tutorial video below!
More Delicious Mexican Inspired Recipes
For all my Mexican food lovers, give these reader favorite recipes a try:
- Carne Asada (turned into Tacos and Fries)
- Carnitas (turned into Tacos and Burrito Bowl)
- Barbacoa (turned into Tacos and Burrito Bowl)
- Shrimp Tacos
- Citrus Shrimp Ceviche
- Pico de Gallo (Chunky Salsa)
- Salsa (Restaurant-Style)
And you can wash all of those down with my Mango Margarita, Strawberry Margarita or Classic Margarita. Or my Agua Fresca for a non-alcoholic option.
For tasty guacamole variations, try my festive Pomegranate Guacamole, tasty BLT Guacamole, and bite-sized Guacamole Stuffed Tomatoes!
Best Ever Guacamole (Fresh, Easy & Authentic)
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 3 avocados, ripe
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test and add a pinch more salt or lime juice if needed.
- Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips.
Lisa’s Tips
- Look for large avocados for this recipe. If you can only find small avocados, feel free to add one more!
- Definitely use fresh limes rather than lime juice in a bottle. The flavor difference is worth it. And speaking of limes, I’m using Mexican limes which give about 1 to 2 tablespoons of juice.
- Make sure to read my tips above for keeping leftover guacamole green and fresh. It’s truly amazing! And I store the leftover guacamole in these food storage containers.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted August 2014, but updated to include new photos and video May 2018 and again today.
This is awesome!!! First time ever making homemade guacamole. I think I’m at Chipotle’s or On The Border, only this is better!
Glad you loved this guacamole recipe April!
Made it for the wife and she loved it!!
Made this for the first time and it was delicious! I’m not a fan of spicy food so I omitted the hot pepper and it was still fantastic.
thanks a lot i love guac!!!!!!
Glad you enjoyed this guacamole recipe Jaren!
Great Guacamole recipe, although I had no Jalapeños so I used green chilies and I had no tomatoes so I used a little tomato sauce and added cayenne pepper. Delicious. Though next I will have all the ingredients to follow your recipe. I also had to use lemon juice as I had no limes. LOL still turned out okay.
This was wonderful! I had to substitute Chipotle Tabasco and I didn’t have any fresh cilantro so I use powdered ,but it still turned out great
Excellent and super easy! I added 2 additional ingredients:
–
diced bell peppers (I wanted green but I only had orange on hand and it worked fine) — fresh cracked pepper! Delicious!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this guacamole recipe :)
Made this with one large Florida avocado. This is a great recipe and turned out great. I also used canned tomatoes with jalapeños, well drained.
The best guacamole!!!
Yay! Glad you love this guacamole recipe :)
I have 2 small ceramic dishes the have lids that go with them. They work great! Just put on the lid s & put them in the fridge!
Glad you enjoyed this guacamole recipe :)
Just made it. Absolutely perfect! Definitely the best I’ve made – thank you!!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this guacamole recipe :)
Best guacamole I ever tasted. Add it to your own pico de mayo and have the best tacos ever
Hi Eric – I’m glad that you enjoyed this guacamole! I agree that it makes for the best taco topping. :)
Delightful guacamole! I am not a fan of spicy, so I omitted the jalapeño and it still turned out amazing. I also had an extra lime I had to use up so I threw the juice of the 2nd lime in, which was too much and made the consistency a little too thin. As usual, Lisa’s recipe amounts are spot on and should not be tampered with. (:
Thrilled to hear you enjoy this guacamole recipe as is :)
Overall pretty good but I just felt like it was missing something so I looked up the recipe that the Google search has right next to this one which was just about identical except it added an extra 1/2 tsp salt. After that it was just right. Love the water idea!
Solid recipe. Added just a tsp of ground cumin because that’s what I like in mine.
This recipe transformed my guacamole game! The video is worth watching!
