This easy guacamole recipe will take you less than 5 minutes to make. It's a simple recipe that uses minimal ingredients, just like authentic guacamole. You will love this easy, healthy, and delicious guacamole recipe!

This easy guacamole recipe in a serving dish with tortilla chips.

Why this guacamole recipe is the best ever

  1. It's deliciously flavored and perfectly creamy.
  2. It takes less than 5 minutes to make.
  3. You only dirty one bowl, one fork, a knife, and a cutting board. Do you see where we're going with this? No dishes! Almost.
  4. It's super versatile – and we have lots of suggestions about ingredients you can add to make it extra special.
  5. Besides tasting amazing, homemade guacamole is also very healthy for you!

If you've only ever bought guacamole before, right now would be a great time to stop doing that. Seriously. Please stop. Please, please. Making it yourself is almost as easy to make as taking a lid off a jar, and it is SO MUCH tastier.

The three main ingredients in this guacamole recipe

There're lots of different ways you can make guacamole. But after years of making our favorite dip, we've found that using just a few fresh ingredients is always the best. This recipe is how we make guacamole 90% of the time. It's super simple and super delicious!

  1. Lime juice – fresh is always best!
  2. Garlic – finely minced so you don't end up biting into chunks of garlic.
  3. Salt – we prefer the mild taste of sea salt in this recipe.

And of course, avocados, too.

Other optional ingredients:

There are plenty of other tasty things you can also add, but with lime juice, garlic, and salt you can make a bowl of guacamole in less time than it would take you to say, “Uno más cerveza, por favor!” Ok, almost less time. Here are a few other ingredients that you can add to your guacamole to really kick it up a notch:

  • Fresh diced tomatoes
  • Minced cilantro
  • Hot peppers – one jalapeño will turn this into spicy guacamole!
  • Finely minced onion
  • Cumin (a sprinkle of this is fantastic!)
  • Cojita or feta cheese
Guacamole in a serving bowl.

Watch this video to see how to make this easy guacamole recipe

While this guacamole recipe is incredibly simple to make, you can watch the video to see exactly how it's made in just a minute. Watch the step-by-step video on YouTube.

Or you can subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of our videos!

How to choose a ripe avocado

Choosing a ripe avocado can be a little tricky. If you choose one that is under-ripe, it will be hard and inedible. Insert crying face emoji. If you choose one that is too ripe, it will be mushy and brown. Ick.

So what do you do?

Luckily there are ways to find a perfectly ripe avocado.

  1. The best way to begin your search for “The One” is to look for the dark avocados. When you find one, give it a gentle squeeze. Does it give just a little without giving in and feeling hollow? Awesome! This could be the one.
  2. Once you're 99% sure you've found a good one, take a look under the stem. If it looks green, you're good to go. If it's brown, it's past its prime.

What if you can't find a ripe avocado?

Finding a ripe avocado can feel like finding your soul mate; the more you want one, the harder it is to find. To help turn an under-ripe avocado into a guacamole-ready one, you need to use the paper bag trick.

All you have to do is put the avocado (or a few avocados) and an apple in a paper bag. Close the bag and set it aside on your counter. In about a day, you'll have a ripe avocado.

You can also put under-ripe avocados in your fruit bowl to help them ripen. The ethylene gas that fruit releases helps to ripen your hard avocado.

A tortilla chip scooping some guacamole out of a serving dish.

How to store leftovers

While guacamole is best eaten shortly after it's made, it is possible to store it. Here's the best way to store leftover guacamole:

Put the guacamole into a bowl and smooth the top with a spoon. Now take a piece of plastic wrap and press it firmly onto the guacamole so that there are no air pockets. Now your guac will stay fresh for 2-3 days in your fridge.

For plastic-free storage, you can also use parchment paper or beeswax food wraps. Neither of these options work quite as well so you may need to scrape a little brown guacamole off the top before eating it.

What to serve with this guacamole recipe

The classic way to eat guacamole is with crunchy tortilla chips, but it's great served as a dip for veggies, too. Here are a few other ways to serve guac:

And don't forget to treat yourself to a fizzy lime margarita!

Looking down on a bowl of easy homemade guacamole.
This easy guacamole recipe in a serving dish with tortilla chips.

Easy Guacamole Recipe

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 0 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
This quick and easy guacamole recipe will take you less than 5 minutes to make. It is super simple, healthy, and so delicious. I promise you that anyone can make this!
4.94 stars (60 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 1 lime
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or finely minced
  • Large pinch of salt

Instructions 

  • To cut the avocados, run a knife around the avocado (from top to bottom) and twist in half. Pull out and discard the pit. Using a spoon or your thumb, remove the flesh and place into a medium-sized bowl.
    3 ripe avocados
  • Cut the lime in half and squeeze both halves into the bowl with the avocado, being careful not to get any seeds in the bowl. Add the garlic, salt and any/all or none of the optional ingredients (see notes). Using a fork gently mash each avocado half a few times then stir all ingredients together.
    1 lime, 1-2 cloves garlic, Large pinch of salt

Notes

  • Guacamole is best made and eaten right away. If you must store it make sure that you cover it with plastic wrap directly against the guacamole. Press the plastic wrap into it with your fingers to prevent any air getting to it and causing it to go brown.
  • To make a single serving, lunch sized guac, use 1 avocado, 1/2 lime, a small clove of garlic, and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Optional additions: chopped tomato, cilantro, chopped onion, finely minced chilis, finely minced chipotle peppers, a few drops of liquid smoke, finely crumbled cooked bacon.
Serving: 1 serving = ½ cup, Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Sodium: 11mg, Potassium: 751mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 229IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg
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