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Creamy Guacamole Recipe

February 6, 2009 by Nicole 41 Comments

Guacamole

While we mostly eat guacamole during spring and summer when Southern California is bursting with fresh, local avocados, I couldn’t resist digging through the large pile of perfectly ripe Haas avocados at the grocery store the other day. I guess I can thank the Superbowl for that!

Why is homemade guacamole so often reserved for special occasions and social gatherings? Considering that avocados are really good for you and fresh guacamole is so delicious and easy to prepare, I think it makes a perfect afternoon snack. In fact I love making small batches just for me!

Worried about calories? You should know by now that the avocados are filled with the good fats your body needs.  And you don’t always have to always eat guacamole with deep-fried tortilla chips (although that’s still my preferred method of getting guac into my mouth). Instead, try serving it with Whole Wheat Pita Chips and you’ll have a filling, nutritious snack to get you through the afternoon.

After years of making overly complicated but average tasting batches of guacamole, I finally realized something. Guacamole is best left simple and fresh. Avocado, onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper are the only ingredients needed. Nothing dried or powdered, no extra spices, no secret ingredients. I don’t even add garlic. And to me, this is the best tasting guacamole around.

Guacamole Fixings

The method is simple.

First prep your ingredients: remove the stem and seeds from a fresh serrano chile (or jalapeno) and then mince it. The seeds and white membrane inside the chile hold the majority of the heat, removing them keeps the guacamole from being too spicy. Make sure not to touch your eyes after handling the fresh chile pepper!

Minced Serrano Chile

Next, remove the thick stems from half a bunch of cilantro and put the leaves in a pile.

Cilantro Leaves

Run your knife back and forth through the pile of leaves until the cilantro is finely chopped. You should end up with about three tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro.

Finely Chopped Cilantro

Next, mince one quarter of a red onion. You should end up with about 1/4 cup minced onion (to learn the best method for chopping an onion, read this post).

Minced Onion

Squeeze the juice of one lime into a small bowl. You’ll need about two tablespoons of juice.

Lime

Prep work is finished, now you’re ready to make the guacamole! Cut your avocados in half and remove the large seed.

Avocado Halves

Use a big spoon to remove the avocado from it’s skin, it should come out easily if the avocado is ripe (and it better be ripe!).

Remove the Avocado Skin

Put all four halves of  peeled avocado into a medium bowl and add a tablespoon of lime juice. Mash it all up with a fork, making it as chunky or smooth as you want. The lime juice adds flavor, but also keeps the avocado from turning an ugly brown color, which is why I have you add some of the juice at this point.

Mash the Avocado

Once the avocado is mashed, stir in the onion, chile, cilantro, salt, and a dash or two of fresh ground black pepper. Taste the guacamole and add enough of the remaining lime juice to taste. I like lots of lime juice, so I use most of it! Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings until you get it right or the guacamole is gone!

Tasting the Guacamole

Homemade guacamole is simple to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought varieties, you’ll soon be wheeling your cart right past those plastic tubs of green goop without a second glance.  Enjoy!

Guacamole

2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup minced red onion (about 1/4 of an onion)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
scant 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

In a medium bowl, mash together avocado halves and one tablespoon of lime juice with a fork. Add chile, cilantro and onion and mix well.  Add salt, pepper, and remaining lime juice to taste.

Yield: about four servings

Recipe Notes: I find this guacamole to be only mildly spicy, but If you would like less spice, start with only half of a chile and make sure to remove all the seeds and white membrane before mincing.  If you would like a very spicy guacamole, leaves the seeds in and/or use more chiles.  And of course, all ingredients can be adjusted to suit your own taste!

Related Recipes:

  • Avocado Pie
  • Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
  • Chili Garlic Corn Chips
  • Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
  • Smoky Tuna Dip
  • Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce


Around the Web:

  • A Twist on Guacamole from 101 Cookbooks
  • Guacamole from Andrea’s Recipes
  • Perfect Guacamole from Simply Recipes
  • Gourmet’s Mango Pomegranate Guacamole from Serious Eats
  • Authentic Mexican Guacamole from Whipped

Filed Under: Appetizers, Sauces and Dressings, Vegetarian Tagged With: appetizer, dip, guacamole, recipe, snack

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marc @ NoRecipes says

    February 10, 2009 at 12:26 am

    Yumm. I take the simple approach to making guac as well and love the simplicity. Sometimes I even forgo the mashing in favor of chopping and vigorous mixing to preserve some of the creamy bits of avocado. It's also great with some fruit mixed in like peeled grapefruit pieces.
    Reply
  2. Joseph M. says

    February 14, 2009 at 11:15 am

    Your pictures are as inviting as this recipe. I could go for a heaping helping of fresh guacamole right now!
    Reply
  3. Bren says

    February 16, 2009 at 9:21 am

    girl!! you must add some cumin and garlic! i mean, c'mon, simple is always good, but i swear the cumin gives it a smokey flavor! yours looks pretty delish and good color! :) i was up at 3:30 this morning making some. i left out the onions only cuz i was too lazy to chop them up! ha.
    Reply
  4. Dan says

    February 17, 2009 at 10:05 pm

    We had a similar recipe for guacamole we posted earlier this month. Guacamole is such a great food to eat and it's a great snack for when you get hungry, too.
    Reply
  5. shane says

    February 18, 2009 at 10:26 pm

    Everything is right in the world when you sit down with a bag of tortilla chips and a bowl of guacamole. Yum! Your recipe looks delish! I will definitely have to try it the next time I have a desire for guacamole.
    Reply
  6. Kat says

    February 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    Looks amazing! I grew up in California with a great big avocado tree in our backyard. Fresh Guac is so great. Your dog eating avocados, not so great ;) I agree with you on keeping it simple with fresh ingredients, but my one little addition is a couple drops of sriracha hot sauce (rooster sauce) if I'm out of fresh chiles. It's almost as good...
    Reply
  7. Jonathan says

    March 22, 2009 at 8:32 am

    YUM! I can't avoid the garlic though. I make my guacamole in a stone mortar and pestle and those flavors just get pulverized together. I'm wondering - if you try it would you notice a difference? I do.
    Reply
  8. Rachel says

    April 15, 2009 at 3:50 am

    Thanks for a nice simple guacamole recipe with great pictures. I bet this would be fabulous smeared on a grilled (I think you call it broiled in the US) chicken breast burger or chopped chunky and served as an accompaniment to steak. Or just with a very large bag of corn chips..
    Reply
  9. Carrie Burns says

    April 21, 2009 at 2:26 am

    My wife and I really liked this article. I have used it a few times. I think a lot of people would benefit from it. You should post it on Wacanai. They get a lot of traffic on the website and you can link it to your page so it will get more people going to your website. You can search for similar articles and when you post your article it will show you other articles that you may like. It's worth checking out.
    Reply
  10. Rochelle says

    February 15, 2011 at 11:02 am

    Yummo! I just made some of this for my lunch this morning. With some crunchy tortilla chips, it will really hit the spot when I get that lunch buzz!
    Reply
  11. Aria Foodie Sullivan says

    October 17, 2011 at 7:33 pm

    Oh wow, that looks like seriously delicious guacamole. As a major foodie who grew up in Southern California, guacamole is something of a specialty with me. Can't wait to try out this recipe on my blog!
    Reply
  12. Suzy Frame says

    September 17, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    This looks delicious and easy enough! I have been reading so many healthy cooking blogs to help me find new ideas for cooking! I have really found some great new things that I can not wait to try out! Thanks for also giving suggestions!
    Reply
  13. Knockout Kitchen says

    September 22, 2012 at 11:26 am

    Adding a little minced jalapeno's to your guacamole is definitely a great addition. Nothing too spicy but adding a little really makes it pop. It all depends on person tastes however. Great recipe.
    Reply
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