The Best Guacamole
Learn how to make the best guacamole! This authentic guacamole recipe turns out perfectly every time thanks to a few simple tricks. It's so easy!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
Here is my fool-proof, authentic guacamole recipe. It’s creamy, fresh and completely irresistible. I’m sharing it with you today because my friends keep asking for the recipe!
You’ll only need six basic ingredients to make the best guacamole:
- Avocado
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Jalapeño
- Lime
- Salt, and optional ground coriander (that’s my secret ingredient)
You won’t find any funny business in this guacamole recipe. No sour cream or mayonnaise. No peas or preservatives. Just fresh and healthy ingredients!
I knew I nailed my guacamole recipe when my friends would not stop gushing about it at our latest gathering. “I wish I could make guacamole this good,” was exactly what I wanted to hear.
Are you ready to make the best guacamole you’ve ever had? Here we go!
Watch How to Make Guacamole
How to Make Guacamole
1) Start with great avocados.
You want ripe but not over-ripe Hass avocados, which are the standard grocery store variety with slightly bumpy skin. Look for avocados that yield a bit to a gentle squeeze, but avoid using avocados that are mushy or stringy on the inside (yuck!).
If you have to choose between hard or mushy avocados, choose the hard ones and place them in a paper bag with a couple of bananas. The ethylene gas released by the bananas will ripen them up faster, but you still might have to wait overnight or up to a couple of days.
If you come home with perfect avocados but won’t be turning them into guac right away, store them in the refrigerator to slow their ripening.
2) Texture is key.
For the best guacamole texture, you want slightly chunky avocado and finely chopped onion, cilantro and jalapeño.
Here’s the easiest way to prepare your avocados: Cut each avocado in half around the pit, carefully remove the pit, and scoop the avocado flesh into your bowl with a spoon. Other recipes will tell you to dice the avocado, but diced avocado pieces are slippery devils!
You can mash the avocado quickly and easily with a potato masher, pastry cutter (shown below) or large serving fork. A regular fork will also work, but requires more effort. Stop mashing when the guac is still a little chunky.
3) Skip the tomato (maybe) and garlic (definitely).
Tomato is notably missing from my recipe because mealy, watery, out-of-season pink tomatoes have no business in anything, ever.
If you have a gorgeous red summer tomato, though, go right ahead. Chop it up and stir it in, leaving out as much liquid as possible.
I also skipped garlic, because its flavor is distracting. If you want your guacamole to taste like Chipotle’s, don’t add garlic.
4) Get your lime-to-avocado ratio just right.
I’ve discovered that just over 2 teaspoons lime juice per mashed avocado is the perfect ratio for flavor and browning prevention. You might need a splash more lime juice if your avocados are particularly large.
5) Season sufficiently.
Don’t be stingy with the salt. It’s amazing what another pinch can do to bring out guacamole’s best.
I also added 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, which offers a little je ne sais quoi and ups the irresistibility factor. Coriander is a little trick that I learned from Tessa via her mom.
If coriander seems like a strange addition, consider that coriander is made of ground cilantro seeds, and cilantro is a key component in guacamole. That said, you can skip it if you don’t have it or don’t like it.
How long does guacamole last?
Guacamole can keep for several days if you store it properly. Without any help, avocado flesh will turn brown when exposed to air. To prevent that from happening, place a chunk of onion on top of leftover guacamole. Yes, really! Then, cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Conveniently, you’ll have half of one onion leftover from this recipe.
Onion works better than pressing plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole or covering it with water and pouring it off later. (I’ve tried both methods.)
Onion is also the best way to keep leftover avocado good—just place an avocado halve in a container with a chunk of onion, seal it with a lid, and it’ll stay good for a couple of days. This trick works because onions contain sulfur, and sulfur prevents the avocado’s browning enzyme from interacting with the air.
Guacamole Serving Suggestions
This homemade guacamole recipe makes a perfect party dip, since it’s vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy. Just add tortilla chips, or crisp raw veggies for a lighter option.
For a full party spread, add a few more dips:
Or, add a dollop (or two) of guacamole to just about any Mexican recipe. Serve it with:
- Quesadillas
- Tacos
- Burritos or burrito bowls (start with a base of cilantro-lime brown rice)
- Nachos
- Enchiladas
Easy Guacamole Variations
Here are some ideas if you want to get creative with your guacamole:
- For a colorful and fruity twist, top it with well-drained mango salsa or pineapple salsa.
- For a smoky, crunchy variation, drizzle a few spoonfuls of adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers) plus toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) on top. You’ll find this recipe in my cookbook, Love Real Food.
- For flavor just like Chipotle’s guacamole, add a squeeze of lemon juice (they use a lemon-lime juice blend).
