The Ultimate Guide to Guacamole ~ a great guacamole recipe is cheap, healthy, vegan, gluten free, drop dead easy, and universally loved. (We’ve been making it since college, humans have been partying with it since the Aztecs.) Once you know the basics you can knock out a fabulous appetizer in minutes, and every host should have their own signature recipe, so feel free to borrow any of these …
Guacamole topped with blistered tomatoes (recipe at the end of the post)
Guacamole topped with blistered tomatoes (recipe at the end of the post)
For something so simple, there’s a surprising amount to talk about when it comes to guacamole. I’m sharing a new recipe for guacamole topped with blistered tomatoes, you’ll find that at the end of the post, as well as sharing lots of other inspiring takes on this awesome little green dip. Tips, tricks, and useful info? Of course, so let’s get to it!
How to tell if an avocado is ripe?
First of all, unless you need, absolutely neeeeeed, a ripe avocado immediately, I don’t recommend buying the ones with the little “I’m ripe!” stickers on them. They’re gonna be a little bit past it and prone to bruises. (Produce managers always put the riper avocados on the top of the heap where they’ll get lots of man/woman handling. Dig a little deeper for firmer specimens)
Best idea ~ buy firm avocados and ripen them at home.
The California Avocado commission says the best way to ripen avocados is to put them in a bowl or directly on your kitchen counter and wait a couple of days until they give to slight pressure from the palm of your hand ~ not your fingers, which can bruise your fruit.
If you’re in a rush, you can speed up the ripening process by putting your hard avocados in a paper bag along with a kiwi fruit or an apple. The bag concentrates the natural ethylene gas given off by the fruit and will speed up the ripening process.
Keep in mind that sometimes you want a firmer avocado; if you’re trying to get sharp slices, or you’re making an avocado rose, for example.
Pomegranate and pickled ginger guacamole from Food Deco
Pomegranate and pickled ginger guacamole from
Can you make guacamole with hard avocados?
Got hard avocados and an intense craving for guacamole, like, NOW? Well, interestingly, yes, there is a hack for that. This unique solution comes from Pure Wow:
“To ripen an avocado quickly, wrap it in tinfoil and place on a baking sheet. Pop it in the oven at 200°F for ten minutes, or until the avocado is soft (depending on how hard it is, it could take up to an hour to soften). As the avocado bakes in the tinfoil, ethylene gas surrounds it, putting the ripening process into hyperdrive. Remove it from the oven, then put your soft, ripe avocado into the fridge until it cools and you’re ready to enjoy. Guac and avocado toast for all!”
How to keep guacamole from turning brown
There are many tricks for keeping guacamole brown, you can sprinkle your avocado with lemon, you can keep the pit in the cut half, you can add a chunk of raw onion to the bag with a cut avocado, but they almost all boil down to one thing: plastic wrap. Avocados naturally brown when exposed to air, so the key is to try to minimize contact between your freshly made guacamole and air. Cling wrap is the easiest way to do this, and the key is to press the wrap right up against the avocado. No air, no browning, no problema.
What makes guacamole taste like guacamole?
The classic flavors in guacamole are avocado, lime, cilantro, onion. A little salt helps bring out all the flavors. But guess what? Avocados are super chill when it comes to mixing with other flavors, so once you’ve mastered a traditional guacamole, feel free to let loose and experiment!
Grapefruit and Tequila Guacamole ~ Rachel Ray
Grapefruit and Tequila Guacamole ~
Is guacamole healthy?
Yes! Guacamole is relatively high calorie, but also high in good heart healthy fat and vitamin K, which supports blood clotting. It’s also low carb.
The best ways to serve guacamole
Tortilla chips are a given, but feel free to switch things up and use your guacamole they way you would any dip. Try serving it with toasted bread, tartine style, or with crunchy veggies for dipping. I like to create a fun guacamole bar for guests and lay out toasted bread and all the toppings so everyone can get in there and customize their own.
