How to Make Guacamole: 4 Ways

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Who doesn’t love guacamole? This rich, creamy, slightly spicy dip is a staple of Mexican style cooking. Whether you’re scooping it up by the chipful or dolloping portions into a tortilla, your dinner just wouldn’t be the same without it.

A bowl of guacamole with a chili pepper, cilantro, Mexican seasoning and cheddar cheese. tortilla chips on the side.

There’s a number of good store brand guacamole and salsa options out there, but where’s the fun in just buying it? Anything you make yourself is likely to taste at least ten times better, so trade in that jarred stuff for an avocado as we explore this simple guide on how to make guacamole from scratch, including 3 extra fully-loaded versions!

What You Will Need

An opened avocado, tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background.
An opened avocado, prepped tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background.

For the Guacamole Base:

  • 2 large ripe avocados (or 4 small avocados)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 1 fresh red chili, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
  • Salt, to taste

After making the base, you can serve it as is or make it fully-loaded by adding one of the 3 following variations:

Tex Mex: (Make it spicy!)

  • Guacamole base
  • 1 tsp. Mexican seasoning
  • Valentina sauce (hot sauce)​
  • Cheddar cheese, shredded (to garnish)
  • 1 red chili, cut in thin slices
  • Cilantro leaves, chopped (to garnish)

Quail Eggs & Prawns: (Pack it with protein.)

  • Guacamole Base
  • 12 quail eggs, cooked, peeled and quartered
  • 6 prawns, (one per person) peeled and cooked
  • Cilantro, to garnish

 Mango & Passion Fruit Coulis: (Add a touch of sweetness.)

  • Guacamole base
  • 1 cup passion fruit pulp
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 cup mango, cut into small cubes
  • Tortilla chips, to serve
  • Cilantro, to garnish

Guacamole Base Directions:

Follow these steps to make the guacamole base. Because it is already loaded with flavor, this can be served as it is. Or you can get fancy and try some topping variations!

Step #1. Cut the Avocados in Half

An opened avocado, tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background.

Cut the avocados into halves, and remove the center with the help of a knife.

Step #2. Scoop out the Avocado Flesh

An opened avocado, tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Hands scooping the avocado flesh out.

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the avocados into a small bowl.

Step #3. Mash the Avocados

Prepped tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Avocado smashed in a bowl.

Use a fork to mash up the avocado until it reaches your desired texture (it’s best to keep some chunks for texture).

Step #4. Add the Tomatoes

Prepped tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Avocado smashed in a bowl, hand adding the chopped tomatoes.

Add the tomatoes to the mashed avocado.

Step #5. Add Red Onion

Prepped red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Avocado smashed in a bowl with tomatoes. A hand adding chopped red onion to bowl.

Add the red onion.

Step #6. Add Chilies & Garlic

Prepped cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Avocado smashed in a bowl with chopped tomatoes, red onion and garlic. A hand adding chopped chilies to bowl.

Add the chili pepper and garlic.

Step #7. Mix Well

A bowl of guacamole, cilantro and colorful napkin on the side, white wood background.

Mix it together.

Step #8. Add Salt

A bowl of guacamole, cilantro and colorful napkin on the side, white wood background. A hand adding salt to the bowl.

Season the mixture with salt, to taste.

Step #9. Add Olive Oil

A bowl of guacamole, cilantro and colorful napkin on the side, white wood background. A hand adding olive oil to the bowl.

Add olive oil.

Step #10. Add Lemon Juice

A bowl of guacamole, cilantro and colorful napkin on the side, white wood background. A hand adding lemon juice to the bowl.

Add lemon juice, to taste.

Step #11. Add Cilantro

A bowl of guacamole, white wood background.

Add the cilantro and give it a final mix.

Finished Guacamole Base

A bowl of guacamole with cilantro and a pepper. Dark reddish-brown background.
A bowl of guacamole with cilantro and a pepper.

Variation 1 – Tex Mex

This variation is a Tex Mex-inspired topping. Mix the guacamole with the Mexican seasoning and Valentina sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, sliced red chili and cilantro leaves.

A bowl of guacamole with a chili pepper, cilantro, Mexican seasoning and cheddar cheese.
A bowl of guacamole with a chili pepper, cilantro, Mexican seasoning and cheddar cheese. tortilla chips on the side.

Variation 2 – Quail Eggs and Prawns

For this tasty and filling variation, you will top the base guacamole with quartered quail eggs, prawns and cilantro.

A piece of bread with guacamole, shrimp and quail egg sliced on top
A bowl of guacamole with sliced quail eggs and prawns.
A bowl of guacamole with sliced quail eggs and prawns.

Variation 3 – Mango and Passion Fruit Coulis

This topping adds a sweet touch to your guacamole base! Pour the passion fruit pulp and sugar into a pot. Heat at medium heat for 10 minutes. Pass it through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Let it cool.

