Guacamole Recipe (Simple & Homemade)

Guacamole is a Mexican avocado dip prepared by mashing ripe avocados and mixing them with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and chili peppers. It is traditionally seasoned with lime juice. In this recipe, I use lemon juice instead for a fresh, bright flavor. It comes together in just 5 minutes with simple ingredients. Serve with tacos, tortillas, nachos or spread over toast.

About This Simple Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole is a flavorful, creamy, tasty dip or spread from the Mexican cuisine, that is made primarily with ripe avocados, that are mashed and combined with various ingredients to create a delicious blend of textures and tastes.

Common additions include onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime or lemon juice, and seasonings like salt and pepper.

Guacamole is well-loved for its rich, buttery consistency and is frequently served as a delicious side dip with tortilla chips or as a condiment with tacos, nachos, or other Mexican dishes.

It is prized for its versatility, offering a harmonious mix of zesty, creamy and refreshing flavors that adds a burst of flavor to your meals.

Decades back when I was living in Bangalore and Goa, I used to see avocados in the markets but didn’t know what to do with them.

I can’t believe I spent so long without buying this amazing fruit, but it wasn’t until a friend made me some guacamole that I started seeing their true flavor potential.

From then on I have been experimenting with different ways to make the Mexican dip known as guacamole and finally came up with our ideal homemade recipe. I have been making this guacamole for decades now and can promise: it’s super easy!

Made with fewer than 10 super fresh ingredients, this is a no-cook recipe that’ll come together in just 10 minutes.

Once you make a batch, you’ll want to slather it on your morning toast, eat it with chips, and serve it with Mexican favorites like my easy Vegetarian Taco, Burrito Recipe, or Chimichanga Recipe.

Ingredients & Substitutions

To make the best, homemade & easy guacamole recipe, all you need are ingredients that are easily found and that are probably already in your pantry. Here’s what you need:

• Ripe Avocado: A well-ripened avocado has a soft creamy buttery pulp. If possible use Hass avocado due to their creamy texture. But do note that Indian avocado also works well.
• Onions: For crunch and pungency. Feel free to use any color of onion. You can also swap in scallions or shallots if you prefer.
• Tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes give a nice bit of acidity and juiciness. Adding tomatoes is optional, so if you don’t have any garden fresh ones on hand, feel free to skip it.
• Garlic:  For a bit of spice.
• Serrano Peppers: The heat and spice in guacamole mainly comes from peppers. I like to use serranos, but you can easily swap in jalapeños instead. To make it spicier, you can increase the quantity. For a milder taste, remove the seeds and membranes of the chilies before chopping and only add as much as you like.
• Lemon Juice: Acidity helps to cut through the richness of the avocado and makes this best guacamole recipe sing. Feel free to swap in fresh lime juice.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I always add a dash of olive oil for some added richness, but you can feel free to omit it if you prefer.
• Herbs: Cilantro (coriander leaves) is traditional for guacamole, but you can use parsley if you prefer.
• Spices: I like to use either freshly cracked black pepper, but you can use smoked paprika or cayenne pepper in the recipe.

We love avocado and all the lovely recipes made with this creamy buttery fruit. Few favorite of ours is the Avocado Toast, Avocado Salad and Avocado Sandwich.

The rich buttery texture of avocado is so good and at times I simply slather it on toasts sprinkled with a bit of black salt and pepper.

For dessert lovers, do not forget to check our absolute preferred recipe of Chocolate Avocado Mousse.

How To Make Guacamole (Step-By-Step)

1. First, prep. Finely chop 1 small onion, 1 small tomato, mince or finely chop 1 small clove of garlic, ½ to 1 serrano or jalapeño peppers, and cilantro (coriander leaves).

You will need:

• ¼ cup finely chopped onions
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon finely chopped or minced garlic, optional
• ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes
• ½ to 1 teaspoon chopped seranno or jalapeno peppers or green chillies
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).

Garlic is optional and can be skipped.

If you find the taste of raw onions highly pungent & strong, soak them in cold water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the water very well and add the onions to the remaining ingredients. You can also use red onions for a milder flavor.

2. Add all these chopped ingredients to a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

3. Place a ripe avocado on your chopping board. Cut it from the center horizontally or vertically into two equal halves.

While cutting the avocado from the center keep on rotating the knife in a circle at the center so that you get two halves of the avocado.

Note that while cutting you will feel the resistance from the inner seed.

4. So now you have the two avocado halves. Remove the seed with a spoon. Now you can scoop the avocado flesh or pulp with a spoon.

You can cut or slice the avocado directly in the fruit skin, but be careful when doing this. Avocado Hand is a real problem.

5. I scoop the avocado pulp and then place these on the chopping board. You can also opt to place the scooped avocado pulp directly in the mixing bowl and mash it with a fork.

6. Then chop them.

7. Place the chopped avocado in the mixing bowl.

8. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or add as required. Lime or lemon juice adds a tangy flavor and a refreshing vibrant zing to the guacamole. It also stops the avocados from turning brown.

9. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.

Taste as you go! Regularly taste your guacamole as you add ingredients to make sure it meets your desired flavor requirements. Everyone’s taste buds are different!

10. Lastly, season with salt as per taste and ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper. You can use kosher salt, crushed sea salt, or even black salt.

Black salt gives a wonderful taste with hints of sulfur and the guacamole tastes almost eggy.

11. Stir and mix to combine. Lightly mash the avocado whilst mixing. Check the taste and add more salt, black pepper, or lime or lemon juice if required.

Remember to gently mix the ingredients to retain a chunky texture. Over-mixing can result in a smoother consistency, but traditional guacamole is often slightly chunky.

12. Serve this Best Guacamole with toast, tortilla chips, nachos, or as an accompaniment with a Burrito or quesadilla.

Feel free to garnish with a few coriander leaves while serving.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

• Avocado Tip: Always choose a ripe avocado. If they’re not ripe yet, cover them with a paper towel or place them in a brown paper bag. Leave them on the kitchen counter for a few days until they soften. A ripe avocado should give in a bit and yield, when you gently squeeze it.
• Perfectly Ripe Avocado: Ensure your avocado is not only ripe but also at its peak. You want it to be creamy, smooth and flavorful. If the avocado is too ripe, it will be mushy.
• Ingredients Options: You can leave out tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil if you want. For added crunch, try using a small to medium cucumber and a small bell pepper instead.
• Raw Onions: If the raw onions seem too intense, you can soften their flavor by soaking them in cold water for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before incorporating them into the mixture. Alternatively, opt for red onions for a gentler taste.
• Customize Heat: Control the spiciness according to your taste buds, by adjusting the amount of chili peppers and ground peppers. Keep in mind, you can always add more spiciness later, but it’s tricky to tone it down once it’s in.
• Ground Pepper Choices: Feel free to use black pepper, cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika or red chili flakes.
• Creative Additions: Experiment with additional ingredients like diced mango, pomegranate arils, bell peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, pineapple, or corn for unique twists to your guacamole.
• Spice it Up: Add a dash of ground cumin to your guacamole for extra flavor.
• Seasoning Choices: Use your favorite salt—I like black salt, Himalayan pink salt, or edible rock salt, either alone or combined.
• Ingredient Substitutes: If you don’t have coriander leaves, try fresh parsley. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use ½ to 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or basil instead.
• Adjusting Portions: This recipe is for 2 servings but can easily be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the ingredients.

Common Doubts

This simple Guacamole recipe from the archives was first published on January 2012.