Yay! Happy to hear you found a winning guacamole recipe :)
I thought I had the perfect recipe for guacamole, but then Lisa comes along and 💥… a recipe that makes it even better!
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning guacamole recipe Daphne!
Extremly yummy! Thanks so much!
Great recipes.
Thanks Margaret! :)
Best guacamole! Thanks for the great tips! Oh… tomatoes are a must! 😉
So glad you love this guacamole recipe!
Sorry, tomatoes never are added to world class guacamole. NEVER!
Perhaps you should spend some time in Mexico. ;)
I will give your recipe a try today. AGREE! When I went to Mexico and they have tomatoes in their guacamole and it’s amazing!
This is the best recipe! Every time I make it and take it to functions everyone eats it all and they agree it’s the best they have ever had! Kudos!
Thanks so much for sharing, Bert! I’m thrilled you and your friends love the recipe.
If I could give this 10 stars, I would! This is by far the best recipe I have used for guacamole, including the one from a well known Chef from the Food Network! My husband couldn’t stop eating this! He said one could pay handsomely for this in a restaurant. This is fabulous! I’m glad I Googled “award winning guacamole recipes “ as this came up. It’s just absolutely the best!
Thrilled to hear you found a winning guacamole recipe you can always come back to now Denny :)
This recipe turned out amazing! Very easy. My first time making guacamole and I will use this recipe often.
Glad to hear this guacamole was a success Kavita :)
avocados and guacamole freeze well. I place halved, peeled avocados on a plate and freeze them before transferring them to a freezer container like a stasher. They defrost easily though I grab them for salad dressings and smoothies. They stay green, too.
Thanks for the quick tip Sydney!
So delicious and quick and easy to make!
Yay! Happy to hear you loved this guacamole recipe Diane :)
I made this this recipe last night, very good flavor but it was a little more wet than I like, I think it was because my tomatoes were too juicy, they weren’t Roma’s, that might have been why.
I know the recipe stated it was 4 servings, but can you tell me how much the actual serving size is?
And I will be using this recipe as my go to, so easy and great flavor.
Thank you and happy eating 😊😊
Hi Cheryll – yes, Roma’s are usually best for guac to reduce that extra liquid. As for servings, I’d estimate it to be about 1/2 cup. I’ll have to measure it next time I make it! :)
Hey! This guacomole recipe is cool as hell!!! fresh yo! Now I will put it on my twitter to self promote this to my 20 mil twitter followers. Hope youll enojy it bro.
FYI,It is easier to use a potato masher then a fork. Great recipe!!!!
I only have heirloom tomatoes on hand…do you think that would taste okay in this?
That’s fine!
This is my go to recipe for Guac. Whether it’s just for dipping for a party, or to add on to my dinner selection, this one is always good. Easy, simple, quick, and everyone loves it. Thank you for this recipe!
Of course Ashley! Happy to hear you’ve found a guacamole recipe you can come back to every time now :)
Excellent guacamole! We added cracked black pepper and it was perfect. We did not have fresh jalapeños, so we substituted with 10 jalapeño slices (deseeded) from a jar. So good!
It’s as good as you said! And thanks for the tip on keeping it green – a tip that finally worked!
Glad the tip worked out :)
YES THE PITS WORK!!! If you use 3 avocados… use the 2 or 3 pits (NOT just ONE) & the quac stays green for days!!!! No browning at all. Something keeps them when they’re sitting at the store…. so put them in the mix once it’s made.
My family asked for this recipe every time I make tacos it’s one of the best ever thank you
Awesome! Glad everyone enjoys this guacamole recipe!
I am a bit of a guacamole snob…no store bought as it always has a chemical overtone. THIS recipe is the only one I use anymore…every family gathering it disappears. The ultimate compliment was when my niece took a flour tortilla and loaded it with JUST guacamole…if that isn’t proof it’s a great recipe, I don’t know what is.
I use only half of the recommended hot pepper because usually guac is the cooler for the super hot and spicy!
