Homemade Guacamole Recipe

The best Homemade Guacamole Recipe is the one that uses fresh, high-quality ingredients. Living in Mexico for 8 years allowed me to bring this recipe to perfection!

Traditional guacamole doesn’t need other ingredients than great Avocados (ideally Hass), onion, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, a jalapeno pepper, and salt. Peel, chop, and mix everything and is ready in minutes!

We made Mexican guacamole about two times per week for 8 years. Unlike in many parts of the world, like here in Italy, in Mexico, avocados and limes are still sold by weight and not by unit, and both are incredibly cheap.

Making guac was just the right and easy thing to do whenever we had people coming over, easily every other day.

The traditional Mexican Guacamole Recipe

Nobody in Mexico will ever tell you that guacamole needs to have X ingredients or be made in a specific way; otherwise, it wouldn’t be authentic.

The same thing goes for mole, tacos, or any other Mexican delicacies. But, of course, whoever makes that claim might be just trying to look smart. The knowledge you need isn’t different than knowing how to pick your ingredients and seasoning well.

Of course, you need some essential ingredients like Avocado, Tomatoes and Limes outlined further in detail but don’t hesitate to find your sweet spot, more acid or less spicy.

A Good Guacamole is supposed to be easy to make and rich in flavor. Plain and simple. It’s a blend of a few high-quality ingredients with flavors transported by the tremendous healthy fat of avocadoes melding together beautifully and unctuously.

Mexican cuisine is about flavor, tons of flavor. It is about the people and the seasonings you have in the kitchen and experimenting.

Variety of produce

Mexico and Central America, where I am from (Panama), are home to tomatoes, lime, avocado, and corn, so I grew up and lived for most of my life surrounded by many kinds of avocados, tomatoes, and tortillas of all colors in the palette.

A Mexican household will make guac with the kind of avocados and tomatoes they have available, which will undoubtedly be high quality, and decide either to use white or red onion, garlic, or jalapeño.

Ingredients

With just 7 simple ingredients, you can make one of the most world widely known dip recipes, in my opinion, only comparable to the Magnificent Hummus, both naturally vegan and highly nutritious!

• Avocados
• Tomato
• Onion
• Garlic
• Limes
• Jalapeño chili
• Optional: Coriander leaves (cilantro)

Salt to taste.

Avocados: the best avocado for guacamole is the Hass kind. Pick them firm, soft enough to be creamy, and with the stem ON (otherwise, you will likely find black spots meaning it hasn't ripened well). If your avocados are not ripe enough, put them in a bag along with bananas, the gas released by bananas while ripening (ethylene) makes avocados ripen in one or two days.

Onion: I’m using white onion, but sometimes I use red onion, which gives a little sweetening note that we love. Feel free to use either of them or even yellow onion; they all work. I wouldn’t go for spring onions as it tends to give a different flavor profile.

Tomatoes: the best tomatoes are either plum or Roma tomatoes. Just make sure they are firm and not too ripe that they are too watery. Roma tomatoes tend to pack less juice, which we don’t need.

Cilantro (coriander): some people would tell you guacamole isn’t guacamole without cilantro, but the truth is that many people hate cilantro, and in a lot of places in Mexico, they either avoid using it or offer you a guac with or without cilantro. We say a big YES to cilantro!

Jalapeno: You can also use serrano pepper or any other if you don’t have them available. I am using Italian pepperoncino as we can find neither Jalapeno nor Serrano but, it works perfectly well.

Garlic: Some people like their guac with garlic; others don’t. We love garlic in everything, so it is another YES for us; just don’t overdo it. You can even throw just a pinch of garlic powder.

Lime: Freshly squeezed lime, please. Don’t use a pre-juiced one. It will kill your guacamole.

Optional Salt: This will consolidate all the flavors.

Optional: extra-virgin olive oil (obviously not traditionally Mexican, but I think it gives it an extra delicious touch, feel free to skip it).

Note: omit olive oil and salt if adhering to a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet.

Storing

Guacamole oxidizes and turns brown pretty darn quick. The lime juice helps slow this process, but inevitably, leftover guacamole will eventually start to brown.

The most common preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on top of it, which may work for a day or two. However, we aim to consume as little plastic as possible, so we switched to another method.

The second method is placing your leftover guacamole in an air-tight container and patting it down firmly, so it’s flat on top. Then, add about ½ inch (1 cm) of cold water on top.

Put back the container’s lid on the store it in the fridge.

When you are ready to consume it, drain the water off the top, stir it, and be prepared to eat. It will keep fine for days.

More Delicious Dips and Savory Snacks?

• Hummus 3-Ways
• Baba Ganoush Eggplant Spread
• Creamy Vegan Green Sauce

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

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