Whether you scoop it up with tortilla chips or pile it high on a crispy tostada, there’s no denying that homemade guacamole makes everything from taco night to your Cinco de Mayo party so much better. An essential part of many of our favorite Mexican dishes, it’s well worth learning to make at home.
As long as you know how to choose and store (or ripen) avocados, the rest of the process is a breeze. On top of that, the best guacamoles are simple, letting the mild flavor and rich creaminess of the fruit shine—so, no need to make a trip to the store or source any specialty ingredients unless you really want to. That simplicity is precisely why you’ll like Alton Brown’s easy hack for making guacamole.
Use your potato masher to break up the avocado and blend it with the lime juice and spices.
It makes quick work of this crowd-pleasing dip — and leaves you with the perfect, chunky texture.
Chunky Guacamole
Ellie doesn’t mash the avocado for her super-chunky take on classic guacamole. Instead, she simply dices the fruit and stirs it together with lime juice, salt, cilantro and red onion.
Almost-Famous Guacamole
We think we’ve cracked the code to Chipotle’s famous guacamole. The secret–using equal parts fresh lemon and lime juice — adds just enough brightness and tang. If you’re feeling fancy, go all out and add a couple tablespoons of diced tomatoes.
Simple Guacamole
Marcela takes a straightforward approach to guacamole, sticking to a handful of basic ingredients: avocado, fresh cilantro, chile pepper, lime juice, onion and salt.
Guacamole with Vinegar
If you’re out of citrus fruit you can still make a great batch of guac. Vinegar provides the same tart acidity that fresh lime or lemon juice would. Plus, it helps the guacamole stay greener, longer.
Smoky Guacamole
The simple pantry ingredient that will take your guac from basic to over-the-top delicious? Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Chop them into small pieces and add them to the mix (along with a little bit of the adobo sauce) for a wonderfully smoky twist on the classic.
Guacamole with a Kick
How do you give your guacamole an extra kick of flavor? Try adding lots of finely chopped jalapeno and garlic, along with a smoky chipotle pepper in adobo.
Charred Corn Guacamole with Corn Chips
If you ask us, guacamole is a summer cookout must-have. It’s creamy, refreshing and easy to snack on while you’re grilling. That’s why we love Bobby’s creative take; he incorporates another one of our seasonal favorites into the dip: kernels of charred sweet corn.
Garlicky Holy Guacamole!
Rachael’s 5-star guacamole has more than 100 rave reviews. Fans say it’s “fantastic” and report that they “usually have to double the recipe”. It’s that good!
Greek Guacamole
Ree’s giving guacamole a Greek-inspired twist by adding in some of our favorite Mediterranean ingredients: roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, crumbled feta and fresh dill.
The Best Guacamole
Simple ingredients in perfect proportion make a this dip a crowd-pleasing favorite for any event. We decided not to use tomato in ours (it makes the guac watery) and included both onion and garlic for extra zip. A healthy dose of fresh lime juice balances and brightens the flavors.
