Authentic Guacamole Recipe

The best Authentic Guacamole Recipe! Fresh and delicious, only 6 whole food ingredients, this easy guacamole is naturally gluten-free, vegan, keto, and paleo! Cool and creamy mashed avocado with just the right amount of traditional Mexican flavors and spice! Grab your favorite tortilla chips for some delicious snacking or use it as a homemade spread for toast and sandwiches!

When life hands you avocados...make guacamole! Cool and creamy, fresh and spicy, just grab some gluten-free tortilla chips and all your snack cravings will be satisfied! But don't just stop there! You can use authentic guacamole on so many different foods and in so many recipes! Made with only natural real food ingredients, this creamy dip can be enjoyed by everyone you invite to the party!

Is Guacamole Authentic Mexican?

Guacamole is authentic Mexican food! Avocados were first cultivated in South Central Mexico around 10,000 years ago. In the 1697 book, A New Voyage Round the World, the first known description of a guacamole type of recipe was by an English privateer, William Dampier, who in his visits to Central America, noted a native preparation of avocados that consisted of grinding together avocados, sugar, and lime juice (source).

The modern rise in interest and consumption of avocados and guacamole in the United States started in the 1990s due to the US government lifting a ban on avocado imports and the growth of the Latino population in the US.

What Is Traditional Guacamole Made Of?

Traditional guacamole is fresh, simple, and 100% plant-based. No fillers or preservatives; it literally should taste FRESH. The classic base preparation is just ripe, peeling avocados and salt, mashed together with a mortar and pestle. From there, it's typical to include lime juice, onion, cilantro, and jalapeños. Other traditional and authentic ingredients commonly used are tomato, garlic, and spices such as black pepper, cumin, or dried chilies like cayenne, chipotle, or paprika.

It's Naturally:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
• Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
• Oil-Free + Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Easy & Simple Condiment, Appetizer, Topping, or Snack
• Great For Game Days, Tailgating, Parties, or Holiday Gatherings
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly

Ingredients For The Best Guacamole

• Avocados: The star of the show! Ripe and creamy Hass Avocados to be peeled, pitted, and mashed.
• Onion: There's some debate on which type of onion is the best, but for this recipe, I suggest a mild sweet onion so it doesn't overpower the other fresh flavors.
• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are the best type to use for recipes like this as they're sturdier, less juicy, and contain fewer seeds and pulp.
• Lime: Zesty, tangy, citrus is a must for a flavorful guac! The acidity also helps with the oxidation that occurs with avocados.
• Jalapeño: A little bit of fresh spice goes a long way in good guacamole! However, you can add as much or as little as you'd like (you can even skip it!) Some people like to swap in serrano peppers too!
• Fresh Cilantro: If you're a cilantro fiend like me, you can add as much fresh cilantro as you want! So fresh and delicious. If you hate cilantro but still want some fresh herb taste, flat-leaf parsley can be used.
• Garlic: Just a small amount of fresh minced garlic! You don't want the garlic to be overpowering, but it's a delicious addition.
• Seasonings: Salt is number one, then think about adding a pinch of black pepper, cumin, and possibly some paprika, cayenne, or chipotle!

How To Pick Ripe Avocados

You want to choose avocados that aren't too firm, nor too soft. There are a few key characteristics to look for when choosing the best avocados in store:

• Color: Underripe avocados will be bright green. Very dark or black avocados will be overripe. You want the skin color to be dark green, but not completely black.
• Skin Texture: Smooth or bumpy? Smooth avocados will still be underripe. When avocados have some bumpiness to their skin they're riper.
• Firmness: Does the avocado give when you press your thumb in or does it feel hard? When squeezing your avocado, the skin should yield a bit to the pressure without leaving indentations.
• Stem: The stem test! If the stem does not easily come off, it's not ripe yet. If there is no stem or if you see brown or black under the stem, it's most likely overripe or browning. If the stem pops off easily and you see green underneath, you've found the perfect avocado!

How To Quickly Ripen Avocados

If you bought avocados that are nowhere near ripe, place them in a brown paper bag with a banana to speed up the process! Ripe bananas contain a natural plant hormone called ethylene, which triggers ripening in mature fruit and the paper bag traps the ethylene gas that’s produced by the fruit, speeding up the ripening process!

Store your avocados in direct sunlight, in a warm sunny spot too. Warmer temperatures lead to quicker ripening. Another less conventional method is submerging your unripe avocado in a container of rice! Uncooked rice traps ethylene gas, helping the avocado to ripen quicker!