- You could even mix some kale into your guacamole, for health bonus points.
Please let me know how this guacamole turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me and your star ratings encourage other readers to make the recipe. Thank you!
Best Guacamole
Learn how to make the best guacamole! This authentic guacamole recipe turns out perfectly every time thanks to a few simple tricks. It’s so easy! Recipe yields about 2 ½ to 3 cups guacamole, depending on your avocados (divide or multiply as necessary).
Ingredients
- 4 medium ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion (about ½ small onion)
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 ½ limes), or more if needed
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
Instructions
- Using a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocados into a low serving bowl, discarding any bruised, browned areas.
- Using a pastry cutter, potato masher, or fork, mash up the avocado until it reaches your desired texture (I like my guacamole to have some texture, so I stop mashing once there are just small chunks remaining).
- Promptly add the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, coriander, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Taste and add additional salt (I often add up to ½ teaspoon more), until the flavors really sing. If it needs more zip, add a little more lime juice (or, if it tastes too limey already, don’t worry—it will mellow out after a brief rest).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Change it up: This guacamole is perfect as is, but if tomatoes are in season, try adding in chopped ripe, red, seeded tomatoes. If you want to get crazy, try garnishing your guac with crumbled cotijah or feta cheese, chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or sun-dried tomatoes, and/or toasted slivered almonds or pepitas.
How to store leftovers: Transfer the guacamole to a suitably sized container to reduce the surface area available for oxidizing (browning). Place a generous hunk or halve of onion on top (see photo) and cover the container with plastic wrap. Leftovers will keep well, refrigerated, for about 3 days. Just remove the onion before serving. If the top turns light brown, just scoop off the browned bits and you should find bright green guacamole underneath.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I could devour a bag of chips with this guac!! It looks perfect!!
Right? It’s so hard not to eat spoonfuls of it. I hope you try it!
This looks delicious, Kate!
One safety tip: I noticed in one of your pictures that the avocado pit is stuck to the knife. Whacking a sharp knife into the avocado pit to remove it has become popular lately. I had a friend who seriously cut herself like that, so for the inexperienced (not you, but maybe some of your readers), it probably safer to pry the pit out with a fork or the tip of the knife.
YUM. This looks like my ideal guac!! Amen to no mealy tomatoes! I have a mojalcete (that needs to get more use… more guacamole ASAP), and I picked up a technique I think from Food52 where you mash the onion with the lime juice and salt first to make almost a vinaigrette situation, then add in the avocados and finish with cilantro. Not sure if it makes a major difference in flavor but it’s nice for my husband who doesn’t like chunks of onion. :)
So happy for A Couple Cooks and their little Larson!
*Molcajete, oops!!
I second this method. I smush up half of the onion and jalapeño with salt (a la Thomasina Miers – my go-to authority on Mexican food here in the UK) and finely chop the rest. Best flavour ever!!! Envious of your molcajete – I just use a pestle and mortar!
Yum! That sounds like an interesting technique- I’ll have to try it out. And I’m so happy for them and their little family, too! Such a joyful time in their lives.
I thought I made a decent batch of guacamole. I’ve always sprinkled in a splash of chipotle pepper powder for some smokey depth. But the addition of the coriander and that tip about crushing the onion, salt and lime juice together…both just elevated my Guac Game! It was sheer heaven! LOVE your blog and all your great viewer’s comments!
Mmmmm coriander! Love your take on guac and I may find myself ‘adopting’ THIS sometimes soon, lol. My go-to guac method needs a serious refresh.
No time like the present, friend! :)
This sounds fantastic! I will put guacamole (and avocado) on pretty much anything so I will have to try this!
YES I’m thinking of all the delicious veggie wraps and burrito bowls I’ll be making with this. :) Thanks, Karen!
I loooove guacamole! I’m so trying this!
Another great way to slow oxidation in leftover guac is to leave the pit/seed in the container with it! I can’t remember the exact scientific explanation, but I’ve been doing it for ages. Just remove the seed before serving.
Oh, I’ll have to try that!
How timely! Yesterday I wanted “a” avocado but ended up buying a bag of 7, huge organic avocados because the price was so good. I was just wondering 10 minutes ago what in the world I was going to do when 7 avocados all get ripe at once. Thanks for solving my problem! Dhyan in Boulder
Out of all the problems to have, too many avocados is probably one of the best ones. I hope you like it!
Love your stuff…
Here’s a random addition to your guacamole. The Mexican mother of my daughter’s best friend told me years ago never cut an avocado or scoop its flesh with metal utensils – use plastic. Plastic will slow the browning dramatically. I got no kinda science behind this but honestly we have always done this since and while guacamole doesn’t last long in our house (our family’s recipe is very similar to yours) we don’t do any fancy storage – just snap on a ziploc cover to the bowl and we can go 2-3 days without it getting unsightly!