Serve the passion fruit coulis over top of the guacamole with the mango chunks, tortilla chips and cilantro.

A bowl of guacamole with mango and passion fruit coulis.

That’s all you need in order to make this easy recipe for homemade guacamole dip. Fresh, simple, and delicious, you’ll have a hard time going back to anything else after you’ve taken your first bite.

One of the great things about guacamole is how easy it is to dress up however you like it (we gave you three ways already!), so there’s nothing to fear when exploring your options. Adjusting the levels of spice, trying different types of citrus fruit juices, and plenty more ways can really make this recipe your own.

Additionally, if you’re wondering how to make it last in the fridge and not turn brown, it’s just a matter of stopping oxidation. The lemon juice called for in the recipe already helps with that.

You can also press down some plastic wrap onto the surface of the guac before refrigerating and it should keep for around a day before any brown starts to show. If you’re not planning to make it for a bit but want to have your ingredients in advance, you could also buy unripe avocados.

What’s your favorite way to eat guacamole? Now that you’ve learned how to make your own, you’ll probably be asking that yourself given how many ways you can eat it.

A bowl of guacamole with a chili pepper, cilantro, Mexican seasoning and cheddar cheese.

How to Make Guacamole: 4 Ways

Joss Dyckson
Who doesn't love guacamole? This rich, creamy, slightly spicy dip is a staple of Mexican style cooking. Whether you're scooping it up by the chipful or dolloping portions into a tortilla, your dinner just wouldn't be the same without it.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6
Calories 171 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Guacamole Base Ingredients:

  • 2 large ripe avocados - (or 4 small avocados)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes - chopped
  • ½ red onion - chopped
  • 1 fresh red chili - chopped
  • 1 clove garlic - chopped
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lemon - juiced
  • A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
  • Salt - to taste

Variation 1 – Tex Mex Ingredients:

  • Guacamole base
  • 1 tsp. Mexican seasoning
  • Valentina sauce (hot sauce) - optional
  • Cheddar cheese - shredded (to garnish)
  • 1 red chili - cut in thin slices
  • Cilantro leaves - chopped (to garnish)

Variation 2 – Quail Eggs and Prawns Ingredients:

  • Guacamole Base
  • 12 quail eggs - cooked, peeled and quartered
  • 6 prawns (one per person) - peeled and cooked
  • Cilantro - to garnish

Variation 3 – Mango and Passion Fruit Coulis Ingredients:

  • Guacamole base
  • 1 cup passion fruit pulp
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 cup mango - cut into small cubes
  • Tortilla chips - to serve
  • Cilantro - to garnish

Instructions
 

Base Guacamole:

  • Cut the avocados into halves, and remove the center with the help of a knife.
    An opened avocado, tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background.
  • Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the avocados into a small bowl.
    An opened avocado, tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Hands scooping the avocado flesh out.
  • Use a fork to mash up the avocado until it reaches your desired texture (it’s best to keep some chunks for texture).
    Prepped tomatoes, red onion, serrano peppers, cilantro and a colorful napkin on white wood background. Avocado smashed in a bowl.
  • Add the tomatoes, red onion, chili pepper and garlic. Mix well.
    A bowl of guacamole, cilantro and colorful napkin on the side, white wood background.
  • Add salt, olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro. Mix.
    A bowl of guacamole, white wood background.
  • This is the base guacamole. You can eat it as is or jazz it up with the following variations:
    A bowl of guacamole with cilantro and a pepper.

Variation 1 – Tex Mex Directions:

  • Mix the guacamole with the Mexican seasoning and Valentina sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, sliced red chili and cilantro leaves.
    A bowl of guacamole with a chili pepper, cilantro, Mexican seasoning and cheddar cheese.

Variation 2 – Quail Eggs and Prawns Directions:

  • Top the base guacamole with quartered quail eggs, prawns and cilantro.
    A bowl of guacamole with sliced quail eggs and prawns.

Variation 3 – Mango and Passion Fruit Coulis Directions:

  • Pour passion fruit pulp and sugar into a pot. Heat at medium heat for 10 minutes. Pass it through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Let it cool.
  • Serve the passion fruit coulis over top of the guacamole with the mango chunks, tortilla chips and cilantro.
    A bowl of guacamole with mango and passion fruit coulis.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 484mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 510IUVitamin C: 33.5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

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Recipe Rating




  2. How delicious and creative, I love all three of these variations! The prawns and quail eggs is so elegant and the Tex mex is addictive! Thanks Joss 🙂

    Reply

  4. Wow, Joss! I really love how creative you show that guacamole can be modified like this…the photos are lovely (not easy to do with the subject matter) and I love the step by step directions. Your blog has a really refreshing design.

    Reply
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