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BA's Best Guacamole

4.1

(32)

Best Guacamole Recipe
Photo by Alex Lau

You’ll never hear us turn down freshly-made guacamole with crispy, crunchy tortilla chips. This easy guacamole recipe is a classic that’s best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete, but a bowl and a potato masher or fork works fine as well. Just don’t rush to get this recipe on the table too quickly. It takes a while for the avocado to absorb all the flavors you add to it. So if you ever find yourself wondering if your guac is spicy (or salty, or lime-y) enough, wait a few minutes before you add more so that you don’t accidentally overseason it.

If you’re serving it as a dip, try it alongside a bowl of roasted and lightly chunky homemade salsa, pico de gallo when tomatoes are in season, or salsa verde, all of which will add an acidic punch to the spread.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

3

large ripe Hass avocados

¼

white onion, finely chopped

1

serrano chile, seeds removed if desired, finely chopped

1

garlic clove, finely grated

2

tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice

1

teaspoon kosher salt

¼

cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds; optional) and chips (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Smash avocados with a potato masher or fork in a medium bowl or with a molcajete (a Mexican mortar and pestle) until very coarsely mashed. Mix in onion, chile, garlic, lime juice, salt, and ¼ cup cilantro. Taste and add more lime juice, if desired. Top with pepitas (if using) and more cilantro; serve with chips alongside.

    Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in our October 2016 issue. Head this way for more of our best avocado recipes →

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Reviews (32)

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  • I made this guacamole for a party, and it was a big hit. A couple of notes: I would recommend pulling back just a hair on the kosher salt if you’re using Morton like me. Also, I removed the Serrano seeds and ended up with basically no heat. Next time, if I want a little more kick, I’ll leave some in. Overall though, flavorful and delicious! Next time I’ll double the batch — it went fast! :)

    • Amanda

    • Philadelphia, PA

    • 8/7/2022

  • Best guac recipe of all time. I make this weekly and the Serrano pepper gives it the perfect kick. Not a kid-friendly recipe though due to the spiciness. Top notch recipe though.

    • Olya

    • San Francisco

    • 7/11/2022

  • Same recipe I use with diced tomatoes added. I use garlic salt and celery salt for the salt ingredient. Very tasty.

    • Roger Kirk

    • Dallas, Tx.

    • 7/10/2022

  • Not very good. I just tried it and it taste flat. It's a just a copycat of receipe found on other website with no originality. And yes, there is such a thing as too much salt for guacamole; 1 tea spoon for 3 avocado is way too much unless you have lost your sense of taste.

    • Ana Aguilera

    • Long Beach, CA

    • 5/15/2022

  • Simple and so good! Whenever I make this for parties, everyone asks "who made the guac?!" I like mine extra lime-y :)

    • kcla

    • Los Angeles, CA

    • 2/23/2022

  • Great classic recipe. Thanks for reminding me how much I love guacamole. Garlic is an essential ingredient which a lot of people leave out. I grind it in a mortar with a little kosher salt so it turns into liquid and subtly permeates the entire dish. Also, to the person who challenged the idea of putting cilantro in guacamole, it is standard in Mexico. I happen to like it and put it in if I have it around, but you don't have to put it in if you don't like it. It's not a deal breaker.

    • Will Triggs

    • San Francisco

    • 11/18/2021

  • Summer and avo season are just knocking at the door in NZ and I can't wait to try this. Always keen to try a new guac. My only comment is that I would dice the avo, by the time it is all stirred together the consistency would be spot on. But then I do like my guac chunky. Thank you.

    • anniem

    • New Zealand

    • 10/6/2021