Inside: Learn how to make this delicious, homemade, and authentic Guacamole recipe with simple ingredients that my Abuela taught me how to make when I was growing up in Mexico. Also, Bonus tips for how to keep guacamole from turning brown.
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Guacamole is a staple of Mexican cuisine. Although it is pretty simple to make, it can be tough to get the perfect flavor. With this authentic Mexican recipe, though, you will be an expert in no time.
Some of my favorite memories from my youth are when I would spend time cooking with my abuelita (grandma). She didn’t have any daughters of her own (she had 10 boys though), and that is why she always loved spending time with her granddaughters. My sister and I had the privilege of growing up in close proximity to her. That gave us the opportunity to learn so much from her.
Every day at dinner time it was like a party – lots of people, lots of food, and lots of smiles. One of the most requested appetizers was always this homemade guacamole. My Abuela had an avocado tree in her yard that grew some of the biggest avocados that I have ever seen. That, combined with this delicious recipe, made for some amazing guac.
I saw her make this recipe more times than I can remember. That’s why I already had the recipe memorized by the time I was about 7 years old. I always looked forward to gathering the avocados from the tree each day, and I was always thrilled when she asked me to make the guacamole.
What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Guacamole?
This guacamole recipe is also great because it only contains fresh, nutritious ingredients, and it only takes about 10 minutes or less to make! All you need for this particular recipe is the following:
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Onion
- Jalapeno (optional)
- Lime Juice
- Salt
- Tomato
This will be perfect to take to that next get-together where you are supposed to bring something. Your guests will love it!
I can’t think of any time when I have made this recipe where people didn’t ask for the recipe. It must be the combination of authentic flavors, choosing quality avocados, and making it with lots of love.
How Do You Choose The Perfect Avocado For a Perfect Guac?
Speaking of using fresh avocados, it is super important to choose an avocado that is not too firm, but also not too soft. Make sure you give it a quick (gentle) squeeze at the store before buying it. There should be a little bit of give to it, but it shouldn’t feel too soft. If it doesn’t have any give at all, then it is probably too firm. If you aren’t planning on making the guacamole for a day or two, then the firmer avocado will do, but just make sure that you plan ahead.
How Do You Keep Guacamole From Turning Brown?
One of the most common questions that people ask me about guacamole, is how to keep it from turning brown? You know the feeling – you worked so hard making guacamole, only to have it turn brown right when it is time to eat.
There are a couple of different ways that I have found that really seem to work.
- Add the pit of the avocado to the guacamole dish.
- Add an extra teaspoon of lime juice.
- Cover in plastic wrap.
I would recommend doing all three if you can, but remember, as much as you try, the guacamole is going to turn brown if you don’t eat it relatively soon after eating it, so plan ahead!
I am so glad that you made it to my site and are getting ready to try this guacamole recipe. It really is easy, but if you have any questions or run into any issues, please feel free to leave me a comment below! If you love this recipe, please rate it with 5 stars at the end of your comment!
Try These Other Authentic Mexican Recipes:
Products Used For This Recipe
- Molcajete. This is a small stone bowl that is used all the time in Mexico for making fresh salsas and guacamole. It makes it really easy to mash the avocados and is a great serving bowl as well! You can get one here to try out for yourself.
- Food Chopper: You will need to chop up some veggies for this recipe, so it is helpful to have a food chopper like this one on hand. It makes everything so much easier!
Homemade Mexican Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/4 onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup Cilantro finely chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons of lime juice
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tomato finely chopped
Instructions
- Peel the avocado and remove the core.
- Mash the avocado in a molcajete until it reaches your desired consistency
- Add the onion, jalapeno, cilantro and tomato and mix well.
- Add lime juice and salt to taste.
Amy says
May 3, 2019 at 6:37 amHi,
I’m going to be making a batch of guacomole for a taco bar graduation party. Around 200 attendees. I’ve seen that avocado’s can be frozen (cubed), then day of making the guacomole, thaw them to mash in with the other ingredients. Are you familiar? I’m trying to shorten up my steps the day of making and thought this might help. Any thoughts?
I also read that after your guacomole is made you can press it down into a container, making a flat surface on top and then adding a layer of water, seal container and that will prevent browning. Drain of course before using. have you tried this method?
Charbel Barker says
May 3, 2019 at 8:43 amHi Amy,
Personally, I am not familiar with freezing avocados and I haven’t tried it. It seems like it should work, although it might change up the texture after it defrosts. I would say look into it a little bit more online and see what results other people have had.
For your second question, here is a section from my post:
There are a few different ways that I have found that really seem to work.
Add the pit of the avocado to the guacamole dish.
Add an extra teaspoon of lime juice.
Cover in plastic wrap.
I would recommend doing all three if you can, but remember, as much as you try, the guacamole is going to turn brown if you don’t eat it relatively soon after eating it, so plan ahead!
I have never added a layer of water, but I have used plastic wrap and it seems to work pretty well. Of course you will always want to eat it pretty quickly after making it, but if it is just for a few hours or not much longer any of these methods should help.
Good luck – sounds like a pretty big event!
Liz says
June 9, 2019 at 12:26 pmHi, what do you mean by 1 bunch cilantro, about how much is that? Also approximately how much salt do you usually put in this size recipe with 2 avocados? This looks good and I really want to try this out but I was hoping to find more exact measurements for the different ingredients. Thanks!
Charbel Barker says
June 10, 2019 at 8:25 amHi Liz! I’m sorry for the confusion. When I buy cilantro, they usually come in a bunch, which is just what the unit that they come in is referred to. It depends on the size of the bunch though, so I think it may be easier to list the measurement in cups (after being chopped), so I will update the recipe. It should be about 1/4-1/3 cup of chopped cilantro.
For salt, I would start with about 1/2 teaspoon and then add a bit more from there after tasting it.
Good luck!