Simple Guacamole Recipe
on May 24, 2021, Updated Aug 21, 2025
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With a million guacamole 🥑 recipes available on the internet, I present to you this simple, adaptable version that works whether you like it spicy, zesty, simple, or fully loaded. This homemade guacamole recipe is not traditional, but it is influenced by my amazing online Mexican community 🇲🇽. To make this recipe more accessible, I’ve offered some pretty non-traditional substitutions. My hope is you won’t be stopped from trying a new recipe due to lack of access to a specific ingredient or a dislike for a certain flavor (cilantro haters, I’m looking at you 👀).
Why You’ll Love This Simple Guacamole Recipe
This is a perfectly simple guacamole, with endless options for customizing. You can’t go wrong with a big bowl of this perfect dip: creamy avocado gets brightened with zesty lime and spicy jalapeños 🌶. Tiny bursts of diced tomatoes, bright cilantro, and crisp red onion add texture and depth of flavor to the velvety smooth base. Pour yourself an ice-cold Guava Margarita 🍹, open a bag of tortilla chips, and enjoy this perfect homemade guacamole, one scoop at a time.
Ingredients
🥑 Avocados: Make sure your avocados are ripe – if they’re too firm they won’t mash into a creamy dip.
🌶️ Jalapeño: Earthy, spicy, and crunchy jalapeños punch up the flavor and give your guac an addictive flavor that will have you polishing off a bowl before you know it. You could also use Serrano peppers here.
🍅 Tomato: Diced Roma tomatoes act as juicy little bursts of flavor in every bite. They also add a cool element to tamper down the spiciness of the jalapeño pepper.
🌿 Cilantro: This take-it-or-leave-it herb gives your guacamole bright lift.
🟢 Lime: Tangy limes provide that signature citrusy flavor and just might be the secret to keeping your avocados from turning brown. More on that below 😉.
🧂 Salt: A pinch of salt brings all the flavors together in the most wonderful, savory way.
Nonna’s Tip 🥑
Is it just me, or does it seem like avocados go from rock-hard to overripe in seconds? As soon as they ripen, store the avocados in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. This will stop them from over-ripening.
How to Store Guacamole
Guacamole is meant to be scooped up right away, but if you’ve got leftovers and are wondering how to keep guacamole green 🥑, here are my favorite little tricks:
- Spoon & smooth: Pop leftover guac into an airtight container 🥣 and level the top, like icing on a cake.
- Citrus magic: Cover the top of your leveled guac with a squeeze of fresh lime juice to keep it bright ✨.
- Plastic wrap: Press a piece of plastic wrap tight on the surface to keep air – and oxidation – out.
- Chill time: Finally, store homemade guacamole in the fridge ❄️. It will stay green for 1-2 days.
Simple Guacamole Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Try adding one clove of finely minced garlic for a zesty kick 🧄.
- A sprinkle of Tajin seasoning takes this recipe over the top.
- Some people swear by freshly chopped red onion 🧅 in their guacamole.
- This is very non-traditional, but you can replace cilantro with fresh minced parsley 🌿.
- Fresh tomatoes 🍅 and chiles 🌶 are totally optional. I like to de-seed both when I use them.
Similar Recipes
Best Served With
- You can enjoy this with the classic pairing of tortilla chips, or with freshly cut vegetables! Use veggies such as carrots 🥕, cucumber 🥒, jicama, and bell peppers 🫑.
- Serve with homemade Roasted Tomato Salsa for the perfect duo 👯♀️.
- This is the perfect topping for my low-carb Cauliflower Nachos.
- Add generous dollops of guacamole onto Easy Chicken Fajitas and Easy Shrimp Tacos.
- Homemade guacamole, chips, and Mexican Corn Salad 🌽 are a light meal made in heaven 🙌!
Common Questions
Yes, you can certainly make this in advance. Avocados oxidize or turn brown when exposed to air. To prevent this, store the guac in a bowl with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so no air can get through. Serve within 24 hours.
Nope, it’s my Modern Nonna version of homemade guacamole.
When you squeeze the avocado, it should have little resistance. If the stem is still intact, it should be easy to remove: another sign of ripeness.
Absolutely! You really don’t need any fancy equipment to make guacamole – just a fork for mashing the avocados.
I like a slightly chunky guacamole. If you prefer yours super smooth, add just the avocado, salt, and lime, process, then transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Simple Guacamole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large avocados, ripe
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds removed depending on spice tolerance)
- 1 roma tomato, finely chopped (seedless or remove the seeds)
- salt, to taste
- 1 lime
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped (or fresh parsley)
Instructions
- Peel the avocados and discard the pits.
- Add the avocados to a large bowl or a mortar, and using a fork, a potato masher, or a pestle, mash until smooth (or leave slightly chunky, depending on your preference).
- Add the chopped jalapeño, tomato, pinch of salt, the juice of the lime, and chopped cilantro.
- Mix and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Add-ins: Try adding one clove of finely minced garlic for a zesty kick. Some people swear by freshly chopped red onion in their guacamole.
- Seasonings: A sprinkle of Tajin seasoning takes this recipe over the top. Cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder all work as well.
- Herbs: This is very non-traditional, but you can replace cilantro with fresh minced parsley.
- De-seeding: Fresh tomatoes and chiles are totally optional. I like to de-seed both when I use them. It keeps the peppers from being too spicy and reduces the water content of the tomatoes.
- Note: To keep guacamole green, store it in an airtight container, press plastic wrap on top, and add a squeeze of lime before refrigerating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
BEST guacamole recipe ever! SO flavorful and delicious! Saving this recipe for the future!