Classic Guacamole
by Katie Webster
January 24, 2018 (updated 1/19/23) Jump To Recipe
Just in time for the Big Game, I’m here with my super quick and utterly delicious guacamole recipe. In just ten minutes you’ll have all of your guests dipping and raving!
I originally shared this recipe on January 17, 2014. I have updated the images the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Classic Guacamole Recipe
I was weaned on Tex Mex food (my mom’s side of the family is from Texas). For us, gathering together and making a Mexican food classic like chicken tacos or chicken enchiladas and serving it with fresh guacamole and pico de Gallo from scratch is a love language of sorts.
Homemade guac is so easy to make. In fact, I have been making guacamole since I could reach the kitchen counter.
Even though it is so simple to make, you can miss an opportunity for great taste and flavor. On its surface, classic guacamole couldn’t be more simple, avocado mashed up with some lime, garlic and salt.
Ingredients For Classic Guacamole
- Ripe Hass avocados: make sure they are soft but not squishy. Stay away from green avocados, as they are not ripe yet. When they are black they are usually ripe, but it is helpful to give them a gentle squeeze to see if they give a little.
- Lime juice: I add this to taste. I prefer a pretty sour guacamole. But if you prefer less you can use a but less.
- Salsa or Pico De Gallo: I like Pace Picante Sauce (medium is my favorite) because it is not too chunky and has just the right amount of heat. You can also add a few scoops of Pico De Gallo into the guac instead.
- Cilantro: My grandmother never added cilantro to her guac, but I love the way it tastes. This is optional if you do not like cilantro.
- Salt: Make sure to taste the guac and adjust the salt. The amount of lime you use will have to be balanced with the salt.
- Garlic: Start with one small clove and mine it finely. A little goes a long way!
How To Make Guacamole
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop them out into a large bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork or potato masher. For a larger batch, it is helpful to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Next add in the garlic, lime, salsa and salt. Blend it all together and give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning and lime until it tastes to your liking.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes you can make it up to 1 day ahead. Guacamole starts to turn brown along the top surface after a few hours where it comes in contact with the air. To minimize this you can place a piece of plastic over the surface and press it down so that it doesn’t come in contact with the air. Scrape off the browned outer layer before serving.
This is an urban legend and doesn’t have any real science behind it. The mashed avacodo turns brown when it comes in contact with air and starts to oxidize. Lime juice (or acidic ingredients) help inhibit this oxidization as does creating a physical barrier, (like pressing plastic wrap on the surface.)
What goes with guacamole, besides chips?
- As a Topping: Guac is amazing as a topping for Mexican food classics like steak fajitas, Beef Barbacoa tacos, turkey enchiladas and vegetarian burrito bowls.
- With Protein: I love it dolloped over roasted or grilled protein like steak or chicken. It is excellent with tuna, swordfish and salmon too!
- As a Dip: We love guac as a dip with raw veggies and crackers.
- As a Spread: It is great to spread on soft flour tortillas to make a wrap filled with veggies or I love it with smoked turkey breast in a sandwich.
- Snacks: Try it rolled up with ham for a low-carb snack or use it instead of yolks to stuff hard boiled eggs.
Variations To Try
- Add in finely chopped onions, scallions or green onions
- Add a teaspoon or two of chopped chipotle in adobo
- Mix in corn kernels and crumbled cooked bacon
- Add in ground chipotle chili powder, minced fresh jalpañeo or hot sauce to make it spicier
- See more ideas here in Guacamole 5 Ways.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Classic Guacamole
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/4 cup 1x
Description
Classic guacamole recipe made with avocado, lime and salt with a bit of salsa, cilantro and garlic. Healthy, naturally gluten free and only 86 calories per 1/4 cup serving.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe Hass avocados
- 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup lime juice, to taste
- 2 tablespoons medium Pace Picante Sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 small clove garlic, minced like crazy
Instructions
- Mash avocado, lime, Pace, cilantro salt and garlic in a large bowl until desired smoothness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 87 calories
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
Keywords: guacamole,classic guacamole,how to make guacamole
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
This post cracked me up- #4 had me laughing out loud! I couldn’t agree more with you on these points. Crappy guac really bums me out!
