Here’s how you make the BEST Guacamole! The base is an authentic guacamole recipe loaded with avocados, lime juice, onions, cilantro, and peppers. I like to top my guacamole with pickled onions, roasted corn, and queso, but that’s totally optional!

guacamole topped with pickled onions, charred corn, and feta

I’ve waited close to a decade to share my best guacamole recipe with you.

And don’t even get me started on how much guac I’ve eaten at Mexican restaurants before I gathered the guts to share my recipe. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. And I wanted the wait to be worth it. So here it is. Buttery avocados, mashed with lime juice, a hint of garlic, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and serrano peppers, sprinkled with a little salt, and cumin. 

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this guacamole recipe is OUTSTANDING. Making guacamole isn’t hard and the ingredients are simple to find. The trick is to treat the ingredients with care and to allow the guacamole to rest before serving – this makes all the difference!

You can serve it on its own with a boatload of warm tortilla chips. But when I want extra special guac, I swoop it in a large bowl and top it with roasted corn, homemade pickled onions, and a generous sprinkle of queso fresco. The sweetness of the corn, the pickling liquid from the red onions, and the buttery avocado mash is an experience for your mouth! 

Serve this up in tacos, dip your favorite veggies or chips in it, make my simple guacamole, or go all out with the toppings.

hand dipping tortilla chip in guacamole

Ingredients for homemade guacamole:

  • Large avocados: I highly suggest getting good-quality avocados for this recipe. I like to buy large Haas avocados as they have plenty of avocado flesh for you to mash down with a fork. To tell the ripeness of an avocado, first look at the color. If the peel is entirely green and the avocado is firm, it’s not ready to be turned into guac. You want to shop for an avocado that had a deeper colored peel and one that is slightly soft to the touch.
  • Limes: I think it would be an actual crime to use anything but fresh lime juice for this recipe, so please don’t. None of that stuff that comes in a squeeze bottle, please. I’m not one to ingredient shame, but when it comes to the best guacamole, the stuff in a bottle just won’t do.
  • Seasonings: I keep it simple with kosher salt and a dash of cumin. Keep in mind that the cumin can be left out if you don’t like a smoky flavor.
  • Onions: I like to use white onions for my guacamole recipe, but you could also use red onions if you’d like.
  • Garlic: You can use up to 2 cloves of garlic for this recipe. If you anticipate leftovers, I suggest using only 1 clove. The garlic will become quite pungent by the next day. Instead of jarred minced garlic, I suggest using fresh cloves of garlic that you grate right into the guac.
  • Peppers: You can use serrano peppers or jalapeno pepper for this recipe. I like to use serranos because of the flavor they add.
  • Tomatoes: I use a fresh Roma tomato and remove the seeds before adding it to my guac. Feel free to omit the tomato if you aren’t a fan.
  • Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is what gives guacamole earthiness. I like to use some of the tender stems as well as the leaves. 
process of making guacamole

How to make authentic guacamole:

  1. Toss. Add the scooped-out avocado halves to a bowl and toss with the lime juice. Let the avocados sit in the lime juice for 5 minutes while you prep the onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro.
  2. Smash. Use a fork, smash the avocadoes. Keep in mind you don’t want this to be a puree. Good guacamole has a recognizable avocado texture! So mash slightly less than your optimum chunkiness for now. Then season with salt and cumin.
  3.  Make guacamole. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro. You want to fluff the ingredients with a fork and not smash them in now. To keep as much of that texture intact as possible. Taste the guacamole with the chips you’ll serve it with to make sure it’s salted perfectly. If it needs more, feel free to season to your liking. Sometimes I like to add a little more lime juice to make it punchier!
  4. Let it sit. Once the ingredients are added, cover the guacamole with plastic wrap (making sure the plasticwrap touches the guacamole to seal it (this will prevent browning) and store at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. The flavors will blend together and make it perfect!
bowl of guac, tortilla chips, lime wedges, and cilantro

Variations for homemade guacamole:

  • Add freshly roasted corn, homemade pickled red onions, queso fresco (or crumbled feta.) This version is inspired by a restaurant in town, this guacamole is level 10.
  • Fire roast the jalapeño or serrano before mincing and adding it to the guacamole
  • Top guacamole with chopped pineapple or mangoes
  • Top guacamole with elotes dip
  • Try my guacamole salsa
  • Make a deconstructed guacamole salad

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

chip dipped in dip
Yield: serves 8

The Best Guacamole Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Here's how you make the BEST Guacamole! The base is an authentic guacamole recipe loaded with avocados, lime juice, onions, cilantro, and peppers. I like to top my guacamole with pickled onions, roasted corn, and queso, but that's totally optional!

The Best Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 Large Haas Avocados, pitted and scooped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: kosher salt AND ground cumin
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 serrano pepper, seeded + minced (or jalapeño)
  • 1 Roma tomato, seeded + chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • Warm tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

    1. TOSS: Add the scooped avocados to a bowl. Pour the lime juice over the avocados, toss to combine, and let sit for 5 minutes. Prep the onions, garlic, serrano, tomatoes, and cilantro while you wait.
    2. SMASH: Using a fork, press and smash the avocados to your liking. Smash them completely smooth if you prefer smooth guacamole or leave it a bit chunky – it’s up to you! Season with salt and cumin.
    3. GUACAMOLE: Add onions, garlic, serrano, tomatoes, cilantro, and fluff into the avocados with a fork without mashing them further. Taste the guacamole with a tortilla chip to make sure the guacamole is salted properly. Season with additional lime juice or salt as desired.
    4. REST: For best results, allow the guacamole to sit for 1 hour, covered at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Variations:

  • Prepare the guacamole then top with shaved corn (I just char an ear of corn over an open flame), ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco (or Feta) and 2 tablespoons pickled red onions.
  • Roast 1-2 jalapeños or serranos over an open flame. Remove seeds and ribs and mince before adding it to guacamole.

Leftovers: Store leftover guacamole with a piece of plastic wrap pressed down on the surface of the guacamole. This will keep it from browning too much. Leftovers should be consumed within 1-2 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1/8

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 11gCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2g

To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

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