This healthy homemade guacamole recipe is simple, fresh and comes together with just five ingredients. You might want to save this one because I promise you will make it again!
Guacamole is the perfect crowd pleasing dip, great for any and all occasions. From Cinco de Mayo celebrations to Taco Tuesday's and any social gathering in between, this recipe will leave your friends and family coming back for more!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Restaurant Quality - I have literally overheard people say that they thought the guac came from a restaurant. So get ready for compliments and to dish out the recipe!
- Only 5 Ingredients - With only 5 ingredients including the salt, this recipe comes together quickly and easily with everyday items you can find at your grocery store.
- Suitable for most diets - Gluten free, dairy free, tomato free, vegan, and filled with healthy fats. Most people can enjoy this guacamole guilt free!
Ingredients
Here are some notes on a few ingredients from the recipe. See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients!
- Avocados- To pick the perfect ripe avocados, look for a darker skin color and gently squeeze the avocado. If it is slightly soft but not mushy you have found a good one!
- Salt- I recommend using sea salt in this recipe over table salt. Table salt strips out any naturally occurring nutrients. I use Celtic Sea Salt (fine ground) in this recipe and it contains over 80 trace minerals and elements. Another brand I would recommend is Redmond Real Salt.
- Lime Juice- When choosing a lime, look for one that is smooth on the outside versus more bumpy. The smoother limes contain more juice than the limes with raised bumps.
Step by Step Instructions
This recipe comes together quickly in 5 easy steps!
Step 1: Scoop the avocados. Take a sharp knife and slice all of the avocados length wise all the way around. Twist the two sides and separate each avocado into two sections. Take a spoon and scoop out the avocado from the peel and place the avocado into a bowl. Do this for both sides of the avocado. Toss the peel into the trash. Don't forget to save one or two of the avocado pits for later.
Step 2: Chop the cilantro and onion. Wash the fresh cilantro and remove the leaves from the stem. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves with a sharp knife such as a chef's knife. Next, remove the outside layers from the red onion and finely dice the red onion.
Step 3: Combined all ingredients. In the same bowl you added the avocados to, add the chopped cilantro and red onions. Measure out the salt and add to the bowl. Finally, juice the lime, measure out one teaspoon, and add to the bowl.
Step 4: Mash the ingredients. With a fork, mash all of the ingredients in the bowl until well combined. The desired consistency is smooth while leaving some of the avocado pieces in small chunks for texture.
Step 5: Top and serve. Top the guacamole with one of the pits you saved from the avocados and any additional red onion or cilantro for garnish. Serve with your favorite dipper like chips and veggies. Or take your tacos and enchiladas to the next level by adding a dollop on top!
Frequently Asked Questions
You likely don't have enough salt and acidity in the guacamole. Try adding additional salt and lime juice in small portions and continue to taste until it's just right.
I would recommend to store it no more than 24 hours. You can store it a bit longer however, guacamole is one of those items that is best served fresh. The longer that you have it, the more the flavor profile begins to change for the worse.
Take the avocados and store them in a fruit bowl with fruit or place them in a brown paper bag. These methods have been known to speed up the ripening process.
Dippers
Where you can make guacamole extra healthy is your dipping "tool" of choice. Vegetables can be a low carb, delicious option that also give you added nutrients! My favorite vegetables to dip are radishes and jicama. They both are mild in flavor so they don't take away from the taste of the guacamole but add a great crunch to every bite.
When sticking to the classic chip option, my all time favorite packaged chip is Siete Dip Chip. They are grain free, perfectly salted, and have enough strength to withhold the guacamole without breaking. You can find these chips at most grocery stores. If you prefer corn tortilla chips, try sticking to options made with organic corn to ensure it's free of GMO's. Ideally the chips would be made using a non-inflammatory oil like avocado oil.
Substitutions
Because this recipe is only 5 ingredients I would not recommend substituting or altering too much from the original recipe. Below are my two recommendations that won't drastically change the flavor profile.
- Lime Juice- instead of lime juice, you can use lemon juice. It won't have the exact same flavor but will provide the acidity needed that is similar to lime juice.
- Sea Salt - if you don't have sea salt, table salt will work.
Equipment
You don't need any fancy equipment to make this easy guacamole recipe. However, I do enjoy using a hand juicer to squeeze out my lime juice and to make for easy measuring.
Storage
Guacamole is best eaten immediately after making it but can last up to three days in the fridge. Once the avocados are exposed to air, oxidation begins to happen and the dip will start turning brown. This is safe to eat but does affect the flavor profile.
There are many tips and tricks to storing leftover guacamole so that it slows down the browning processes. The two methods I prefer are to keep one or two of the avocado pits in the guacamole and covering the dip in plastic wrap or adding a small amount of water to the top of the guacamole just enough to cover the entire dip. Once you are ready to eat the guacamole, you can dump out the water on top and mix the dip with a spoon to freshen it up. Let me know your favorite way to store guacamole in the comments below!
Guacamole does not freeze well so I would not recommend doing that.
Top tip
Make sure your avocados are ripe. That usually means going to the grocery store a few days in advance of making the guacamole to allow the avocados to ripen. It can be hard at times to find the perfect avocados in store on the day you want to make guacamole, so preparation is key! And if you find yourself in the reverse situation and the avocados are perfectly ripe, place them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process until you are ready to use them.
If you have tried this recipe I would love to know! Leave a star rating or comment below. This also helps other users and supports the blog!
Healthy Guacamole Recipe
Equipment
- 1 chef knife
- 1 lime juicer optional
Ingredients
- 5 whole avocados
- ⅓ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Scoop the avocados. Take a sharp knife and slice all of the avocados length wise all the way around. Twist the two sides and separate each avocado into two sections. Take a spoon and scoop out the avocado from the peel and place the avocado into a bowl. Do this for both sides of the avocado. Toss the peel into the trash. Don't forget to save one or two of the avocado pits for later.
- Chop the cilantro and onion. Wash the fresh cilantro and remove the leaves from the stem. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves with a sharp knife such as a chef's knife. Next, remove the outside layers from the red onion and finely dice the red onion.
- Combined all ingredients. In the same bowl you added the avocados to, add the chopped cilantro and red onions. Measure out the salt and add to the bowl. Finally, juice the lime, measure out one teaspoon, and add to the bowl.
- Mash the ingredients. With a fork, mash all of the ingredients in the bowl until well combined. The desired consistency is smooth while leaving some of the avocado pieces in small chunks for texture.
- Top and serve. Top the guacamole with one of the pits you saved from the avocados and any additional red onion or cilantro for garnish. Serve with your favorite dipper like chips and veggies. Or take your tacos and enchiladas to the next level by adding a dollop on top!
Notes
- Make sure your avocados are ripe. That usually means going to the grocery store a few days in advance of making the guacamole to allow the avocados to ripen. It can be hard at times to find the perfect avocados in store on the day you want to make guacamole, so preparation is key! And if you find yourself in the reverse situation and the avocados are perfectly ripe, place them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process until you are ready to use them.
- When choosing a lime, look for one that is smooth on the outside versus more bumpy. The smoother limes contain more juice than the limes with raised bumps.
- I would recommend to store the guacamole no more than 24 hours. You can store it a bit longer however, guacamole is one of those items that is best served fresh. The longer that you have it, the more the flavor profile begins to change for the worse.