Guacamole, the green goddess of dips. This savory green dip has become quite popular over the last few decades. It’s come a long way from it’s initial fruition by the Aztecs of Mexico. It’s a recipe concoction that has been manipulated and slightly altered from chef to chef, but would not be what it is without the creamy fruit we know and love for many reasons, the humble avocado.
Before the age of 20 I had never even tasted an avocado or guacamole for that matter. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and didn’t even know what an avocado was, till I moved to California as a young adult. I actually didn’t even care for it that much when I first tried it. I think my taste buds were not quite developed yet to appreciate great food.
I only finally started appreciating and loving guacamole and avocado in my mid 20’s. I still remember the first time I experienced homemade guacamole. It was made by a friend; that truly changed my perspective of this fabulous dip. I’ve spent years perfecting my own fresh simple homemade guacamole. Below you’ll see the easiest way to enjoy it in no time!
Guacamole for All!
Even though I didn’t appreciate the goodness of guacamole till later in life, I can luckily say that all 3 of my boys appreciate this wholesome dip already, which is quite surprising. It’s not often all 3 would enjoy something like this.
Guacamole is healthy and good for you, but the danger of course lies in those tortilla chips that we use to scoop up this dip. That’s where we overindulge in a good thing. It’s a great addition to taco nights or on fajitas too!
The avocado base of guacamole is where you’re getting those good satisfying fats, but don’t feel that you can only enjoy it with chips. Try using guacamole as a sandwich or wrap spread and a dip for other vegetables. This is a versatile dip that can be enjoyed by the masses as long as they’re not sensitive to flavor and spice.
What to Serve with Guacamole
think everyone know how to enjoy guacamole, but if you want to enjoy it with some not so obvious things, check out some other ideas.
- Carrot & Celery sticks– Watching your weight or carbs? You can chow down on guacamole with less guilt if you dip some veggies instead of tortilla chips.
- Mini Sweet Peppers– Just like the veggie sticks, sweet peppers are a delicious healthy alternative to chips.
- Eggs– Try some guacamole on your scrambled eggs or use as a filling for deviled eggs.
- Pita chips– Why not? It’s a chip and dippable.
- Baked Potato– Try it on baked potatoes in place of sour cream. It’s so good!
- On Toast– Instead of just avocado toast, try guacamole toast! It’ll brighten up your morning. =)
- Wrap or Sandwich– Instead on mayo, try some guac for a delicious change up on your lunch.
How to Pick & Store your Avocados
Unless I’m planning on making guacamole immediately, I do not buy perfectly ripe avocados. If you do that, there’s a good chance they’ll be overly ripe if you wait a day or two to make your homemade guacamole.
Picking the Perfect Avocado
I buy unripe avocados which is usually what you find in the store anyway. I like to pick the avocadoes that still have the dimple intact. I use that dimple to help me determine when I avocado is ripe.
Storing Avocados
So, when I come home from the store I place them on a surface that I am able to view daily, Do not hide them away or you will forget about them and then you’ll have lost their prime time ripeness. Once their skin has darkened a bit, and they feel slightly tender with a gentle squeeze on the sides, I pop off that dimple. If the little indentation where the dimple was is greenish, not too pale and they feel tender, they are ripe.
The Secret to Perfectly Ripe Avocados
You can either start using them immediately, but if you’re not ready for them yet, place the ripe ones in the refrigerator. I found this to be the best way to preserve my avocados for maximum usage. This will slow down the ripening process quite significantly and they’ll still be perfect to use for at least another week, sometimes slightly longer. I add them to smoothies or top on dishes, tacos, etc…It’s a game-changer to refrigerate them once they ripen.
Save a Half
If I only use half of the avocado, I store the half that still has the pit, drizzle some lime juice on it and wrap it with some plastic wrap. Once you’re ready to use it, if there is a little browning, just scrape the top layer with a knife or spoon and you have green avocado meat below, ready for you to use. Now, if you wait longer than a few days at this point, when it’s just wrapped, it will start getting too brown, so be sure to use it within a day or 2 of doing this.
