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Learn how to make the Best Guacamole, including tips for picking the perfect avocado and more! This easy homemade guacamole recipe blends tips from authentic guacamole in Mexico, my mom’s legendary guac, and of course eating copious amounts of it.

The highest rated guacamole recipe in a white bowl

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Guacamole Recipe

  • Simple Ingredients. Avocados, salt, lime juice, onion, and garlic are all you need to make the best guacamole ever. I also add cilantro and tomato and have a few fun, fresh ingredients you can include for variety.
  • Perfect Texture. Not too chunky. Not too smooth. This is the goldilocks of guac.
  • Properly Seasoned. No bland guacamole for us! This one uses the right amount of kosher salt to make it pop, plus lime juice for vibrancy. If your guacamole is bland, you likely need more of one of these. I’ve got you covered.
  • Eat on All the Things. Serve it as an appetizer alongside Mexican Corn Dip, use it for tacos like Carnitas, or tuck it inside a Vegetarian Burrito. Just know this—however much of this guacamole you make, that’s how much will get eaten.
best guacamole recipe without jalapeno in a bowl topped with feta and bacon

5 Star Review

“Seriously, best guac I’ve ever made. The whole group inhaled it!”

— Abby —

How to Make The Best Guacamole EVER

The Ingredients

  • Avocados. Use Hass avocados, which are dark, brown, and bumpy. They have a superior flavor and creamier texture compared to the sleeker green avocados with bright, shiny skin.
  • Lime Juice AND Lemon Juice. Surprise! While lime juice only is traditional for guacamole, a combo is especially delicious. Be sure you are using FRESH lime juice and lemon juice. Do not use the kind in the bottle for guacamole.
  • Kosher Salt. Kosher salt or fine sea salt is the most important thing to add to guacamole to make it taste great. Do not use table salt, which is iodized and has a metallic flavor. I use Morton’s Kosher Salt in all of my recipes.
  • Worcestershire Sauce. Mom’s secret ingredient. It adds a subtle savoriness that makes the guac even harder to stop eating than it already is (you’ve been warned). If you prefer an authentic guacamole recipe, omit this.
  • Hot Sauce. My addition to this spicy guacamole recipe. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your heat preference. Or you can use jalapeños instead. (For another spicy dip, try this Chicken Enchilada Dip.)
  • Tomatoes. People are divided on whether authentic guacamole has tomatoes in it or not. Personally, I think they’re a delicious addition. They add freshness, texture, acidity, and beautiful red color.
  • Red Onions. Fresh, crisp, and crunchy. I feel red onions are the best for guacamole but white onions are another nice option with a clean onion flavor.
  • Garlic. For that garlicky goodness.

The Directions

Avocados cut in half
  1. Halve and Pit. Be sure to cut the avocados on a cutting board, not directly in your hand.
Halved avocados in a bowl
  1. Scoop. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a bowl.
First 4 ingredients guacamole recipe
in a bowl
  1. Add the Onion, Garlic, and Seasonings. Hold off on the tomato.
Simple homemade guac being mashed in a bowl
  1. Mash. Leave it a little chunky.
Mashed avocado and tomatoes in a glass bowl
  1. Stir in the Tomato. Add desired toppings and DIG IN!

Tip!

For the best homemade guacamole, do not overmix. Leaving the guac a little chunky gives it a more satisfying texture and makes it more pleasurable to eat.

spicy guacamole recipe with bacon, feta, and pepitas in a bowl

Topping Ideas

While you can’t go wrong with this simple guacamole recipe, every now and then, it’s fun to vary it up. Here are some toppings to make your guacamole stand out among the rest.

  • Crumbled feta cheese
  • Pomegranates (great for holidays! Especially combined with the feta.)
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas)
  • Bacon (see Baked Bacon and Air Fryer Bacon for easy ways to cook it)
  • Diced cherry tomatoes
  • Diced mango, peaches, or pineapple
  • Grilled Corn kernels
  • Fresh cilantro or green onions
Healthy guacamole recipe in a bowl

What to Dip with Guacamole

  • Tortilla Chips. The classic! Make sure your chips are sturdy enough to stand up to those yummy chunks. I like scoop-style chips.
  • Carrots. To make this an extra healthy guacamole recipe, serve it with fresh carrot sticks or baby carrots.
  • Pita Chips. A similarly crunchy alternative to tortilla chips.
  • Thinly Sliced Red Bell Peppers. Nutritious and delightfully crisp.
  • Thinly Sliced Radishes. Their pungent sharpness contrasts deliciously with the cooling, creamy guacamole.

