It might sound simple, too simple even, a recipe for guacamole? Like anything though, if you spend long enough Googling around you’ll find ever more complex recipes for Guacamole. So much so, you might even be moved to simply skip and buy the pre-packaged stuff. Don’t! Fantastic guacamole really just needs a few simple ingredients. Sure, some roast Chile de arbol ground in a genuine molcajete might be slightly better – but we’re talking about the simples/quickest/best here.
First start with good, ripe avocados. Haas are the best for guacamole and thankfully the ones you’ll commonly see at the grocery store. These are the ones with the thick, dark, mottled shell. It’s actually pretty difficult these days to find anything but Haas avocados in your local grocery store such is the popularity for their lush creamy taste.
Guacamole ready in 2 minutes
How to tell if an Avocado is ripe
Like testing most fresh produce, give it a gentle squeeze. Rock hard like a stone – you’re at least two to five days from really enjoying the avocado. Under ripe avocados can have an unappealing, fibrous texture. If you feel like you’re able to push right through into the flesh with little force, toss it, that’s an avocado well past its prime. A perfectly fresh avocado will yield with a firm press.
Basic Guacamole recipe
My basic guac recipe is below, and it will take you seconds to create. I should note I recommend using Pico De Gallo to streamline the guac; in truth, if I’m having guacamole I’m always having Pico too. Your local grocery store probably has a decent fresh made togo product, but click the link above for my own recipe which is vibrantly fresh and takes 20 minutes tops.
From there you can go wild if you like. Here are a few tweaks I sometimes make to my own basic guacamole:
* A sprinkle of smoked paprika because I can never get enough smokey notes
* A dash of ground oregano when I feel like a zestier guac
* Experiment with other peppers – Serrano, habanero – for more heat
* Fruit! Mango, strawberries, jicama, all make fun textural additions
* A dash of hot sauce like Yellowbird Serrano, one of our Smart Buys
- 1 avocado
- 3 tbsp pico de gallo
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 1/4 lime
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Cut avocado in half. Remove seed carefully. Using a fork, scoop out avocado flesh circling between flesh and outer skin. Empty avocado flesh into bowl.
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Mash gently with fork, to desired texture.
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Squeeze juice of 1/4 lime over avocado. Sprinkle with salt and stir.
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Mix in pico de gallo and cilantro. Stir thoroughly to mix.
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Rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!