My Favorite Guacamole Recipe
The BEST homemade guacamole recipe is easy easy! Takes 5 minutes. I feel like people are always trying to complicate guacamole, but I promise, simple is best. I will show you exactly how to make it! Yes, we know guac is extra, but so are we, right? Probably the best appetizer of all time, fight me.
Servings: 8
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons lime zest from 2 limes
- 2 & 1/2 tablespoons lime juice plus more
- 4 large ripe avocados 1 and 1/2 pounds before opening
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt use 1/2 teaspoon if all you have is table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin optional
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper for flavor, not heat
- Juanita's tortilla chips sometimes mislabeled "Juantonio's"
Instructions
- Zest the limes. Start by zesting two limes onto a large plate. This is optional, and if you are in a hurry, skip it! You should end up with about 2 teaspoons lime zest. If you don't have a microplane grater for this task yet, get on it. Game changer right there.
- Juice the limes. Slice the limes in half and juice them into a little bowl. Set aside.
- Now the avocados. Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit with your fingers. Put your chef's knife away and don't be an idiot. Your avocados should be soft enough to slice with a butter knife, and if they are not, maybe you should be making this guac tomorrow anyway ;)
- Mash. Use a spoon to scoop the avocados out of their shells onto the large plate with the lime zest. Use a fork to mash the avocados roughly, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons lime juice. Keep mashing until the avocados are a consistency you like, then taste it to see if you want to add more lime juice.
- Salt. Sprinkle the guacamole with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Use the fork (or I always grab a rubber spatula at this point) to stir it all together. Scrape into a serving bowl.
- Serve with Juanita's tortilla chips - and Pico de Gallo in a bowl next to it! I could die happy in this moment. Or add guac to your Chicken Taco. Or use a cookie scoop to add a giant dollop to these Ultimate Chili Nachos (I still dream about this) Add to Carne Guisada. Taco Salad. Enchiladas. The possibilities are endless!
- Store guacamole in a tupperware. Smooth out the top to be as flat as you can make it, then top with a thin layer of lime juice, lemon juice, or even water. You want to create a barrier between the guacamole and the air. Press plastic wrap directly onto the now-wet guac, then top with a lid. When you are ready to eat again, pour off any liquid that is still on top, stir, and serve.
Notes
Optional ingredients:
If you are serving guacamole as a stand-alone appetizer, you can add a few more ingredients if you want it to be the star of the show. (I prefer the simpler recipe, especially as a side for tacos or another main dish. But I understand if you want to jazz up your guac for serving solo.)
- Cilantro, chopped tiny tiny. Start with 2-4 tablespoons
- Minced onion, start with 1-3 tablespoons. You can even use a cheese grater to shred it, I love my onion tiny in guac.
- Jalapeno, seeded and diced, start with just one and move up.
- Tomatoes. Start with just one. Slice it open and scrape all the seeds out. Then dice the rest and add it in.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg