Homemade Guacamole
Creamy, chunky guacamole made by mashing ripe avocados with lime, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño. It comes together in 15 minutes with no cooking and is bright, fresh and perfect for chips, tacos or a party spread.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Makes
- About 2½ cups (6 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use ripe avocados: the skin should be dark and the flesh should yield to gentle pressure. Press near the stem; if the little stem cap lifts easily and shows green underneath, it's ready.
- Chop all the aromatics first so you can mix quickly and the avocado doesn't brown while you work.
- Wear gloves or wash your hands well after handling jalapeño, and don't touch your eyes.
- Have tortilla chips and a serving bowl ready.
Prep the aromatics
- Finely dice the red onion into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
- Stem, seed and mince the jalapeño.
- Finely chop the cilantro leaves and tender stems.
- If using the tomato, halve it, scoop out the seeds and dice the flesh finely.
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Ready when: Onion and jalapeño pieces are small and even, about the size of a lentil or pea.
Tip: Seeding the tomato keeps the guacamole from turning watery.
Mellow the onion
- In the medium bowl, combine the diced onion, jalapeño, half of the cilantro, the lime juice and the salt.
- Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
- This softens the raw bite of the onion and lets the salt and lime draw out flavor.
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Ready when: Onion looks slightly glossy and has lost its sharp raw smell.
Tip: Adding the lime first also coats the avocado when you mash it, which slows browning.
Pit and scoop avocados
- Cut each avocado in half lengthwise around the pit, twist apart, and remove the pit with a spoon.
- Scoop the flesh into the bowl with the onion mixture.
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Ready when: Flesh is bright green and creamy with no large brown or stringy spots.
Tip: Scrape the dark green flesh near the skin; it has the most flavor.
Mash to texture
- Using a fork or potato masher, mash the avocado into the onion mixture, pressing and folding until it is creamy with some ½-inch (1 cm) chunks remaining.
- Stir in the cumin and tomato if using.
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Ready when: Mostly creamy and cohesive, with visible chunks of avocado throughout.
Tip: Stop mashing sooner than you think; overmixing makes it pasty.
Taste and adjust
- Fold in the remaining cilantro.
- Taste with a chip, since chips are salty.
- Add more salt ¼ teaspoon at a time, or more lime juice 1 teaspoon at a time, until the flavor is bright, salty and balanced.
- Add more minced jalapeño if you want more heat.
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Ready when: Tastes lively and tangy, with no flat or bland avocado flavor.
Tip: If it tastes flat, it almost always needs more salt, not more lime.
Serve right away
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve within 1 hour with tortilla chips.
- If making ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to block air.
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Ready when: Surface is bright green with no brown patches.
Tip: If the top browns, scrape off the thin brown layer; the green beneath is fine.
Good to know
Tips
- Choose avocados that yield slightly to pressure; underripe ones mash lumpy and taste bland, while overripe ones taste sour and have brown streaks.
- Salt the onion mixture first and let it rest so the seasoning distributes evenly through the creamy avocado.
- Keep the pit in the bowl if you like, but know that it doesn't reliably prevent browning; the plastic wrap pressed on the surface does.
- Scale easily: for a crowd, double everything but add lime and salt gradually.
Make ahead
Make up to 4 hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so no air touches it, and refrigerate. Stir and re-season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 1 hour (2 hours maximum). Refrigerator: up to 2 days in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed on the surface; scrape off any browned layer and stir before serving. Freezer: not recommended for chunky guacamole, though plain mashed avocado with lime freezes up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well.
Substitutions
- red onion → white onion or 2 thinly sliced scallions. White onion is sharper; scallions are milder.
- jalapeño → 1 serrano chile or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Serrano is hotter, so start with half.
- fresh lime juice → fresh lemon juice. Slightly sweeter and less aromatic but works well.
- fresh cilantro → flat-leaf parsley. For anyone who finds cilantro soapy; flavor will be milder.
