It’s creamy, it’s flavorful, it’s guacamole. And nothing beats it when it’s homemade.

Sure, store-bought guac is tasty and involves no fuss. But perhaps you want to experiment with making your own, so you can control the flavor and truly make it yours. It’s definitely not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, with just seven ingredients and 10 minutes, you can make the best guacamole recipe.

In this article, we’ll share a fantastic base recipe with some tips on how to make guacamole, what to serve it with, how to pick the right avocados, and answer some FAQs. We’ll also talk about proper storage, so you only serve the greenest and freshest guacamole.

Guacamole recipe tips

• Make your guacamole right before serving it. Avocados begin to brown as soon as air touches the insides, which means your guacamole will too. While it’s still edible this way, it’s more appetizing when it’s fresh and green.

• Taste and adjust your ingredients as you go. Taste a small amount of your guacamole before serving and add extra flavors as needed. For example, you can increase the number of jalapeños in the recipe for spicier guacamole or add more lime for a tangier taste.

• Experiment with taste by using different ingredients. When looking to boost the flavor of your guacamole, try adding some items not mentioned in this recipe. Read on for a list of suggestions.

• Keep it simple. Adding new ingredients conservatively will help keep you from overpowering the avocado.

• Leave some chunky texture, as you’ll lose some flavor if you puree your guacamole. Keeping some chunks will also show your guests you made this dish from scratch instead of serving store-bought guacamole.

Guacamole serving suggestions

Guacamole is excellent as a dip for tortilla chips, vegetables, fruit, baked taquitos, crackers, breadsticks, shrimp, taro chips, and the list goes on. It’s also a fantastic condiment served with tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, burrito bowls, rice, toast, sandwiches, baked potatoes, deviled eggs, and more.

How to pick a perfectly ripe avocado

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When making guacamole, you want to use perfectly ripe avocados that are not too hard yet not too soft. To do this, gently squeeze the outside of the avocado with your fingers. If the avocado is too firm to squish, it’s not ready yet. If it’s easily squishable, it’s too ripe. Go for ones that land in the middle. They should be slightly soft without feeling mushy.

How to store guacamole

Serving guacamole immediately after making it is ideal. Still, you may need to make it ahead of time if you’re putting it together for an event. The lime juice featured in this recipe will help keep it from browning, but if air gets to your dish, it’s bound to change color regardless. You can help keep it fresh by transferring your guacamole to a container and covering it with an air-tight lid or plastic wrap.

To do this, drape the plastic over the dip and gently press down on the wrap to remove any air as you work your way to the edges. You can store it in the fridge for up to three days. It may still brown the longer it sits, but the wrap will minimize it. Remember, just because it’s brown doesn’t mean it’s gone bad. If your guacamole does discolor, you can either scrape off the brown layer or mix it in.

Recipe

This recipe makes six servings and takes 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe avocados

• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Slice the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits.

2. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and place it in a medium bowl.

3. Using a fork, mash the avocados until you reach the desired consistency.

4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until combined. Using a clean spoon, taste the guacamole and make adjustments if you need to.

5. Serve immediately.

Nutritional values

• Calories: 168

• Carbohydrates: 10 grams

• Protein: 2 grams

• Fat: 15 grams

• Saturated fat: 2 grams

• Sodium: 202 milligrams

• Fiber: 7 grams

Original recipe: Feel Good Foodie

Some guacamole variations

• Simplest guacamole recipe: To whip up a quick bowl of guacamole, mash some avocados and add salt to taste.

• Black bean and corn guacamole recipe: Once your guacamole is ready to serve, top it with a half cup of corn and a half cup of black beans. Be sure to drain and rinse your beans before adding them.

• Roasted tomato guacamole recipe: Measure two cups of cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, and place them in the oven at 425℉ for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool completely before folding a third of them into the finished guacamole. Place the guac in a serving dish and top it with the rest.

• Guacamole recipe without cilantro: If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out of this recipe or replace it with another herb such as chopped parsley.

Guacamole FAQs

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What can I add to guacamole to make it taste better?

Several unexpected ingredients will take your guacamole to the next level. For more flavor, you can add fruit like berries, apples, peaches, grapes, mangos, pineapples, and cheeses like feta, quest, or goat cheese. For some crunch, you can add chopped nuts or seeds like pepitas or almonds. To load it with more creaminess, you can add greek yogurt or sour cream. While some folks like to add mayo in their guacamole recipe for texture, others give the idea a hard pass. It’s your guacamole, so you do you.

What keeps guacamole from turning brown?

The lime in the recipe will help slow the browning, but the only thing that will keep the guacamole from losing its greenness is to keep air from touching it. We’ve outlined how to store it in this article, which will minimize browning. But suppose you want to prepare your guacamole ahead of time. In that case, another option is to prepare everything except the avocados ahead of time and mash and mix them up right before serving.

Is guacamole healthy?

In moderation, guacamole is a healthier option than cream-based dips. If you’re looking for a healthy guacamole recipe that’s lighter in calories, avoid adding sour cream, mayo, cheese, or other high-calorie ingredients. Like anything else, you can overdo it if you stray too far from the recommended serving size, as the sodium and fat contents are high.

Mash it up

Your friends and family will love your homemade guacamole so much that you probably won’t need to worry about storing leftovers. And if you’re looking for last-minute ideas, you can order all the essentials in seconds and have them at your door in minutes with Gopuff. It’s not uncommon to find yourself unprepared for a party, but getting what you need has never been easier.

While you wait for your guests, you may also want to whip up some of these snack ideas or check out this ultimate guide to cocktails.