Authentic Guacamole Recipe
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Learn how to make Authentic Guacamole with just a few simple and fresh ingredients. It’s truly a tortilla chip’s dream!
Forget the fillers and inauthentic ingredients. All you need for this easy guacamole recipe is avocados, onions, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and salt!
Bonus: I’ll give you a few authentic tips on how to keep your guacamole from turning brown!
Looking to spice up your night? Check out some of my other favorite Mexican dishes like Crispy Crockpot Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) and Mexican Street Corn Dip
Authentic Guacamole Recipe
I’m not exaggerating, this is the best guacamole recipe around! In my humble, slightly biased opinion, of course.
Guacamole is a staple in Mexican cuisine and although it’s simple to make, it can be tough to perfect the flavor.
If you don’t know, guacamole is an avocado-based dip (or spread) first developed in Mexico. Today, it’s used in many modern Mexican dishes, but has also become part of international and American cuisine.
However, the key to making amazing (and crowd-pleasing) guacamole is to keep it simple and keep it authentic.
Authentic Guacamole Ingredients
Avocados: in order to make the best guacamole, you will need ripe avocados. Keep reading to get my tips on how to pick the best avocados!
Onion: one of the keys to authentic guacamole is red onion because it offers up a sweeter bite compared to white onions.
Cilantro: fresh cilantro offers fresh and authentic flavors…and it’s easy to chop!
Jalapeño: the perfect kick gets tossed in with diced jalapeños. I removed the seeds removed, however, if you’d like it spicer, leave the seeds in!
Tomato: tomatoes add a refreshing addition to the dip and marries nicely with the onion flavors.
The perfect zest: the make or break ingredient, lime juice. You don’t want to skip this ingredient. If you do you will definitely notice something is missing.
Spices: salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
For dipping: I love dipping tortilla chips or raw vegetables into fresh guacamole!
*For a detailed list of ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.
How to Make Guacamole
1. Prepare the ingredients. Slice the avocados in half and chop the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and tomato.
2. Mix the ingredients. Using a spoon, separate the avocado flesh from the skin. Place avocados into a Molcajete and mash. Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. Mix until combined, but do not over mix.
3. Mix in the lime juice. Mix in the lime juice and half the zest. Add the salt and pepper and take a taste. Add more if needed.
4. Serve. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and store leftovers tightly covered in plastic wrap in the fridge.
How to pick Avocados
If you have ever tried to make guacamole with an avocado that is not ripe, you know the struggle! It’s super important to choose an avocado that is not too firm, but also not too soft.
When picking avocados, make sure to give it a quick (and gentle) squeeze. There should be a little bit of “squish” or “give” to it, but it shouldn’t feel too soft.
What if the avocado has no “give”? If the avocado has no give, then it is too firm and not right for guacamole.
Tip!
Buy the firm avocado if you aren’t planning on making the guacamole for a day or two!
How to Ripen Avocados
If you need your avocados to ripen a little faster, you can store them in a brown paper bag in a dark cabinet. This will help speed up the process, but keep an eye on them because they can quickly go from not ripe to over ripe!
Tomato or Not?
Tomatoes have been a controversial ingredient in “authentic” guacamole for a long time.
Many recipes call for it and others say tomatoes are great, but not in guac. The focus should always be on the perfectly creamy avocado.
However, when you are asking yourself if you should or should not add tomato, it’s completely up to you and your tastebuds!
Optional additions For Guacamole
Looking to add other flavors to your guacamole? Here are some fun ingredients you can add to spice things up:
- Red pepper flakes
- Chipotle peppers
- White onion, if you are looking for a more pungent taste
- Corn
- Pomegranate seeds
What is a Molcajete?
If you don’t know what a molcajete is, it’s a small stone bowl that is often used in Mexico and Mexican restaurants for making fresh salsas and guacamole.
The molcajete makes it super easy to mash the avocados giving you the perfect guacamole.
Tip!
If doubles as a serving bowl too!
You can also use it to cook food by heating it up in the oven or over an open flame.
How to Clean a Molcajete
Cleaning your Molcajete may seem intimidating, but it’s actually super easy!
All you have to do is hand wash it under warm water…that’s it!
It’s important to note, you never want to use soap. Because the Molcajete is porous soap can get trapped leaving you with a soapy residue and soapy guacamole in the future.
So maybe it’s not the cilantro that tastes like soap….
Questions You Might Have
No! Guacamole’s main ingredient is avocado, however, it also features cilantro, lime, jalapeño, and tomato!
No, avocado spread is typically just mashed avocado with a touch of lime juice or lemon juice. Guacamole has additional ingredients.
Guacamole has impressive health benefits for it being a dip, including heart-healthy fats and gut-friendly fiber; it is truly a nutrient-dense dip! Like anything though, it’s healthy in moderation and proper serving sizes.
There are a couple of different ways to keep your guacamole from browning like adding the pit of the avocado to the guacamole, adding an extra teaspoon of lime juice before storing, and covering it in plastic wrap.
Personally, I do all three steps in the rare occasion we have any left overs!
Yes! Guacamole actually freezes really nicely in freezer bags and will last for 3 months.
More Mexican Recipes You Might Like
Whether you’re looking for Cinco de Mayo recipes or enjoying a taco night with the family, these Mexican recipes are sure to make everyone at your table happy!
- One Pan Skillet Enchiladas
- Crispy Crockpot Carnitas
- Barbacoa Tacos
- Tex-Mex Flank Steak Salad With Avocado Lime Dressing
- Blood Orange Pork Carnitas Tacos
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Authentic Guacamole
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 to tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- salt, to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- tortilla chips or raw vegetables for dipping
Instructions
- Slice the avocados in half and chop the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and tomato.
- Using a spoon, separate the avocado flesh from the skin. Place avocados into a Molcajete and mash. Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. Mix until combined, but do not over mix.
- Mix in the lime juice and half the zest. Add the salt and pepper and take a taste. Add more if needed.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips and store leftovers tightly covered in plastic wrap in the fridge.
