Easy, delicious, and healthy, homemade guacamole may just be the perfect dipping snack (though, hummus is a close second)!
For us, classic guacamole is a ripe avocado, cilantro, red onion, salt, and lime. We go a little rogue and use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning for the salt, but sea salt is a more authentic choice.
When prepping your guacamole, be sure to use a ripe avocado. A perfectly ripe avocado is the difference between great guacamole and something more disappointing, so be sure to get this step right!
Determining ripeness is probably the trickiest part of making guacamole. It’s not always easy to do, but it’s not impossible.
This video offers tips to ensuring your avocado is ripe.
Once you have your ripe avocado, slice down and around the pit (from top to bottom) and gently twist the halves apart. Using the heel of your knife, remove the pit.
This video demonstrates the proper way to cut your avocado and remove the pit.
Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl or molcajete, mash, add the remaining ingredients, and stir it all together.
Some folks like to add chopped Roma tomatoes and finely diced jalapeno or serrano peppers, as well. These variations offer great color, texture, and in the case of the peppers, heat. We don’t typically do this, but that’s because we’re usually in a hurry to start digging in!
Once you’re done prepping the guac, transfer it to a serving bowl (if desired) and finish it with a squeeze of lime. Feel free to sprinkle a little more chopped cilantro, red onion, and/or tomato on top for a garnish.
Then serve it up with your favorite chips or raw vegetables. Delicious!
This post may contain affiliate links. For details, please see our Privacy Policy.
Homemade Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado see Notes
- ¼ tsp. sea salt or seasoned salt blend, to taste we like Tony Chachere's
- 1 tbsp. minced red onion
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- lime wedge, for squeezing
Optional Mix-ins
- 1 tbsp. minced jalapeno or serrano chili pepper
- 1 tbsp. chopped, seeded, Roma tomatoes
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the avocado in half from top to bottom, cutting around the pit. Gently twist the halves apart to separate them, and remove the pit with the heel of your knife. [Watch this video for visual instructions.]
- Scoop the avocado fruit out of the tough outer skins and into a bowl (or molcajete, if you have one). A spoon works best for this step.
- Next, mash the avocado with a fork (or pestle if you're using a molcajete) till you have a combination of smooth and chunky bits. If you prefer your guacamole smoother, just mash till you reach your desired consistency.
- Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of seasoned salt into the avocado mash and stir till well combined. Taste and add more, if desired. Then stir in the cilantro and red onion.
- Transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl, if desired, and squeeze the lime wedge over the top. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves and serve with chips or raw veggies.
Notes
- This video offers tips on determining the ripeness of an avocado.
- We use Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning for our guacamole, but garlic salt works well, too. Purists will probably balk at this ingredient, but it works for us!
- Some folks like to add ground cumin. We find that it’s a bit overpowering, but if you love the flavor of cumin, go for it!