Guacamole Toast Bar
The Classics
A classic guacamole has just a few ingredients, but subtle variations on the theme result in guacs with slightly different vibes. Some are creamy and smooth, some are rustic and chunky, some add tomatoes, some don’t, ditto with cilantro and onions. Garlic is hotly debated. Any way you roll, these classics are simple to make, and incredibly delicious.
clockwise from top left ~
Best Ever Guacamole ~ Downshiftology
Chunky Guacamole ~ Food & Wine
Easy Healthy Guacamole ~ What Molly Made
Easy Guacamole ~ The Endless Meal
Creative Spins
Creamy avocados make an excellent canvas for all sorts of experimental and creative variations. These clever guacs are definitely not traditional, and offer a nice change if you’re ready to move on from the basics.
clockwise from top left ~
Everything Guacamole ~ Gimme Some Oven
Pecorino Guacamole ~ Melanie Makes
Summer Garden Guacamole ~ Half Baked Harvest
Cojita + Corn Guacamole ~ The Toasted Pine Nut
Regional Recipes
Though native to Mexico, guacamole has won over the hearts of millions, resulting in regional variations and spins, highlighting local traditions and produce. Try these versions, or make up your own local variation!
clockwise from top left ~
California Cobb Guacamole ~ Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Cajun Shrimp Guacamole ~ Bev Cooks
Tropical Guacamole ~ Food Fanatic
Hatch Chili Guacamole ~ The Boozy Oyster
Well Traveled Guacs
Guacamole inspired by International cuisines…it had to happen. These fusion recipes are fun and full of unexpected flavors.
clockwise from top left ~
Baked Thai Coconut Shrimp with Lemongrass Guacamole ~ Half Baked Harvest
Greek Guacamole ~ Minimalist Baker
Guacamole with Lobster (Denmark) ~ XOTC
Japanese Guacamole ~ California Avocados
Going Rogue
Sometimes you just gotta get off the beaten path and follow your own unique bliss when it comes to guac. These recipes use guacamole as a stepping stone to amazing things. Guac soup? Sure! Guacamole nicecream? Why not?
clockwise from top left ~
Avocado Egg Salad ~ Pinch of Yum
Creamy Guacamole Pasta ~ Bianca Zapatke
Guacamole Deviled Eggs ~ The View From Great Island
Whole30 Spicy Shrimp Guacamole Crisps ~ Nocrumbsleft
Guacamole Topped with Blistered Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe avocados
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 tsp onion salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- handful of chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 pint multi-colored cherry tomatoes
- olive oil
- cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Halve, pit and scoop out the avocados. Mash them along with the lime juice with a fork until no large chunks remain. Add the onion salt, garlic powder, and cilantro. Taste to adjust any of the flavors.
- Put the tomatoes in a skillet and toss with a little olive oil, just to lightly coat. Heat on medium high heat, tossing the skillet often, until the tomatoes start to char and split open, this will only take a few minutes.
- Top the guacamole with the tomatoes, drizzle with more olive oil, and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with chips.
Thanks for pinning!
This is such a fun post! I’m a guacamole addict, and I like to search for new recipes to tweak what I consider my current go-to guac. But, this article has so many options for me to try now! Time to go spend $30 on avocados, lol. Can you tell I’m excited? 🙂
Go wild Emily!
All ur tips n tricks just cleared all my doubts! Impatiently waiting to try this guacamole out!
So many creative ways with guacamole and they all look amazing. I’m saving this to try some of them next time I’m making guac. Thanks for sharing!
It’s true, for something so simple there are lots of twists and debate on what exactly is OK or not. There are some tasty looking ideas here!
These images are gorgeous! I can’t wait to make the blistered tomato guac. It looks so good.
We love guacamole in my house. I need to figure out where to start with all these delicious recipes.
I always say start at the beginning…:)
The tip about speeding-up the ripening process is fascinating and one I must try, Sue.
Here’s an interesting tip for you: the reason there aren’t many recipes using hot avocados is because
many people find them to taste like hot bananas (from a survey) which wouldn’t pair very well with seafood, chicken, etc. Funny, that.
Omg, hot bananas doesn’t sound very good!
I love avocado! One of the many perks of living in So Cal is having access to this delectable and healthy fruit! I tried to grow an avocado tree but it died. My friend had a grandfather tree in her backyard and the avocados were amazing. Nonstop avocados all year. I’m so glad avocado toast is popular now I’ve been doing it for years. Looking forward to trying some of these great recipes Sue. Thank you for sharing!
Impressive indeed !
Great round up of guacamole! Can’t wait to check some of these out!
You can never have too much guacamole, am I right?