Guacamole is something that you don’t really need a recipe for. In fact, I’ve never in my life actually measured anything out when making it, and it’s really best to do it to taste but I realize that instructions like “add a little of this and a little of that” don’t work for everyone so I’m going to try to be as detailed as possible. It’s not hard to mash up an avocado and throw in some seasonings, but I’m surprised at how many people don’t really know how to make really great guacamole, and I’ve found that like with so many other super simple recipes, it’s the little things that make the big difference. So here are my must-do tips!
Ingredient Notes
- Ripe Avocados – Too ripe and you’ll have mushy guac that will go brown quickly, not ripe enough and it will be hard to mash and the flavor will be off. You want slightly firm, yet ripe fruits. When you gently press on the outside skin, it should indent with some light pressure.
- Fresh Garlic and Lime – For best flavor in guacamole, use the real deal. Also use a garlic press for best results. If you don’t have one, make sure to mince it very well so you don’t have huge chunks of garlic to bite into. You can also grate it with a fine-holed cheese grater or microplane. This “fresh” rule goes for the lime juice too.
- Onion – I like to use white onion, but yellow or red will certainly do just fine as well.
- Roma Tomato – I remove the pulp and seeds before chopping up my tomato so I don’t add extra moisture.
- Jalapeño – Jalapeños are optional. I personally don’t like them so I never add them, but if you like the flavor (and heat) from a jalapeno, then go ahead and dice one up. You’ll want to first remove the seeds and the membrane.
- Sour Cream – This is not traditional in guacamole, and it’s optional- but it will help your guac from turning brown so quick. Most people know that the citric acid in lime juice helps avocados to keep their color, but even better is the enzyme found in sour cream. It not only adds a nice creamy texture and flavor, but it will keep the guac looking fresh and green for several days. If I know we’re going to eat our guacamole immediately, I skip this step, but if I anticipate leftovers, I’ll often add a little sour cream.
Instructions
- Guacamole really couldn’t be easier! First you’ll scoop the flesh of some avocados out of the skin and into a bowl and mash it up with a fork to your desired consistency.
- Then you’ll add everything else you need right in there at once: a good squeeze of lime juice, a bit of freshly pressed garlic, some finely minced onion, tomatoes, and jalapeño (and sour cream) if desired.
- Mix thoroughly, refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let flavors intensify, and enjoy! (And if you can’t wait, refrigeration isn’t 100% necessary. Dive right in there if you need to!)
Serving Suggestions
Anybody else think guacamole goes great with just about everything? Go the traditional route and serve with tortilla chips, The Best Chicken or Steak Fajitas , Taco Chicken , or one of the most well-loved recipes on Our Best Bites: Creamy Chicken Taquitos. You can even use it as a spread for some Fried Egg Avocado Toast, or with some bacon and cheese on these irresistible Smash Burgers.
Looking for an alternative to traditional guacamole? Consider this Avocado Corn Salsa or this Avocado Salsa Verde.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this ahead of time? How long does it keep in the fridge? The sour cream in this recipe keeps this guacamole nice and green for several days! As long as it still looks and smells fresh, you’re good to go.
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram, and then come back and give this recipe a rating!
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Guacamole
- Total Time: 10 minutes
Description
Easy, basic guacamole– a perfect staple recipe to have in your kitchen!
Ingredients
Use these measurements as guidelines and then make to taste
- 2–3 medium avocados
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
- 3–4 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 roma tomato, diced (remove the pulp and seeds first)
- Salt to taste
- optional: 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- optional: 1 large spoonful of sour cream, to help prevent browning
Instructions
Scoop out avocado from skins and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to make it at least 30 minutes ahead of time to let the flavors combine and intensify.
Notes
Try it with chicken or beef taquitos or served on fajitas or taco chicken.
Questions & Reviews
Fresh onion & garlic irritate my stomach, so I use a dollop of jarred green salsa instead- it doesn’t discolor the avacado green as much as red salsa (or tomatos). I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a squeeze of “cilantro in a tube”.
My trick to make it last longer is to scoop it into a plastic zip bag, push it all to the bottom of the bag with a flat-edge spatula on the outside of the bag and squeeze ALL the air out and seal. Every time I take some out, I re-seal the same way. I’ve had it last for close to 5 days with only mimimal discoloration towards the end- by which time I’ve eaten it all. As long as the inside of the bag is in full contact with the guac, very little air gets to it. Think of those pre-packaged, single serve 100 calorie packets of guacamole. No air = no browning
Kate and/or Sara … I don’t remember whose recipe it was, maybe Sara? But the tangy guacamole recipe has disappeared and it was my favorite, loved the way it never went brown! I should probably print more recipes, but I simply rely on the blog! I’ll go back and check the app 🙂
It’s still there! https://ourbestbites.com/2013/02/tangy-avocado-dip/
I agree with Jaime. I never use sour cream. That’s the Americanized guacamole. I like the true avocado taste. I also don’t completely puree the avocados. Leave it a little chunky and then add the fresh garlic, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime! YUM!
