Best Guacamole Recipe

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posted by Liz Berg

on October 21, 2015 (updated 4/20/23)

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This Best Guacamole Recipe is perfection with a touch of heat from jalapenos, a dash of color from minced tomatoes and a smattering of fresh cilantro. Served at my latest book club meeting, this Avocado Dip got rave reviews from my girlfriends!

I have a weak spot when it comes to guacamole and chips. Who needs dinner when there is a bowl of the Homemade Guacamolealong with lightly salted tortilla chips? A heavenly combo. Scroll down for my tips on how to buy an avocado at the grocery store.

Best Guacamole Recipe - Easy & Authenic -That Skinny Chick Can Bake (1)

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Guacamole Ingredients

3 How to Make Guacamole

4 Serving Suggestions:

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 The Benefits of Avocados

7 You May Also Like:

8 Best Guacamole Recipe

Why You Must Make

This chunky version is WAY better than anything you can buy in your local markets. My book club went crazy for this recipe. Plus, when you make it at home you can adjust the heat and leave out any ingredients you dislike.
A homemade chile paste brought another layer of flavor than what minced jalapenos and onions can provide.
The homemade guacamole recipe is an authentic Mexican version, not the Tex-Mex, Americanized recipes that we’re used to eating.

Guacamole Ingredients

Kitchen Staples – Salt, White Onion
Fresh Cilantro – Stems removed and chopped or minced
Jalapeño – Finely chopped. Decrease amount for less heat.
Hass Avocados – Ripe but firm (about 8 ounces each)
Fresh Tomatoes – Diced, remove seeds if desired
Lime Juice – to taste, optional, but it will help minimize oxidation and balance the flavors.
Tortilla Chips – to serve

Best Guacamole Recipe - Easy & Authenic -That Skinny Chick Can Bake (2)

How to Make Guacamole

Today, I’m sharing Mary’s marvelous recipe for guacamole. Not typical of the other recipes I’ve made, it starts with a homemade chili paste made of onions, cilantro, and jalapenos which was then mixed with ripe avocados, diced tomato, more cilantro, and onion. Truly the best recipe for guacamole I’ve ever made. And I’ve tried a lot!!

The most important ingredient in this classic guacamole is avocados. They must be ripe, so they are soft enough to make into a dip.
PRO-Tip: Buy your avocadoes when they’re firm and green and let them ripen a day or two at home. This prevents the dreaded grocery bag bruising which can happen while attempting to transport soft, ripe avocados home or even by customers checking them in the produce department.
My addition to this recipe was to add a little lime juice to preserve the color of the avocados but otherwise made this classic guacamole true to Mary’s recipe. PRO-Tip: The acid in the lime juice prevents the avocados from oxidizing, or turning brown.
If you don’t want to add lime juice, just make sure you press some plastic wrap onto the surface of the guacamole as soon as it’s mixed. This will prevent any air from reaching the guacamole and starting the oxidation process.
A granite molcajete is a Mexican mortar and pestle that’s perfect for making this recipe for guacamole. By pulverizing the chile paste ingredients, you’ll release oils that chopping will not. If you own one, make both the paste and the guacamole in your molcajete for a most authentic guacamole.

Serving Suggestions:

Kick-off your menu with this terrific guacamole as a starter. Here are some more recipes to round out your meal.

Beer Margaritas
Peach Margaritas
Mexican Chicken Manicotti
Soft Shell Tacos
Spicy Shrimp Fajitas
Mexican Chopped Salad
Spicy Mexican Corn Salad
Tres Leches Cake
Individual Margarita Cheesecakes

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Pick Out the Best Avocados?

To check for ripeness, first give your avocado a gentle squeeze. It should give slightly without leaving an indentation. If you’re still unsure, remove the little stem end at the top of the avocado and examine the color underneath. If it’s green, it’s ripe. If it’s dark brown to black, it’s over-ripe. If the stem end does not come off easily, the avocado is not ripe.

The color of a ripe avocado should be a dark to very dark green. When it’s over-ripe, it will be almost black in color.

What Ingredients are in a Classic Guacamole Recipe?

Guacamole ingredients usually include mashed avocados, lemon or lime juice, and seasonings like chili powder or red pepper, salt, and fresh cilantro. Other additions may include chopped tomatoes, green or white onion, and/or minced jalapenos.

Is Cilantro Required to Make Guacamole?

Cilantro is a optional ingredient. A certain smell-receptor gene cluster makes cilantro taste soapy to those with it in their genetic profile.

How Do You Prevent your Guacamole Dip from Oxidizing?

Oxidizing is the process of discoloration of foods like apples, bananas, avocados and red meat when they’re exposed to air. By pressing plastic wrap over the exposed surfaces, oxidation can be minimized. Adding an acid like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar can slow oxidation.

