Simple Guacamole Recipe

This simple Guacamole recipe features the delicious flavors of red onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and fresh lime juice paired with ripe, mashed avocados. It’s simple and basic, but oh so delicious!

Simple Guacamole Recipe

My boyfriend, Kevin, and his kids recently came over to dinner at our house with me, Logan, and Madeline. I had been craving Mexican food, and I knew that all the kids would be relatively happy with a taco night.

Normally I’ll throw some CrockPot Mexican Chicken in my slow cooker, but this time I decided to marinate and grill the chicken for our tacos. And, since I was trying to follow my advice on these 7 Ways to Up Your Taco Tuesday Game, I made sure to serve the tacos with Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw and a side of this basic guacamole and chips.

His 12-year-old daughter looooooves guacamole and practically inhaled it. Even his son, 8 years old, who normally doesn’t choose to have guacamole if it is offered, ended up having seconds. I was amazed until Kevin  mentioned how he makes guacamole: he mashes up an avocado. What? NO!

Kevin is a great cook when he wants to be. He watches Chopped, and other Food Network shows, more than I do. Always has interesting feedback on food we eat in restaurants or a new recipe that I’m working on (I totally appreciate being able to talk food with him). He can smoke some awesome ribs and make an amazingly moist and flavorful pork roast.

But, this girl who was practically raised on Tex-Mex has some constructive feedback about his guac skills. First, mashing up an avocado does not guacamole make. At least not in my book. It’s actually, get this, just a mashed up avocado.

Why would you eat that when in 5 minutes you can make this super easy guacamole recipe?

Tools to Make Simple Guacamole

You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this easy guacamole recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:

• Sharp Knife and Cutting Board – to cut the avocados and chop onion, cilantro, and jalapeños.
• Measuring Spoons – to measure the spices.
• Citrus Juicer – to juice the limes.
• Mixing Bowl – you’ll need a bowl to mix all of the ingredients for guacamole together in.
• Fork – I just use a simple fork to mash the fresh avocados when making this recipe. My daughter likes to use a pastry blender to mash the avocados and others prefer using a potato masher. Use whatever works best for you!
• ​Mixing Spoon or Spatula – to stir all of the fresh ingredients together.

Simple Guacamole Recipe Ingredients

To make a batch of homemade guacamole, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients:

• Avocados
• Lime juice
• Garlic
• Red onion
• Jalapeño
• Fresh cilantro
• Chipotle powder
• Sea Salt and Black pepper

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this simple guacamole recipe, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card!

How to Make this Simple Guacamole Guacamole Recipe

Once you’ve prepped all the ingredients, simply mash up the avocado with a fork or pastry blender. Then, it’s as simple as stirring in the remaining ingredients and adding more salt, pepper, or lime juice to suit your own tastes.

So, that’s how I like to make my guacamole. It takes a little longer than just mashing up an avocado, but the ingredients are all usually really cheap and only take a few minutes to prep.

Moral of the story: 5 minutes is worth it when we’re talking about guacamole.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the step-by-step recipe.

Tips for Making Homemade Guacamole

With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, I thought I’d share some of my favorite tips for making guacamole. You can use this basic guacamole recipe as a starting point and add to it as you like, or leave it as it is — which is perfectly yummy tasting.

Add Flavor

I like to add red onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño to mine, along with a generous dose of fresh lime juice, some salt and pepper, and a tiny bit of chipotle powder. Just a little so as not to overpower the flavor of the avocado, but enough to enhance it.

Dice Ingredients Finely

Finely dicing the onion, pepper, garlic and cilantro for this 5 Minute Basic Guacamole makes a huge difference. You don’t want big chunks of any of those things because you won’t get a nice even distribution of flavor through each bite.

Let the Guacamole Rest

I like to make my easy homemade guacamole earlier in the day and let it rest in the fridge. The flavors develop more and you’ll end up, overall, with an even better tasting guacamole.

Add Some Mix-Ins

Usually I’ll make just the very simplest form of this basic guacamole recipe.

Other times I like to experiment by adding in some black beans, diced tomato (especially ripe tomatoes from out summer garden!), or grilled/pan roasted corn to the mashed avocado. Sometimes all of those if I’m wanting a little bit heartier of a guacamole.

I also like to make this Deconstructed Guacamole or, if I have some extra time, Roasted Salsa Verde Guacamole. The bottom line is that I love really good guac. By itself with chips, on a taco salad, or on a Fajita Burger. It is just good.

Simple Guacamole Recipe FAQs

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

What should I do if my avocados aren’t ripe?

My favorite way to speed up the ripening process of unripe avocados is to put them inside a paper bag with an apple.

Why apples? They produce ethylene gas, which helps the avocados ripen quickly. Fold the top of the paper bag down and store the bag on the kitchen counter.

How do you keep guacamole from turning brown?

Cover this simple guacamole with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic to the surface of the guacamole to prevent browning. Then, refrigerate until ready to serve.

How do you store leftover guacamole?

For short term storage, the best way to store any leftovers you have after making this simple guac recipe is in an airtight container with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole.

How long does guacamole last?

This easy homemade guacamole will last up to 2 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze this simple guacamole recipe?

Guacamole freezes fairly well as long as you don’t add watery ingredients like tomatoes or onion to it. But I’ve never frozen leftovers from this basic guacamole recipe since we never wind up with anything to freeze after dinner!

When to Serve this Simple Guacamole Recipe

• Happy Hour – this quick guacamole recipe  is the perfect appetizer to serve with pineapple margaritas for an impromptu (or a planned) happy hour!
• Game Day – guacamole is always a winner for game day snacks when served with tortilla chips or a plate of pulled pork nachos and ultimate easy nachos)
• Cinco de Mayo – do you like to have a big party for Cinco de Mayo? This homemade guacamole is a must!
• Taco Nights – Taco Tuesday is another great time to enjoy the fresh flavor of homemade guacamole!

More Easy Mexican Recipes:

In these Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas, corn tortillas are filled with tender, shredded chicken, black beans, and fresh spinach. Then they’re smothered in both roasted tomatillo salsa and a tangy sour cream sauce.

This Chorizo and Eggs Scramble is a fun way to mix things up for breakfast. Traditional scrambled eggs are combined with fresh spinach, cilantro, and spicy chorizo sausage.

You can whip up these Easy Baked Nachos in a pinch. This Super Bowl appetizer is simple to prepare (and serve), leaving you with more time to socialize, eat, and enjoy the game!

Homemade Chicken Enchiladas with Chile Gravy Enchilada Sauce is a classic Tex-Mex dish from my childhood. Corn tortillas are stuffed with shredded chicken and smothered in a rich, chile gravy sauce before baked up to perfection with a gooey cheese topping.

Next time you’re craving pork carnitas, try this Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wrap version. Top it off with some fruity mango salsa for a fresh burst of flavor.

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How do you like to make guacamole?