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by Whitney //April 1, 2021 (updated May 3, 2021)
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I’m excited to share my favorite healthy guacamole recipe! You can make the best guacamole recipe in just 10 minutes. It’s loaded with avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, and onion — finished with a spritz of lime!
Add a heaping spoonful on top of a few of our family’s favorites: loaded nachos, cheese quesadillas, and Mexican lasagna.
Why This Recipe Works
I recommend this guacamole recipe to everyone because the difference between a mediocre guacamole and one that hits it out of the park is all about the ratios. Not too onion-y (check out a tip below that I do for the onions that makes a difference) and the perfect balance of lime and cilantro.
Serve this healthy guacamole with some favorite Mexican dishes like black bean and corn quesadillas, Mexican quinoa, and taquitos.
Ingredients Needed
- Avocados: It’s very important to get the perfect ripeness in the avocados you use. We don’t want crunchy guacamole. See tips below for selecting the perfect avocado.
- Onions: It’s all about the color when it comes to Mexican food. I love using purple onions in my guacamole because the color pops and the flavor is just a bit more distinctive to a traditional yellow or white onion.
Feel free to add diced jalapeños and cayenne pepper to turn up the heat. Spices such as cumin and smoked paprika are perfect to use in a guacamole as well.
The best rule of thumb is this: taste and season as you go.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the large pit. Place the avocados in a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the avocados. This includes the diced onion, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic, and lime juice.
- Stir to combine ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Expert Tips
Texture. I prefer my guacamole to be on the chunky side. So I’ve found using a pastry blender keeps a bit chunkier texture. If you don’t have a pastry blender, using a fork is fine.
Avocados. If you bring home a firm avocado from the grocery store, leave it at room temperature for a few days until it becomes softer when you gently squeeze it. Avocados will also ripen a lot quicker if they are stored in a brown paper bag.
If, on the other hand, you select perfectly ripe avocados and you don’t plan on making guacamole that day, place the ripe avocados in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.
Onions. Rinse the onion under water. After dicing the purple onion, I put it in a fine mesh sieve and gently rinse it under water for a few seconds. This takes some of the harsh bite out of the onion. Not a crucial step, but one I’ve been using over the years.
Tomatoes. You can use fresh garden tomatoes, Roma’s, even an heirloom tomato to make guac.
Storing Instructions
Store the healthy guacamole in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. If you want to ensure the guacamole will keep better, saving the avocado pits and putting those in with the guacamole can help. However, the lime juice should also help keep the avocado from browning quickly.
FAQs
How to know when an avocado is ripe?
An avocado is ripe and ready to use when you can give it a little squeeze of pressure and it gives in a bit. You don’t want it to be too mushy that it gives a ton when you barely squeeze it, and you don’t want it to feel hard. You can also remove the tiny stem cap at the top. If the cap takes a bit to come off and is almost white underneath, it’s probably not ripe enough. If it comes off easily and the color is a bit darker — and it passes the gentle squeeze test, it’s good to eat.
How can I ripen an avocado faster?
Put it in a brown paper bag at room temperature for a day or two. Check it often until it reaches your desired ripeness.
Is guacamole just mashed avocado?
The great thing about guacamole is how customizable it is. I love adding tomatoes to my guacamole because of the juicy nature and the additional flavor and texture element. The bare bones of guacamole are usually avocado, onion, salt and lime, with the occasional addition of cilantro and/or tomatoes.
Other Delicious Chip Dips
- Slow Cooker Refried Beans
- Sausage Dip
- Caramelized Onion Dip
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a rating and review.
Healthy Guacamole Recipe
This fresh guacamole recipe is made with ripe avocado, garlic, fresh cilantro, onion, tomatoes, and lime juice. We use this guacamole all the time and it makes for the perfect chip dip too!
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 avocados - pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro - chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion - diced (then rinsed in a fine mesh strainer)
- 1 tomato - diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 lime - juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic - minced, about 1-2 cloves
- kosher salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
Add avocado to medium sized bowl. Smash with fork or pastry blender to desired chunkiness.
Add the cilantro, red onion, diced tomato, lime juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper to the mashed avocados. Stir to combine.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips or cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
Texture tip:I prefer my guacamole to be on the chunky side. So I’ve found using a pastry blender keeps a bit chunkier texture. If you don’t have a pastry blender, using a fork is fine.
Avocados tips: If you bring home a firm avocado from the grocery store, leave it at room temperature for a few days until it becomes softer when you gently squeeze it. Avocados will also ripen a lot quicker if they are stored in a brown paper bag.
If, on the other hand, you select perfectly ripe avocados and you don’t plan on making guacamole that day, place the ripe avocados in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.
Onion tip:Rinse the onion under water. After dicing the purple onion, I put it in a fine mesh sieve and gently rinse it under water for a few seconds. This takes some of the harsh bite out of the onion. Not a crucial step, but one I’ve been using over the years.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 171kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 2g (10%)Sodium: 9mgPotassium: 562mg (16%)Fiber: 7g (28%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 368IU (7%)Vitamin C: 17mg (21%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Instagram and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!
This recipe was first published July 2018 but was updated April 1, 2021, to include new photos and better instructions for how to make the best healthy guacamole.
originally published April 1, 2021 — last updated May 3, 2021 // 3 Comments
Posted in: , Healthy Recipes, Spring, Summer
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L White — Reply
Simple and delicious. I didn’t add the full 1/4 cup of cilantro as I can only stand it in small amounts and it seemed like a lot. Maybe I chopped too finely. No other changes made. Taking it to a party tomorrow. Thank you!
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Whitney — Reply
You’re welcome! Thanks for the nice comment. Enjoy the guac!
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Alexander — Reply
Awesome guacamole recipe! We loved it!
