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This tableside guacamole recipe is simply the best. The use of fresh ingredients makes all the difference, and the best part is that it’s so easy to make. It’s a go-to recipe for any gathering or just a little treat for yourself.
Homemade guacamole is so easy to make, and perfect for loading on top of your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes (tacos, burritos, nachos, carne asada, pollo asado, and more!) or just serve with some fresh homemade tortilla chips for a snack with a frosty margarita.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Authentic Guacamole
- Avocados: follow the guidelines below to ensure you’re getting a good one.
- Onion: white onion is typically used in Mexican cooking, although yellow will work also.
- Cilantro: gives a fresh, herbaceous flavoring. Using leaves and stems chopped together gives more flavoring.
- Salt: use a nice sea salt to bring out all of the natural flavors.
- Lime: use freshly squeezed juice.
- Optional: tomato, jalapeño, garlic
Picking the Perfect Avocado
Choosing the perfect avocado is the first step to making excellent guacamole. Here are three simple tips to help you pick a ripe one:
- Check the Color: Look for avocados with dark green to almost black skin. A ripe avocado typically darkens as it matures.
- Gently Squeeze: Lightly press the avocado with your fingers. It should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not feel overly soft or mushy. If it’s rock hard, it still needs to ripen.
- Inspect the Stem: Remove the small stem or cap at the top of the avocado. If it comes off easily and is green underneath, it’s likely ripe. The avocado may be overripe if it’s brown or difficult to remove.
By following these guidelines, you’ll consistently select ripe avocados for your guacamole, ensuring that creamy, flavorful result we all love.
How to Make Homemade Guacamole
Making homemade guacamole is easy and simple. No fancy equipment is needed for this recipe. Although a molcajete is traditional and makes it quick and easy to mash, a fork will easily mash the avocados also. You want to make sure the avocados are ripe and soft to allow for easy mashing. If the avocados are hard then you may need to wait a few days.
- Finely dice: the onion, cilantro and any other ingredients you may be adding (ie jalapeno or garlic). In the bowl or molcajete add the onion, cilantro, salt and lime juice.
- Mix: Mash this together and let sit while you prepare the avocados. This allows the lime and salt to work wonders on the onion and cilantro softening them up.
- Prepare avocados: slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, then dice the avocados while in the peel. I prefer to dice into squares, just a few slices in both directions gives a chunky square dice. This helps create a wonderful chunky texture to the guacamole. At this point, add the avocados to the bowl or molcajete with the other ingredients.
- Mash: using the pestle or a fork, mash the avocado to your desired consistency.
- Add tomatoes if desired. I like to do this step last so the tomatoes remain in their nice dice and not mashed.
What is a Molcajete?
A molcajete is a Mexican kitchen tool made from volcanic rock. It looks like a heavy stone bowl with a matching stone grinder. It’s used to crush and mix ingredients like spices, herbs, and avocados.
It’s famous for making delicious salsas and guacamole, giving them a unique flavor. The molcajete is an essential tool in Mexican cooking and adds a touch of tradition to every meal.
This simple guacamole can also be made in a bowl using a fork to mash also.
Storage Information
Storing guacamole to keep it fresh is crucial, especially if you want to enjoy it later.
- Use an airtight container.
- Add plastic wrap directly on the guacamole’s surface.
- Seal the container tightly.
Refrigerate the guacamole promptly to slow down oxidation. Stored this way, it can stay fresh for 2-3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, gently stir to mix any separated liquids and savor that vibrant flavor again.
Keep Your Guacamole Green
The trick to keeping this green if you make it ahead of time is to place the plastic wrap directly over the top of the actual guacamole. Guacamole browns from oxidation, preventing as much air as possible with the plastic wrap keeps it green longer.
More dips and salsa recipes:
Tableside Guacamole
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white onion finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro diced
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed (approx 1/2 a lime)
- 4 avocados
Optional Ingredients
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 jalapeno seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Add the diced onion and cilantro into a medium size mixing bowl or molcajete. Add the salt and lime juice. Mash together. Let this sit while preparing the avocados. (add garlic and jalapeno during this step if desired.)
- Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit. While in the shell dice the avocado into square pieces. Larger chunks for chunkier guacamole, smaller dice for smoother guacamole.
- Scoop the avocado out with a spoon, add to the bowl or molcajete. Mash together to desired consistency.
- Stir in diced tomato if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Equipment
- molcajete
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jess Gaertner Creative
Recipe first published April 27, 2020. Updated September 8, 2023 with new images and video. Recipe is unchanged.
I LOVE guacamole. I prefer to mash the avocado with a fork as I like the slightly chunkier texture. I make it pretty much the same way but I add a few drops of Tabasco for a hit of spiciness. I don’t normally put onion in it but maybe I’ll give that a try next time. I’m glad there were pictures otherwise I would have had to look up what on earth a molcajete is!-pestle and mortar!
Great recipe for guacamole! Love not having all the chunks throughout since I’m not a fan of onion. Most recipes put a bunch of other stuff in. Love how simple this one is.
Thanks so much Marie!
Made this recipe and luv, luv, luv it! Had refried beans on the side and everyone asked for the source of the source of the recipe. Thank you….teh luncheon was a success.
Thanks so much Greta! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe, turned out delcious. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thank you so much!! Happy you enjoyed it!
Really good recipe – thanks for sharing! Interesting idea to put the pit back in to keep the guac green and fresh. Wonder why that works? Do you happen to know?
Hi Brian!! I’m not sure why it works. I know whenever we only use half of an avocado with lunch though and we wrap up the other half for dinner, we always wrap the half with the pit and the avocado lasts so much longer that way!
I love guacamole and I never knew that about keeping the pit in the guac to keep it green. Thanks so much for the tip! It looks delicious! Now, pass the chips!
Thanks so much Sara! And you’re welcome! 🙂
What kind of chip that is Keto do you use ?