What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Avocados?

Avocados are relatively low in calories, high in unsaturated fat (good fat), with vitamin C, thiamine and riboflavin. See the graphic below.

The Benefits of Avocados

Check out this Avocado Buying and Growing Guide.

Prep Time15 minutes

Total Time15 minutes

Yield6 servings

A tasty Mexican-style guacamole recipe.

Ingredients

For Chile Paste:

1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
1 firmly packed tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño, or more to taste
½-1 teaspoon of salt (start with ½ teaspoon and add more if needed at the end)

For Guacamole:

Chile paste
4 medium avocados (Hass), ripe but firm (about 8 ounces each)
3 tablespoons diced tomato
2 packed tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
Lime juice, to taste, optional
Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Make the chile paste: Grind the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and salt together in a molcajete (I used a mortar and pestle, but chopped ingredients together first) until all the ingredients are very finely ground.
Cut each avocado in half, remove pits, then cut a cross-hatch pattern into the flesh and scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl with a spoon.
Stir in chile paste, then tomatoes, cilantro, and onion. Mix to desired consistency.
Squeeze in some lime juice if desired.
Check for seasonings and add salt if desired.
If not using immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to minimize browning.

Notes

Adapted fromRosa Mexicano.

Adjust the heat to your palate.

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

My whole family trekked to Colorado this summer to visit my dad, who was delighted to see his grandchildren and go on “adventures.” When my sisters and I were children, we spent the majority of our summer vacations in the picturesque ski town of Aspen, Colorado. Decades ago, summers were quiet and the streets were filled with few tourists.

My dad was there to attend the physics institute, which was very loose with its demands on its scientists. Meaning we were up at dawn many mornings, donned with our hiking boots and backpacks to head to a mountain lake, treacherouspass or a 14,000-foot peak. Learning a few tidbits about the wildlife and rocks was about the only “science” happening on many days.

Once my kids were walking, we started the tradition of joining my parents for biennial trips to our favorite mountain destination. That was where I sampled my first delicious classic guacamole recipe, not too commonplace in Ames, Iowa back in the day. We headed back to Aspen, for the first time in nearly a decade, this summer. That’s where my friend, Mary, a fellow food blogger whose daughter was a friend of my sister, shared her recipe!

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posted by Liz Berg on October 21, 2015
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34 Comments on “Best Guacamole Recipe”

Eva Taylor — May 1, 2022 @ 1:03 am Reply

I can hardly wait to try this recipe, although I haven’t been able to find cilantro in Spain. The flavours from the Chile paste must be incredible. Those hikes sound amazing, I love walking at the crack of dawn.
Toni — December 6, 2019 @ 11:39 am Reply

My family loved guacamole! This one was a huge hit at our house!
Julie Blanner — December 6, 2019 @ 11:12 am Reply

Yum! I am always a fan of guacamole. I love the chili paste in it. Such a great recipe, and I know it will be added to our football game parties!
Katie — January 31, 2019 @ 4:29 pm Reply

I love guacamole so much, and I’ll try it in any form you can make! I love the various differences in this than the basic guacamole, and I love that you left it chunky. Avocados are so good!
Alyssa | EverydayMaven — January 29, 2019 @ 3:09 pm Reply

This is an excellent guac recipe!!!
claudia — January 20, 2017 @ 1:13 pm Reply

always a winner game day!
Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina — August 6, 2016 @ 5:24 am Reply

I use the same ingredients, but need to try the effect of chili paste in a new batch of guacamole. My husband doesn’t eat guacamole so it’s always nice to have the whole bowl to myself!
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction — November 7, 2015 @ 8:04 pm Reply

Lizzy,
How sweet that you met Mary and that you have so many things in common. Some day I hope to go to foodie events and meet fellow bloggers too but I work full time, so who knows when I’ll be able to do that.
Annamaria
Winnie — November 3, 2015 @ 12:20 pm Reply

Wonderful!! I love guacamole 🙂 I’d eat it with a tsp 🙂
Sandra — October 29, 2015 @ 6:58 pm Reply

Yum chili paste, that’s different.
Little Cooking Tips — October 27, 2015 @ 2:18 am Reply

What a wonderful story! We hope one day we’ll be able to visit the mountains of Colorado. We’ve seen it so many movies and documentaries and the place is heaven!
Regarding Mary’s guacamole, we’ll try this one out too of course. We only started having guacamole on May (since avocados are exotic here in Greece , therefore very few people use them), after Panos’ dad had a heart surgery and the good doctor suggested avocado consumption among other things. And they-were-delicious!
We almost always add cumin but this one has the chile paste instead. Yummy! We’ll try to get mild peppers though as my stomach can’t tolerate hot spices:/
Thank you for the wonderful post, have a beautiful week dear!
xoxoxo
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) — October 25, 2015 @ 6:00 pm Reply

awww how nice you all got some time with your dad!!!
and this guac looks like PERFECTION-I still need to find my fave guac recipe and this is def going to be added into the running!
Liz Posmyk (Good Things) — October 24, 2015 @ 10:21 pm Reply