WINNER RECIPE!
Yay, I’m so happy you love the recipe Amy! It’s perfect for parties and gatherings and yes, it does magically disappear fast. Enjoy! ;)
Best Ever! I am whipping up a bowl again tonight. I served it on top of my beef tacos and they were delicious. I think this time I will serve it with nacho supreme!
Hi Audriane- So glad you enjoyed this guacamole recipe!
Best ever
Great ideas and recipe.
Thanks Linda!
Thanks.
How would I scale up this recipe?
Hi Don- You can just double the ingredients if you’d like!
What is the serving size?
I would say the serving size is about 1/2 a cup or a little over :)
The best!!
We added cracked black pepper, extra onion and we used Compari tomatoes instead of Roma. Delish!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
Made this guacamole and just finished dinner. My husband and I both loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi Caroline- Wonderful! Glad you both loved this recipe :)
Lisa, thank you for a wonderful recipe. Great fresh flavor!
So delicious! My kids, who hate cilantro and onion l, asked for more! Super easy to make!
Hi Kathleen- Wonderful! I’m glad you and your kids loved this recipe :)
Awesome. And my kids wolfed it down!
Hi Chantal – Amazing! Glad this recipe was a success :)
I made this without the jalapenos (unintentionally for sure). I could have kicked myself for forgetting to buy them. I had some cayenne pepper and threw that in instead and honestly I didn’t miss the jalapenos. It came out so good and it couldn’t have been easier. I’ll be making it again. Soon!
Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed this guacamole recipe :)
I made your recipe and the overall flavor was good but I was a little surprised and disappointed that the jalapeño flavor and bite was on the almost non distinguishable side.ava
Hi Ava – I can certainly taste the jalapeno flavor in mine (everyone’s taste buds are different), but you can always add more to your preference or keep the seeds in the pepper which would increase the spicy flavor.
I just finished making this guacamole. OMG!! It’s the best I’ve ever had. There were 2 changes I made. My local grocer was out of jalapenos. I had to make do with pickled jalepenos. It was delicious anyway. My wife suggested I add a little Tanjin to it and that kicked it up another notch. I will make this again, but I will hopefully have fresh jalepenos. I higly recommend this recipe!
Hi Jessie- So glad you enjoyed this recipe so much! And great idea on the Tajin. I might have to try that next time :)
This is the BEST guacamole recipe! Showcases every ingredient but not one is overpowering.
Making it this weekend for Fsther’s Day!
Hi Maureen- This will definitely be perfect for Father’s day, and just about any weekend this summer!
Thanks so much Lisa! I really love how well thought-out and how you take extra steps to make sure your recipes are foolproof and the best! I am yet to try this guacamole recipe of yours but I have tried so many of your other recipes and I have learned so many things about cooking so far! I really admire your dedication! I always recommend your blog to people I know who wants to learn how to cook by trying some recipes online! And by the way, since I know from your Instagram stories that you like to know where your followers are from, I am a Filipino who lived the past 5 years Singapore and now relocated to Texas! Hoping to attend some downshiters event soon since I know you are also thinking of that (when the right time comes) ☺️
Hi Aurora- You’re so sweet! Thanks so much for sharing my recipes with everyone and that you’re enjoying them yourself as well. I really hope to do some sort of meet up soon with all my Downshifters :)
Well presented, informative, tasty, and simple. Thanks
Amazingly delicious guacamole! This will be my go to from now on. And what a great tip about about keeping leftover guacamole fresh and green. We didn’t have much left over (like I said, it was delicious) but put what we did have left in a container, pressed it flat, put saran wrap directly over the top of guacamole to seal, added some cold water on top to cover and then put a lid on it and placed it in the refrigerator. We had it again the next evening along with some chips and it looked and tasted like I had just made it. Perfect!
Hi Cindy- Happy to hear you’ve found a winning guacamole recipe! And glad that the tip to keep it fresh worked til the next day :)