How to Make the Best Guacamole
First and foremost, always use the best fresh ingredients for the best guacamole. I will not claim that this is an authentic guacamole recipe, as I am not Mexican and do not want to step on any toes, but I will say that this is an easy and delicious guacamole that anyone can make at home with minimal effort. I make this parties and my family all the time and it’s always a hit!
Learned from the Best
I lived in Southern California for many years, San Diego to be exact and I had some of the best homemade guacamole in my time there. I actually first learned and enjoyed homemade guacamole from one of my closest friends who was Mexican-American. She learned from her Mexican mother, so that was definitely my inspiration for making homemade guacamole dip from that time on. Her mom was an amazing cook from all I had tried. Don’t even start me on her Mom’s homemade Tamales…just amazing!
Inspiration for Homemade Guacamole
She taught me how to make an amazing guacamole step-by step. Starting with a medium to large bowl (depending on how much you are making.) She told me to always smash up your avocadoes with a fork (or a potato masher works) some salt and lime juice first and then add the remaining ingredients. She also told me to always save 1 pit from an avocado to help keep the guacamole ripe for longer. Also, she always added a little fresh raw garlic and raw jalapeno to her guacamole for a little kick.
Simple Guacamole Ingredients
- Fresh Ripe Avocados- I like to use large fresh avocados, but if you only have small ones just use about the equivalent of 3 large Haas avocados. I will say though that when I was low on avocado one time and we really wanted guacamole, I
- Fresh Lime- You can use bottled lime juice, but fresh lime juice is even better. In a pinch, if you’re out, you can use lemon juice.
- Jalapeño pepper- Just 1 seeded and finely diced jalapeno is great to just you a little extra flavor. If you want a spicy guacamole, just add the jalapeno seeds and maybe a second jalapeno to the recipe. In a pinch, you could use a small or half of a poblano pepper. You do you at this point!
- Fresh Tomato- I add diced tomato. The better the tomato, the better the guacamole. I will say most store-bought tomatoes disappoint me, so if you really want to impress, grab some at a farmer’s market or grow your own for maximum flavor!
- Onion- I believe traditionally white onion is used for guacamole and most Mexican recipes, but I have used diced red onions on occasion. It does give it a punchier bite though if you don’t want that.
Spices & Herbs for Guacamole
- Cilantro– I personally don’t think it’s a true guacamole without fresh cilantro, but I know there are many people out there who can’t stand the flavor of cilantro.
- Garlic– I think raw fresh garlic is great for this recipe, just 1 clove is not too overwhelming. If you really don’t like the idea of adding raw garlic though, you can use some garlic powder instead.
- Salt– I like to use kosher salt or course ground sea salt.
- Cumin– A little ground cumin adds a nice subtle warmth to the recipe.
- Cayenne– fine ground cayenne pepper. I don’t add much, just a little for flavor, not to make it spicy. If you don’t have cayenne pepper, you could crush up some dried chili peppers or red pepper flakes.
- Black Pepper– Just a little fine ground black pepper.
Best Simple Homemade Guacamole (Easy in 10 mins)
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe avocados pitted & scooped out (Save one pit for the guacamole for freshness)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 large lime juiced
- 8 oz medium organic tomatoes diced
- 1 large garlic clove pressed or 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced (submerged in water for 10 minutes, then drained)
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 small-medium jalapeno pepper seeded and finely diced
Instructions
- Once you’ve peeled and pitted the avocado, score each half with a spoon and then scoop out the avocado into a medium mixing bowl. (or a natural stone mortar and pestle)
- Add the salt and juice of half the lime to the bowl with avocado and smash up the avocado with a fork till fairly smooth with just some slight chunks (or to your liking)
- Then add the remaining ingredients and combine.
- Taste and adjust salt, pepper and add remaining lime juice if you like.
- Add the saved avocado pit to the bowl you’re serving the guacamole in for added freshness
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr. (When refrigerating to save, I place a piece of plastic wrap right up to the guacamole with as much air squeezed out as possible to keep it fresh and I also leave 1 avocado pit in it.)
Nutrition Disclaimer:
Nutrition
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