One thing I started adding to my guacamole is cucumber. I know it sounds weird but its so refreshing and good for you. I love your recipe but I will be adding cucumbers to it! Love all your stuff.
That sounds interesting, Carrie! I hope you enjoy the guacamole.
Kate, Lime juice helps somewhat with oxidation. But I have found that it the guac in a glass bowl, put saran wrap over the lip of the bowl, down the side and tightly onto the guac and up the sides and over the lip-just as you would when making custard to keep a skin from forming. This will keep the guac its beautiful green color for days and no browning!
John
Hi, John! It looks like everyone has their own go-to method to stave off the dreaded oxidation process. Thanks for adding yours! I hope other readers can experiment and figure out which works best for them, too.
I always put loads of garlic into my guac, guess I’ll have to try it without! I love your addition of coriander as well!
I hope you do try it, Alison!
Yum! This looks delicious
:)
Ahhhh THANK YOU so much, friend! This guac looks perfect and I love all the method tips to :) Thank you for the kind words! We MUST find a way for you to meet Larson in person — he is dying to! Hoping 2017 is our year! PS Can’t wait to get your book soon :)
And by “to”, I meant “too”. Gah.
Oh, I’m so glad you love it, Sonja! I’d love to meet your little man, we’ll have to find a way to make that happen! So happy for you and your family. :)
I’ve never heard that about the onion! What a game changer!
Seriously!
I love making guacamole and completely agree that texture is key and garlic should be left out! I like to use very, very finely chopped red onion in mine because of the flavor and it adds a little more color. I love the addition of coriander and will definitely be trying this one out for Memorial Day…or sooner!
Yes! The coriander is a little unusual-sounding at first, but absolutely makes the flavors sing. I hope you try it, Jessie!
Hey, thanks for the shout out! – Tessa’s mom :)
Hey, Claudia! Thank *you* for the amazing coriander tip– it really sends the guacamole over the top! All my best. :)
You are seriously the best food blogger in my opinion. I can’t wait to try the onion trick as I have never been able to figure out how to make guacamole last. I have tried numerous things suggested to me on the internet and none of them have worked. I have wrote this in the past, but your food is so delicous and healthy. I find so many food blogs don’t strike the balance the way you do. Your recipes are the most repeated on my cooking rotation and I don’t dread trying them like other food blogs where I might not end up food I wouldn’t want to eat. Even a few recipes that were not my favorites are nothing that my family will turn its nose up at. I know that doesn’t sound as complimentary—but trust me when I say this–you are my favorite food blog! So happy you bring happiness to my kitchen:)!
Looks yummy! I have a question about the cilantro though…
My husband has a fairly common genetic trait that, for him, makes cilantro taste like soap. Do you have any substitute suggestions for all your no-cilantro readers? Or would you just leave it out and not replace?
Thanks much!
We need another Mexican-themed potluck stat! Cinco de Mayo? :)
Seems like the perfect opportunity. ;)
I never tried guacamole my whole life, so glad I stumbled into this recipe!
Me, too, Dhiya! A life with guacamole in it is a more joyful one. ;)
I could eat this entire bowl, sounds wonderful! And I agree, unless I can get beautiful red tomatoes in-season, they’re better left out. Can’t wait to try!
Yes, I’m a bit of a tomato snob that way. ;) I hope you love it!
I’ve always done guac simply with lime juice, salt and cumin to rave reviews BUT after making this C&K-style last night, I can never go back. Wow! The tiny onion crunch and pop of salt and coriander is divine. Thanks for another winner! ☺
I’m so glad this made such a difference, Janelle! Thanks!
Homemade guacamole is the bomb. I’m craving it after seeing these pictures!
I hope you try it, Katherine!
I’ve saved so many from your website that it’s going to take me awhile to get through them all! I need someone to help me eat all the food!
The Best Guacamole truly is the best guac I’ve ever made. I’ve made it 3 times in the last 5 days! My family loves it and everyone who eats it wants the recipe. I’m so glad you shared this recipe!!
Amazing! I’m so glad it lives up to its name. Thanks, Terry!
This really is the best guacamole! Made a batch for a party and everyone devoured it/asked for the recipe. Then made a batch for myself to eat. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, as always! Can’t wait for the cookbook!
Aw, that’s great, Madeline! Thanks so much for the kind words.
Best. Guac. Ever. And the onion trick worked perfect. Made it on Monday and finished on Thursday. It was uncovered daily and still did not turn brown. And now I have the half onion for my next batch. Thanks Kate! Oh, and my husband can’t do cilantro (the genetic soap thing) so I just omitted. Thankfully he doesn’t hate coriander.