The Best Onion For Guacamole

The best onion to use in authentic guacamole is a sweet white onion or Vidalia. The mild allium flavor won't overpower the other flavors in your guac but also won't leave you with bland and boring guacamole either! If you want a stronger, more potent oniony bite, use red onion or yellow onion.

How To Make Homemade Guacamole

1. Pit, scoop, and mash the avocados.
2. Add in your other chopped up fresh ingredients
3. Fold in and mix everything together.

How To Cut An Avocado

Hold your ripe and ready avocado firmly in one hand. Then, using a shape knife, cut into the avocado lengthwise all the way around the seed, piercing the skin and flesh. Now, twist the avocado in half to expose the inner pit. The pit should now be in one of the halves of the avocado.

How To Pit An Avocado

To remove the pit from the avocado,  firmly whack the sharp knife into the pit and twist it slightly to lift it out of the soft avocado flesh. Remove the pit from the knife and discard!

How To Easily Scoop Out The Flesh

Now you can easily scoop out the soft flesh using a spoon and transfer the flesh to a bowl to mash. If your avocado seems to be a little underripe, you can use a knife to gently cut the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern to loosen it from the skin, before scooping it out with a spoon.

Should Guacamole Be Smooth Or Chunky?

It all depends on how you're going to use your guac! Smooth guacamole is great for spreading or dipping with thin and crispy tortilla chips. Chunkier guacamole is easier to prepare, tends to get less watery, is delicious as a topping, and is great for scooping with hearty chips and crackers.

Take note that the more extra ingredients you put in guacamole, the chunkier it will be. You should always aim to finely chop or dice the extra ingredients so they can easily blend well when mixed into the mashed avocado.

Tools To Use

• Molcajete and Tejolote: These stone tools are the traditional Mexican version of a mortar and pestle. Perfect for grinding and mashing up the avocado with amazing results. You can buy your own here or use a standard mortar and pestle!
• Potato Masher: You can also add your avocado to a shallow bowl and simply use a potato masher to grind up your avocado.
• Fork: When all else fails, grab a large fark and mash your avocado!

Use these tools to mash your avocado as finely as you want. If you use a molcajete and tejolote (or mortar and pestle), you have the option of mashing your cilantro and onion before adding the avocado to the bowl to mash. This releases a lot more flavor from the natural oils that are released. The other ingredients are gently folded and mixed in after the avocado has been mashed, so take note of how smooth or chunkier you want your final guac to be!

Other Ways To Jazz Up Your Guacamole

• Add in some vegan sour cream, yogurt, or cream cheese for an extra creamy texture.
• Toss in some other veggies like corn, peas, scallion, bell pepper, or jicama!
• Add sweetness by dicing up some fresh juicy mango or pineapple.
• Crank up the protein by adding some black beans, pinto beans, or nutritional yeast.
• Don't have limes? You can use lemon or red wine vinegar to get the same acidity.
• Need it super spicy? Hot sauce is always a welcome addition, maybe some buffalo or bbq sauce, as well as more fresh hot peppers for spices.

How To Serve Your Guacamole

Use your favorite gluten-free corn tortilla chips or crackers to dip in your guacamole! You can use your guac as a delicious spread for some "avocado toast" or on a yummy sandwich. Use it on tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, even a coating for chicken!

How Long Does Guacamole Last?

You can store your homemade guacamole in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can freeze your guac, pressed flat in a freezer-safe bag for 6-8 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

How To Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown

How do you keep the leftovers from turning brown? Once an avocado is cut and exposed to air, it oxidizes and turns brown rather quickly. Air is the enemy, but remember that the brown coloring doesn't mean your guacamole is "bad", but there are some methods at reducing the discoloration.

• Removing as much air as possible from your container by placing plastic wrap flush to the surface of the guac is one way.
• Tightly packing your guacamole in a container before adding a thin layer of water or lime juice to the surface is another way. Pour off the excess liquid before use and stir.
• Leaving the pit in the guac helps prevent excess browning.
• Store your fresh guacamole in a press and seal container.

More Delicious Mexican Recipes:

• Baked Pinto Bean Taquitos
• Quick & Easy Quinoa Tostadas
• Pinto Bean Tamales
• Cranberry Bean & Pepper Tacos
• Creamy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
• Skillet Plantain Nachos

Print

Creamy, fresh, and so delicious! It's time you learn how to make the BEST guac from scratch. No more storebought, no more ordering out, experience the authentic flavors of traditional guacamole right at home!

So tell me:

+ What will you be dipping in your guac?

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