How to Make Guacamole (2024)

Learn how to make the Best Guacamole, including tips for picking the perfect avocado and more! This easy homemade guacamole recipe blends tips from authentic guacamole in Mexico, my mom’s legendary guac, and of course eating copious amounts of it.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Guacamole Recipe

• Simple Ingredients. Avocados, salt, lime juice, onion, and garlic are all you need to make the best guacamole ever. I also add cilantro and tomato and have a few fun, fresh ingredients you can include for variety.
• Perfect Texture. Not too chunky. Not too smooth. This is the goldilocks of guac.
• Properly Seasoned. No bland guacamole for us! This one uses the right amount of kosher salt to make it pop, plus lime juice for vibrancy. If your guacamole is bland, you likely need more of one of these. I’ve got you covered.
• Eat on All the Things. Serve it as an appetizer alongside Mexican Corn Dip, use it for tacos like Carnitas, or tuck it inside a Vegetarian Burrito. Just know this—however much of this guacamole you make, that’s how much will get eaten.

How to Make The Best Guacamole EVER

The Ingredients

• Avocados. Use Hass avocados, which are dark, brown, and bumpy. They have a superior flavor and creamier texture compared to the sleeker green avocados with bright, shiny skin.
• Lime Juice AND Lemon Juice. Surprise! While lime juice only is traditional for guacamole, a combo is especially delicious. Be sure you are using FRESH lime juice and lemon juice. Do not use the kind in the bottle for guacamole.
• Kosher Salt. Kosher salt or fine sea salt is the most important thing to add to guacamole to make it taste great. Do not use table salt, which is iodized and has a metallic flavor. I use Morton’s Kosher Salt in all of my recipes.
• Worcestershire Sauce. Mom’s secret ingredient. It adds a subtle savoriness that makes the guac even harder to stop eating than it already is (you’ve been warned). If you prefer an authentic guacamole recipe, omit this.
• Hot Sauce. My addition to this spicy guacamole recipe. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your heat preference. Or you can use jalapeños instead. (For another spicy dip, try this Chicken Enchilada Dip.)
• Tomatoes. People are divided on whether authentic guacamole has tomatoes in it or not. Personally, I think they’re a delicious addition. They add freshness, texture, acidity, and beautiful red color.
• Red Onions. Fresh, crisp, and crunchy. I feel red onions are the best for guacamole but white onions are another nice option with a clean onion flavor.
• Garlic. For that garlicky goodness.

The Directions

1. Halve and Pit. Be sure to cut the avocados on a cutting board, not directly in your hand.

2. Scoop. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl.

3. Add the Onion, Garlic, and Seasonings. Hold off on the tomato.

4. Mash. Leave it a little chunky.

5. Stir in the Tomato. Add desired toppings and DIG IN!

Topping Ideas

While you can’t go wrong with this simple guacamole recipe, every now and then, it’s fun to vary it up. Here are some toppings to make your guacamole stand out among the rest.

• Crumbled feta cheese
• Pomegranates (great for holidays! Especially combined with the feta.)
• Toasted pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas)
• Bacon (see Baked Bacon and Air Fryer Bacon for easy ways to cook it)
• Diced cherry tomatoes
• Diced mango, peaches, or pineapple
• Grilled Corn kernels
• Fresh cilantro or green onions

What to Dip with Guacamole

• Tortilla Chips. The classic! Make sure your chips are sturdy enough to stand up to those yummy chunks. I like scoop-style chips. Make it a spread and also serve Salsa Roja!
• Carrots. To make this an extra healthy guacamole recipe, serve it with fresh carrot sticks or baby carrots.
• Pita Chips. A similarly crunchy alternative to tortilla chips.
• Thinly Sliced Red Bell Peppers. Nutritious and delightfully crisp.
• Thinly Sliced Radishes. Their pungent sharpness contrasts deliciously with the cooling, creamy guacamole.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Tightly pack leftover guacamole into an airtight storage container, cover with plastic wrap, and seal with the lid. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
• To Make Ahead. You can make homemade guacamole 1 to 2 hours ahead, as browning is inevitable. Store it in the fridge with plastic pressed firmly over the top until ready to serve. If you’d like to get ahead further, the day before, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the tomato.

• Non-Slip Cutting Board. Won’t slip away from you like other cutting boards do.
• Mixing Bowls. The largest size of this set would be ideal for making guacamole.
• Citrus Juicer. I won’t juice a lemon or lime without this handy tool.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Know How to Pick a Ripe Avocado. Choose a Hass avocado that is deep dark green, brown, or black in color, with bumpy skin instead of smooth. When you squeeze it, it should feel soft but firm.
• Ripen Your Avocados Faster. To speed up your avocados’ ripening, place them in a sealed paper bag. Adding a banana to the bag along with them speeds things up even more.
• Keep Your Guacamole from Turning Brown. Homemade guacamole turns brown because an enzyme in the green avocado flesh reacts with oxygen in the air (this process is called oxidation). Acid helps keep guacamole from turning brown, and when storing it, use the smallest container possible and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to keep the air out. A popular method for keeping guacamole from turning brown adding the avocado pit to the bowl; I have tested this and I found zero difference.
• Troubleshooting Brown Guacamole. If your guacamole is a few hours or a day old and is starting to get a brown hue, give it a good stir. The brown parts will seemingly disappear into the green, making the guacamole appear almost brand new. Adding additional fresh avocado helps too.
• Season to Taste. First, before you begin tinkering with your guacamole, if you will be serving it with chips, use those chips for taste-testing. If you taste your guac and it is bland, start with more salt. Next, add lime juice. Often an additional pop of citrus is all guac needs to come alive and taste better. If you still aren’t happy with the taste, you can rely on mix-ins to jazz it up. Try adding cilantro, salsa, a diced jalapeno or serrano pepper, feta cheese, or a few dashes of hot sauce.