I’m so glad you loved it, Heather! That onion is a life-saver (guac-saver?). Sorry your husband can’t enjoy the cilantro, but I’m positive it’s delicious without it!
Just made this. The best guac I’ve ever made!
Perfect! Thanks, Linda!
Best Guacamole I’ve ever eaten! I just made a half recipe, and yes, I ate it all with organic corn chips.
Yum! I’m so glad you liked it, Paul.
oops, I did not want my full name published.
Ok, I just shortened your name to Paul! Thank you so much for your recipe feedback.
Great guac recipe! Everyone loved it!
Hooray!
Just a tip: Use sicilian lemon. The yellow one, it makes a huge difference in my opinion. And i loved your Recipe. I used to make it with tomatoes but something always went wrong, i found your website while searching for a non-tomatoe recipe. Thanks from Brazil.
Great! I’m glad you found this recipe, Herbert.
Excellent guac! I didn’t have a fresh jalepeno and had to use pickled sliced ones. Still turned out very good. I love the hint of coriander.
Thanks, Heidi!
Love your blog and your cookbook just arrived today!! I’ve adopted a plant based diet for health reasons and your recipes make it so easy. Just want to say thanks for your well tested, delicious recipes!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoy the book. Best of luck keeping it plant-based!
Excellent guaqamole
Was a favorite at the taco party
Awesome! Thanks, Robert!
This is the same as my recipe except for one thing- I use 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbsp lime juice. Just personal preference. I think the amt of salt is the key to great guacamole!
Just made this recipe exactly as stated and WOW!!! Definitely the most delicious guacamole EVER. My daughter loved it right away. My son didn’t want to try it at first (he is 7). I told hi he may like it, and he tried a little, gave me a surprised face and a thumbs up, and dug in! Thank you! I made it today for their birthday party tomorrow, so we have the half of an onion on top and it is just in the fridge waiting to be devoured.
I made this. New to making guacamole. This is my third recipe and it is by far the BEST!!! Love it. And really love the tips for keeping it!
Thanks Kate! I’ve never made guacamole before (I’m from India) but your recipe was such a big hit, my husband loved it! Thank you so much :)
You can’t go wrong, that is for sure! Happy to hear it was a hit, Rachna!
I’ve made this twice now, once with more avocados and again with less. It is so delicious!! I had always put tomatoes in my guacamole, but I left them out as she suggests, and she is so right. Even if I had great tomatoes, I think I’d still leave them out. I used a little less lime, but that was the only change in ingredients. I also just stirred six perfectly ripe large avocados (from Costco, some of the best avocados I’ve ever bought), instead of mashing them, and the texture was perfect to me with some nice big lumps.
I just got back from Colombia, where I ate patacones with guacamole. The snack was so delicious that I had my heart set on making both at home. But I had never tasted guacamole in the US with the same intensity of flavor that I had experienced in Colombia. Then I found your recipe and made it. It is the best! I would send you a picture, but it’s all gone. Thank you.
Hooray! That is so great to hear, Joanie! Thank you for commenting and for your review :) And, I think that means you just need to make more!
I use an extremely similar recipe, but a little tip I’d like to share is leaving one of the pits buried in the bowl of Guac keeps it from browning!! Just wanted to share
Thanks!
I’m curious how well freezing your guacamole turns out. I have 15 ripe avacodos and don’t want them to end up chicken feed! Thanks! Your recipe is amazing … never tried the coriander before
I’m not sure! Guacamole usually doesn’t last that long around me. :)
This guac looks amazing but will it make a big difference if I don’t add the jalapenos?
You will lose some of the heat, so that is up to you!
You’re not kidding – this is the best guacamole! It tastes fresh and vibrant. I can’t wait to make another batch.
Great! Than you, Annie.
Thank you for the recipe. I made this for my work Super Bowl pot luck and you were right no leftovers. They cleaned the bowl in minutes. Amazing guacamole:)
Great recipe for a party! Thanks for sharing, Erica.
I’ve made quite a few guac’s simply based on top reviews (i.e. Alton Brown’s), and I can say with complete honesty that this is the best one yet! Thanks
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Ryan. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
I made this guacamole for the Super Bowl tonight and it was devoured. Best guacamole we ever had. I used cumin, because I didn’t have coriander. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Devoured. Just what I want to hear. Thank you, Robin! I’m glad it was a hit.
This guacamole is truly the best!
I’m glad you think so!
This was fantastic. I made it during super bowl and it was a hit. The coriander was a great addition and I used red onion instead of white. I cut the avocados with a plastic knife and added in the avocado pit and it made a huge difference. My guacamole stayed green for several days. This will be my new go to recipe for guacamole.