Guacamole

Guacamole goes great with chips and salsa or served alongside a tasty Mexican dinner. This guacamole recipe is creamy, delicious, and easy.

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The story of this guacamole recipe

Way back in my twenties I worked with a young woman who lived in an apartment above her mother’s house. We became friends and I loved hanging out with her after work in her mother’s kitchen where the smell of fresh-cooked Mexican food was always in the air. Her aunt, known only to me as Tia (Spanish for aunt), lived in the big house too and she was a great cook. She regularly made fresh guacamole and one day I asked if I could watch her make it so I could try making it myself. This is the guacamole that I have made ever since that day. It’s simple, with just a few ingredients, and it comes together very quickly.

Tia always added diced tomatoes and I like it that way too, but I have found over the years that some people prefer it without the tomatoes added in. I have also developed a love of cilantro and I usually add some of that, but I understand that not everyone is a fan of cilantro. If you are, snip some fresh leaves into the finished product just before serving. I am not a fan of raw onions, but most people are so it’s common to find it with diced raw onions. If you like raw onions, chop some up and toss them in.

Ingredients

• Avocados – the reason guacamole exists.
• Mayonnaise – provides the creamy texture.
• Cumin – spices things up.
• Lime juice – adds a tart flavor and keeps the avocados from turning brown.
• Garlic – use fresh garlic put through a garlic press or choose diced or pureed garlic found in the produce section to save time.
• Cilantro – an optional but flavorful addition for fans of this fresh herb.
• Salt – helps bring out all the flavors.

Making Guacamole

Prep

• Rinse the avocados under running water before cutting into them.
• Get all of your ingredients out so the mixing process will go smoothly.
• Cut each avocado into two pieces.
• Scoop out the ripe avocado with a spoon and put it in a bowl.

Combine guacamole ingredients

• Add the other ingredients to the bowl.

Mix ingredients

• Mash everything with a fork or use a potato masher if you have one.
• Some small chunks of avocado are okay but be sure to blend all of the ingredients thoroughly.

Serving Guacamole

For basic guacamole, your work is now done. Put it in a bowl and it’s ready to serve. As a side dish, creamy guacamole with mayo goes well with quesadillas, enchiladas, or just about any Mexican entree.

To serve it as an appetizer, add some chips so everyone can scoop up the creamy homemade guacamole.

Explore your options

For more flavor, consider adding one or more of the following to the guacamole after you have combined the basic ingredients:

• Diced tomatoes – cut up some fresh tomatoes and add them in.
• Salsa – stir in your favorite salsa.
• Cilantro – use herb scissors or a knife to snip some fresh cilantro and mix in these diced leaves.
• Freshly chopped onions – a common ingredient found in many restaurants. If you like raw onions, feel free to add those to your guacamole.

Tips for making guacamole

• Use fresh, ripe avocados – It can be hard to find perfect avocados in the produce section. Occasionally the avocado gods smile down on me and I find a perfectly ripe avocado the very day that I want to eat it. But that’s rare. I usually buy them when they’re hard as rocks and then I ripen them at home in a paper sack. Depending on how hard they are, the ripening process can take two or three days. You don’t want them soft and mushy. They should feel soft when you apply a little pressure as you gently squeeze them in your hand. Gently is the operative word here.
• What do you do if an avocado is stringy? That can happen. A fellow food blogger has some suggestions if you run into that scenario. Go here to find out what to do with stringy avocados.
• Try fresh vacuum-sealed avocados available in the produce section. These come in pouches and they can be a real time-saver. There are times that you need avocados right away and the vacuum-sealed option comes in handy.

Who made the first guacamole?

Did you know that the Aztecs made guacamole? Way back in the 1500s, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they found the locals making this delightful dish, and as they say, the rest is history. Read more about the origins of guacamole here and make your own history with friends and family when you serve this delicious, creamy guacamole at home.

Recipes that go with guacamole

Guacamole goes well with veggie enchiladas, veggie tacos, fish tacos, shrimp tacos, quesadillas, and instant pot Spanish rice.