Guacamole is perhaps one of the simplest, most perfect food creations of them all. Avocados? yes… Limes? yes… Salt? yes… Garlic? yessssss. Of course not all guacamole is created equal though. The one major deal breaker is that any guac that’s really worth its salt is homemade. Fortunate enough, guacamole is incredibly easy to make. If you’ve never tasted homemade guacamole before, I’m giving you fair warning that you will be raising the bar so high that store bought guac will henceforth taste like watered down avocado. With the one exception of Whole Foods where they make their guacamole site on scene, it is practically a sin to buy guacamole at the store when it is so easy -and considerably more delicious- to make at home.
I’ve been making guacamole since I was a teenager and I always stuck to the traditional ingredients of avocado, onion, tomato, lime, cilantro, garlic, and salt. But over the years I’ve parred down that recipe to just the basic components of avocado, lime, garlic, and salt. For one thing it’s less ingredients to buy, which I’m always a fan of, and I think keeping the guacamole more simple allows the basic ingredients to really shine and complement one another. I have a really strong inkling for citrus and salt and I just absolutely love how rich they become paired with the avocado and garlic. I’ve also started incorporating guacamole into a variety of lunch and dinner recipes (see below) and the simple recipe makes the spread more versatile for those purposes.
I’m always a big proponent of cooking to taste, and this is especially important with guacamole. The more you make guacamole you learn what ingredients you like best and begin to create your own personalized recipe by adjusting the ingredient ratios or incorporating additional ingredients. The best way to play around with this recipe is to taste as you go while adding in the lime, salt, and any other additional add-ons you decide on. I’m sharing my basic guacamole recipe which is the best place to start, but I’ll also list additional ingredients that can add different elements to the mix if you fancy venturing out at bit.
Basic Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 3 Avocados
- 3 Limes
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 3 tsp. course sea salt
*I generally use a 1:1: ratio for the four ingredients, so if you want a smaller or larger batch decrease or increase the quantities accordingly (i.e… 1 avocado+1 lime+1 garlic clove+1 tsp. salt, or 5 avocados+5 limes+5 garlic cloves+ 5 tsp. salt)
*Make sure avocados are ripe before using. You can tell an avocado is ripe if you gently squeeze it and the surface of the skin yields. If your avocado ripens before you’re ready to use it, stick it in the fridge and it should spare you another day at the most.
Directions:
Slice avocados in half length wise. While avocado is still in skin, use knife to slice vertical and horizontal lines through the avocado flesh without piercing the skin. Squeeze diced avocado into a bowl and gently mash with fork. If you prefer chunkier guacamole, you won’t need to mash much as you’ve already diced the flesh in the skin.
2. Peel and dice garlic cloves. The quickest way to do this is slice off the ends, smash, and then peel off the skin. Add garlic to avocado and mix.
3. Add lime and salt to mixture. I recommend tasting the mixture before adding each lime and teaspoon of salt to make sure it suits your tastebuds.
4. Give a final stir to incorporate all ingredients together, and enjoy!
*Can be stored in sealed container in the fridge for up to two days.
Additional add-ons:
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Pepper
- Red wine vinegar
- Red chili pepper flakes
- Jalepeno
- Corn
As a guacamole obsessed, we actually rarely ever eat the standard chips and guacamole in my house. If the Mister and I are out to eat at a Mexican restaurant we’ll munch on chips and guac, but we both like to eat more healthy at home so I’m always experimenting with new ways to incorporate guacamole into our meals in less carb-loaded ways, like this ahi tuna dish I served up a couple weeks ago. It just so happens that on one of my experimental guacamole dinner recipes, I stumbled upon a serious game changer which is how amazing toasted up guacamole tastes. I was trying out a skillet-to-oven chicken recipe where the guacamole sat in the oven for a bit, and I have to say the roasted up guacamole totally rocked my world. Suffice to say, I am doing anything and everything I possibly can with guacamole, and if I come across any more phenomenoms in the future I’ll be sure to share them here! For the time being, here are some of my favorite non-chip ways to enjoy a fresh dollop of guac.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients:
- Guacamole
- 4-8 Chicken tenderloin (about two per person)
- Turkey bacon (about two-three stripes per tenderloin)
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat.
- Top each chicken tenderloin with about a 1-2 tablespoons of guacamole. Carefully wrap tenderloin in strips of turkey bacon, and gently place in skillet. Cook each side for about 4-5 minutes, until the bacon is golden.
- Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve warm. This dish pairs well with simple brown rice with a squeeze of lime, or the Mexican rice dish listed below.
Avocado toast
Ingredients:
- Guacamole
- Slice(s) of good bread
- Honey
- Red chili pepper flakes
Directions:
- Toast bread slice(s) in toaster, and spread with guacamole.
- Drizzle honey over the guacamole and top with a pinch of pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Fried Egg Avocado Toast
Ingredients:
- Guacamole
- 1-2 Eggs
- 1-2 Slice(s) of good bread
- 2 tsp. butter
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
Directions:
- Heat butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, crack egg(s) into pan and let sit until egg whites are just set.
- While eggs cook toast bread slice(s) in toaster.
- Just as the whites set turn off heat, gently flip eggs and cook for about 10-20 seconds.
- Spread guacamole over toast. Flip eggs from skillet onto the toast, sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!
Mexican Rice
Ingredients:
- Guacamole
- Brown Rice
- 1 Can of black beans
Directions:
- Cook rice according to instructions.
- Drain black beans, add to cooked rice, and gently combine.
- Serve rice with large dollop of guacamole on the side.
*I often make this as a side dish, but it’s hearty enough to have on its own as a vegetarian entree.
Fajitas
Ingredients:
- Guacamole
- Sliced grilled chicken breasts
- 1-2 Bell Peppers
- 1 Onion
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 8 Tortillas
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Grill chicken breast and slice into long strips.
- Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Slice bell peppers and onion and add to skillet. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, until peppers and onions are browned and slightly caramelized.
- Using a gas stove or grill, use tongs to place tortillas directly over flames for about 10 seconds on each side.
- Add chicken, peppers, onions, guacamole, and cheese to tortillas. Enjoy!
Last but not least… in case you missed it a couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for seared ahi tuna steaks topped with an avocado salsa and you can find that recipe here.