This post was great, Katie! I love a good food rant.. I had one on my blog about the difference between sauce and authentic Italian gravy last week. Your guac recipe is right up my alley with lots of lime and light on garlic! Sometimes simple is best – though I am guilty of adding grilled pineapple to my guacamole 🙂
I love simplicity – and I love me some guacamole – maybe I’ll be able to get it right now! More lime and salt, less garlic! I’ve never done the dumbass stuff (honest!) but I’ve struggled to get the combination right. I feel inspired to try again now – thanks 🙂
Ha, ha. That’s the attitude 😉 Thanks for coming by Ian.
Haha! I was in desperate need of a good laugh and you delivered ;). I esp love #4..can I get a hall pass for my sriracha?
Min, ha ha, no, Sriracha wouldn’t really qualify as weird. Glad I made you laugh;)
Cilantro in guacamole is unnecessary and also possibly an affront to humanity.
Alleluia, Amen.
Ha ha, so I take it that you are not a non-cilantro kinda gal? I totally understand. And in that case no need for it. Thanks for coming by Sarah.
Haha I literally just realized your recipe has cilantro in it! I thought you were including it under “weird stuff” for a minute. I was like, “Why is she being so short with me?” Didn’t mean to insult your recipe! I think your cardinal rules of guac are spot-on.
Too funny:) In this case weird has to be pretty weird like the cranberries David mentioned. I heard Nigella Lawson on NPR talking about her famous guac with blue cheese. I sure wouldn’t want to have a bite of that and not be expecting it!!
Katie, I LOVE this post! Not just because of the guacamole, but I freaking loved your soap box. You are hilarious, and I loved how sassy this post was! Although, I’m not sure there is such thing as too much cilantro… 😉
Ohhhh, I am so glad you like it Ari. I was worried that it was too fresh. Glad I made you laugh.
What can I say? I really love it!
“Don’t be a dumbass and add a bunch of weird shit” – one of my favorite phrases. I’ll be back for more.
Well in that case I am glad I didn’t edit that out. Maybe it was a little thug kitchen in me coming out. Ha ha.
I’ve never added garlic to guacamole. Is that really bad? I also prefer fresh chopped jalepanos and tomatoes, but good idea about the picante sauce. Good to know.
By the way, I love your mouth. Wouldn’t expect that from you, but that’s what they say about me too. We would get along well!
Anne, No fresh is always good in my opinion. And no garlic is better than too much really. The salty talk just comes out sometimes;) I have no doubt that we would get along great.
Haha…this is a classic post, Katie! I love that you wrote “Don’t be a dumbass and add a bunch of weird shit.” It’s so true, too! I once came across a guac recipe with cranberries in it. WTF…seriously? It’s like the Pilgrims meet the Mexicans.
OMG cranberries! I die! And not in a good way either, ha ha.
A shit-ton of salt…I love it! I definitely add plenty of salt to mine too. Now I’m craving guac 🙂
Taryn, Ha, ha right? I am sort of a salt freak, and guac is one of the kinds of recipes where it is so much better if you don’t skimp on it.
I’m in complete agreement with you on all six points! I’m a big guac fan and I love your recipe. I finely dice a small tomato instead of picante but otherwise your recipe is close to mine. BTW, love the salty language! 🙂
Glad you agree about the guac and appreciate the understanding on the lingual indiscretions. Ha ha.
My favorite way to make Guacamole is with finely minced onion, LOTS of lime juice and a bit of sweet corn. I love the taste of avocados, so cilantro is a big no no for me. And garlic is good, but way too often do people add too much. As for salt, if you got lots of lime juice, you really don’t need that much in my opinion, which really doesn’t mean a lot hahaha!
WHO THE EFF PUTS A PIT IN THE BOWL? That’s cray cray. It’s not the compost bin!
I have seen it more than I think is right. Ha ha compost:)
Well, Yankee, lots and lots of MEXICAN cooks do until just b4 serving. And none of them composted as far as I know. This includes the friends I have in Mexico. So, EFF that. yo
★★★★
We skip the salsa and add chopped jalapeno. And I like it garlicky…but I like everything garlicky so clearly I have issues.
Jalapeno is okay by me especially if it is minced. Though I really like the mildness of this guac. I tend to think of it as a cooling element in a Mexican meal.
Love this! Great tips on guac perfecting. Definitely know a few people guilty of #1 🙂 Makes me want a margarita and some “Aunt Charlenas” on the patio. Officially Texan approved.
Ha yes! That should be the 7th thing, not serving your guac with Margs:) I am so glad you saw this post Taylor, I was going to FB you the link, but you beat me to it! Lol;)