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Tightly pack leftover guacamole into an airtight storage container, cover with plastic wrap, and seal with the lid. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
  • To Make Ahead. You can make homemade guacamole 1 to 2 hours ahead, as browning is inevitable. Store it in the fridge with plastic pressed firmly over the top until ready to serve. If you’d like to get ahead further, the day before, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the tomato.
easy guacamole recipe for nachos with bacon, pepitas, and cilantro

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Know How to Pick a Ripe Avocado. Choose a Hass avocado that is deep dark green, brown, or black in color, with bumpy skin instead of smooth. When you squeeze it, it should feel soft but firm.
  • Ripen Your Avocados Faster. To speed up your avocados’ ripening, place them in a sealed paper bag. Adding a banana to the bag along with them speeds things up even more.
  • Keep Your Guacamole from Turning Brown. Homemade guacamole turns brown because an enzyme in the green avocado flesh reacts with oxygen in the air (this process is called oxidation). Acid helps keep guacamole from turning brown, and when storing it, use the smallest container possible and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to keep the air out. A popular method for keeping guacamole from turning brown adding the avocado pit to the bowl; I have tested this and I found zero difference.
  • Troubleshooting Brown Guacamole. If your guacamole is a few hours or a day old and is starting to get a brown hue, give it a good stir. The brown parts will seemingly disappear into the green, making the guacamole appear almost brand new. Adding additional fresh avocado helps too.
  • Season to Taste. First, before you begin tinkering with your guacamole, if you will be serving it with chips, use those chips for taste-testing. If you taste your guac and it is bland, start with more salt. Next, add lime juice. Often an additional pop of citrus is all guac needs to come alive and taste better. If you still aren’t happy with the taste, you can rely on mix-ins to jazz it up. Try adding cilantro, salsa, a diced jalapeno or serrano pepper, feta cheese, or a few dashes of hot sauce.
A bowl of the world's best guacamole recipe

Best Guacamole Recipe

4.90 from 29 votes
My secret to making the best guacamole ever! There's an unexpected ingredient in this guac recipe that makes it next level delicious.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Servings: 12 servings (about 3 cups)

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large ripe Hass avocados
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion about 1 small
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1/2 medium lemon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice about 1/2 small lime
  • 6 to 8 dashes hot sauce depending upon how spicy you like your guacamole
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large roma tomato diced (optional)

TOPPINGS (optional):

  • Crumbled feta
  • Cooked and crumbled bacon*
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Toasted pepitas

Instructions
 

  • Halve the avocados lengthwise and remove their pits (be sure to cut them on the cutting board, not in your hand).
  • Scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the red onion, lemon juice, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • With a fork, mash together until the mixture is half chunky and half creamy.
  • Gently stir in the diced tomato. Don't overmix! Chunky guac is happy guac.
  • Taste and add additional salt, pepper, hot sauce, and lemon or lime juice to taste. Serve with salty tortilla chips and veggies.

Video

Notes

  • *To easily cook bacon, try this Oven Baked Bacon or Air Fryer Bacon.
  • TO STORE: Tightly pack leftover guacamole into an airtight storage container, cover with plastic wrap, and seal with the lid. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 12) without toppings or chips, about 1/4 cupCalories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gPotassium: 357mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 143IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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16 Comments

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  1. I made this guacamole and let me tell you I went to take a shower after I made it because it was.family movie night and when I got out of the shower and got dressed for movie night my hubby and son had devoured the whole big bowel and the dip and chip bowl I set up for us to eat on. I must say this is by far the best guacamole I have every had.5 stars

  2. I must say, being from California I LOVE a good guacamole dip! I could eat it all the time! I have tried making my own dip numerous times and it comes out OK, however THIS recipe is absolutely scrumptious! The best I have ever found and I have tried a lot of recipes! If you love guacamole, definitely try this dip, you won’t be dissapointed.5 stars

  3. My family loved this dish, and I felt like a gourmet chef when serving it. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe5 stars