After reading about the ability of sour cream to preserve the greeness of the avocado, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the sour cream completely robbed the avocado of its flavor. The guac isn’t terrible, but definitely missing that nice avocado flavor. I will not be using sour cream in my guac in the future.
Holy Guacamole!! I made this version last night…..however wasn’t here to enjoy it. My husband came to me this morning and said, “Did you MAKE that guac?” I said, “YEP! I found on that Best Bites site.” He said, “Seriously….that was the best you’ve ever made! The kids LOVED it…it’s gone!” I had to frown a bit that I didn’t get a taste, but it sounds like I’ll have a chance to make it again! Thanks for making my family happy!!
This is the absolute best guac EVER! I made mine 3 days ago – exactly as written in recipe – it STILL looked great today when I pulled it out of my lunchbag at work! I’m now a complete convert to the doctrine of freshly-squeezed lime juice and sour cream!!!
A lot of us in San Diego add orange juice & orange zest instead of lime. It adds a freshness to it. Try it, you’ll like it!
This was a hit this past Sunday. However, I made it at noon and put it in the fridge only to find at 4 that the top layer was already brown 🙁
Try leaving the seed from the avocado in the dip while refriderating. This also helps to keep it green.
I do the same as Tammy – I love me my cilantro (though that’s another of those things that i just throw in if I have it) and I also add the cumin and love it. The other thing that I have found is that the type of Avocado makes a difference too. Using the large Hass avocados makes a creamier guac with better texture, where as the small ones are best left for sandwiches 🙂
Thank you so much for a great and simple guacamole!! Others I have tried were complicated and tasteless. Yours has turned out wonderful every time!
I make mine with same ingredients, but I also add chopped cilantro and 1 to 2 tbsp. of cumin. Gives it a little more flavor and always get requests for it. My kids love it.
Made this again tonight and wanted to say thanks for an amazing recipe!
I love the taste of avacado and what I love about this quacamole is that you can taste the avacado. It is really simple and compliments the avacado. Thank you!
I’d never made guacamole until a few weeks ago when I saw one of those seasoning packets next to the avocados and thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad I thought to check out your site this morning to see if you had a recipe for it. SO good! And I love that it takes the place of mayo/miracle whip on our sandwiches and replaces it with WAY more flavor and less fat (at least the bad kind!). Thank you!
You'll just have to calculate Rachel- sorry! There's lots of free programs online you can use though. I'm trying to lose the baby fat too- good luck!
i LOVE your recipes and have tried quite a few. i just had a baby and am trying to lose the babes fat, so is there any way for me to tell easily how many calories each of your dishes are?
This looks amazing! I like the idea of sour cream mixed in BUT I cannot have guac without cilantro so I will definitely be adding that in to this recipe!
Molly- the cilantro is purely for garnish 🙂 But it would be good in there too!
So my friends call me "GuacaMolly" for a reason! LOVE THE STUFF! And blessed to live in San Diego where avocados are quite plentiful year round. Now one quick question – I see the cilantro on top but do you like to add it to the guac? I also put in a bit of seeded jalepeno. I think they're wonderful additions but maybe that's just me! 🙂
Guacamolly, cilantro and “jollypianos” as we call em, are a must in good guac 🙂
Yes! 🙂 I actually used homemade pico in mine, which has all the requirements… 🙂
this is the best guacamole ever!!! seriously, the greatest thing esp with the diced tomatoes. the sour cream trick is heavenly. now i don't have to buy those powdered guacamole packets!!! thank you =)
it's PERFECT with the creamy chicken taquitos btw.
Mmmm… I had this last week when I was visiting. BEST guacamole out there!!!
Thanks Hillary- yup. Monday is the day!
Sara– Aren’t you having a c/s on Monday? I remember seeing a date somewhere but can’t remember exactly when it was. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you good luck! 🙂
Ooooooh. . . that looks so yummy and easy! Thanks Sara.
I’ve always made mine with mayo instead of sour cream, so I’ll have to try that next time!
Great guac! As a big fan of avocadoes, esp for its aphrodisiac qualities, this is a must try.
Ya Kate, I meant to mention that too. Sometimes if I have good salsa around (or fresh pico) I’ll just add that for a quick mix-up! You know you want some, go make it 😉
Yummmmmmm…you’re making me want guacamole! I actually use pico de gallo instead of garlic and onions, but everything else is the same! I may need to get stuff to make some guac today.