Guacamole is a favourite at our place… we often have avocado smash for lunch, Liz. Lovely recipe, thank you so much xx
handmade by amalia — October 23, 2015 @ 8:12 am Reply

Another guacamole lover here.
Amalia
xo
GiGi Eats — October 23, 2015 @ 12:31 am Reply

I had guac for the first time maybe 2 years ago, and the rest is HISTORY! Seriously. Oh man, when it’s in front of me… I cannottttt stop!
Amira — October 22, 2015 @ 4:45 pm Reply

I would go back for fourth and fifth if I were you :). I did not know that you spent part of your childhood here in Colorado, how lovely.
Katerina — October 22, 2015 @ 1:48 am Reply

I totally agree with you! Who needs anything more than a creamy guacamole and chips?
Abbe @ This is How I Cook — October 21, 2015 @ 10:22 pm Reply

This sounds like perfect guac! How nice for you to do that this summer. It has been so long since we’ve spent time in Aspen and to think we used to go very year for a good 15 years. What has happened to me?!!! The world is so big, but yet so small!
Betsy — October 21, 2015 @ 10:04 pm Reply

It’s hard to explain the magical bond between our Dorista friends, isn’t it? I’m glad you shared some good eats and, even more importantly, conversation and fun time together! I miss you on Fridays.
Meghan — October 21, 2015 @ 9:28 pm Reply

What a small world! I am so with you on this one! Who needs dinner when you have guacamole?! Looks delicious!
Dana @ Simply Romanesco — October 21, 2015 @ 2:17 pm Reply

This guacamole looks absolutely delicious, Liz! I could eat this all day long 🙂
sue|theviewfromgreatisland — October 21, 2015 @ 1:34 pm Reply

This looks like my ideal guacamole — I love it the chunkier the better!
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz — October 21, 2015 @ 1:23 pm Reply

I have a serious weak spot of guacamole so if you say it is amazing it must be really divine, will have to try it. So nice to have a chance to spend time with a fellow blogger .. and one with so little degrees of separation 🙂 Colorado is on the bucket list.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) — October 21, 2015 @ 1:12 pm Reply

I could eat my weight in this guacamole! The texture looks just perfect!
Mary Hirsch — October 21, 2015 @ 11:59 am Reply

Thank you. Liz. I am so delighted to now be a part of the Skinny Chick’s blog forever. An honor, indeed. It was truly one of my Summer highlights to meet your entire family (hadn’t met the young men) and only disappointed we didn’t see a Mr. Bull Moose at the Bells. We did see that frisky bear and I am happy to report that we think he has safely gone into hibernation only to return to the Maroon Bells area next year. I hope you won’t wait another decade to return. XOX
John/Kitchen Riffs — October 21, 2015 @ 11:14 am Reply

Love a good guacamole. And this one looks outstanding. Terrific recipe, really fun story. So nice to connect with people, isn’t it? And it can be such a small world. Great read — thanks.
lucie — October 21, 2015 @ 10:45 am Reply

I love how refreshing guacamole is! Although, it has to be home-made like yours! The shop bought versions always taste so artifical to me…..yours looks delicious!
Medeja — October 21, 2015 @ 10:25 am Reply

Oh, though it looks and sounds delicious would be too spicy for me 😀
Catherine — October 21, 2015 @ 8:03 am Reply

Dear Lizzy, I too like my guacamole a little spicy. This sounds perfect! xo, Catherine
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen — October 21, 2015 @ 7:12 am Reply

Completely agree, ‘Who needs dinner when there is a bowl of creamy avocado along with lightly salted tortilla chips’. Love this super delicious and flavorful avocado dip.
The Surprised Gourmet — October 21, 2015 @ 6:37 am Reply

Guacamole is a favorite around our house too. This looks delicious. Sounds like a fun trip to Colorado.
Angie@Angie's Recipes — October 21, 2015 @ 6:37 am Reply

I am a huge fan of anything with avocado, Liz. This chunky avocado dip looks utterly delicious.
Phong Hong — October 21, 2015 @ 6:34 am Reply

Lizzy, I’ll have to agree with you. I wouldl be happy having a bowl of guacamole and chips for dinner 😀 I like the way you made yours, where the avocados are nice and chunky.
Lynn@Happier Than A Pig In Mud — October 21, 2015 @ 4:15 am Reply

Guac is a very nice treat! Sounds good:@)