Simple Guacamole Recipe

Published: April 9, 2019 Updated: March 10, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 38 Comments

Ditch store-bought and make this super simple guacamole recipe in minutes! This avocado dip is fresh, loaded with flavour and as creamy or as chunky as you want it to be. Makes for a delicious game day snack for dunking those chips!

Bowl of guacamole garnished with cilantro.

Many years ago before hubby and I were married, he decided to make us some guacamole for a Saturday night snack.

It was my first time having and I definitely wasn’t a fan. Funny, isn’t it? To think about that now, I can’t believe it!

It was years later that my love for avocados and guacamole bloomed. Strange thing. If you keep trying a food you’re not fond of, eventually you do (well, that was certainly the case with me).

These days I absolutely love guacamole and avocados, in general. We always have avocados in the fridge. Always. They are a staple in our home, right alongside milk, eggs and cheese.

I was like that with cilantro too. It tasted soapy to me. Now, I have no problem with it whatsoever and love it on so many things.

We’ve all seen those pre-made containers of guacamole in the grocery store and some of them are pretty good and, yes, I have even bought. There is no need, though.

This recipe literally takes minutes to make and when you prepare it at home you know exactly what’s in there and can adjust to your tastes.

And for the record …

Now I enjoy guacamole on the regular, especially with chickpea tacos!

What Is Guacamole?

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip originating from Mexico. Side note: did ya know that avocado is a fruit?

Ingredients for this guacamole recipe are:

Avocado
Lime juice
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Cumin
Onion
Garlic
Jalapeno
Tomato
Cilantro

How To Make Guacamole

Full details on how to make this simple guacamole recipe are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Place peeled avocado (with pit removed, of course) in a bowl and gently mash with a potato masher (such a handy tool).

Mashing avocado in a white bowl with a potato masher.

Then add fresh lime juice, olive oil, seasonings, onion, garlic, jalapeno, tomato and cilantro. Stir everything until combined.

Tip: Be a tad gentle with the tomatoes, you don’t want to mush those too much.

Enjoy with your favourite tortilla chips!

So simple, right?

Mixing up guacamole in a white bowl with a spoon.

Chunky Versus Smooth

Chunky guacamole versus smooth guacamole, that’s more of a personal preference!

You can mash super smooth to have a creamy guacamole or leave some bits for a chunky version (just mash a little less). You do what you enjoy best!

Leftovers and Storing

Like with most things, guacamole is best enjoyed when it’s freshly made. Usually when we make at home, it doesn’t last past day one because it’s so dang tasty.

However, if you can’t finish it all in one sitting, this dip will last about 1 to 2 days in the fridge (store in an airtight container).

How To Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown

There are a bunch of ways that will help keep guacamole from turning brown like:

Lime Juice: Squeeze a generous layer of lime juice over top of the guacamole.
Plastic Food Wrap: Press plastic food wrap right over and into the dip (so there’s less oxidation).
Water: Cover leftovers with a small layer of water. Drain when ready to enjoy.
Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream: A total cheat (but works) is to stir in a spoonful of Greek yogurt into the guacamole (the acidity helps prolong the green colour). Guacamole with sour cream also works too!
Avocado Pit: I’ve heard placing the avocado pit in the centre of the guacamole helps it stay greener longer, but I haven’t personally tried that one out. You?

Close-up of a bowl of guacamole garnished with cilantro.

Mix Things Up

To try a different flavour profile with guacamole add-ins.

For chipotle guacamole, mix in some chipotle chili flakes or finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste). It adds a lovely smoky heat and flavour.

If you are making a chipotle flavoured guacamole, you may want to skip the fresh hot pepper.

Tips for Making Guacamole

Pick a ripe avocado. This is a simple way to tell if an avocado is ripe.
Make it close to when you are about to enjoy for best freshness. Because guacamole only takes minutes to whip up, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Don’t skip the lime juice! It helps prolong the green colour. Plus, it adds a lovely brightness to the dip. Don’t have lime on hand? Use lemon.
Don’t have a fresh hot pepper in your fridge? Try a dash or two of your favourite hot sauce.
For the onion component, use what you have on hand: white or red onion or shallot.
If you like more of an ingredient (like cilantro or onion, for example), use more. Like a little less, use less. Like mentioned, this simple guacamole recipe can easily be adjusted.
If you like things less spicy, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno.

Finger pointing out the seeds and ribs in a cut jalapeno pepper.

Ways To Enjoy

Chips. Always a classic, right?
Use as a spread on a sandwich or wrap instead of mayo.
Have on toast (hello famous avocado toast). Try with an egg on top. It’s delicious!
Enjoy with scrambled eggs.
Nachos is never a bad idea.
Making things more substantial, this simple guacamole recipe would be so good spooned over pork carnitas, shrimp tacos or enjoyed with cheesy beef quesadillas.

Hand holding a chip with guacamole on it.

More Easy Dips

This dip is pretty simple but really tasty. Sometimes simple really is best.

If you make this easy guacamole recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

This recipe was originally published in November 2015 but has been updated.