Store bought guac is basically disappointing or even beyond disgusting 99.99%. It often has really weird preservatives that make it taste gummy and gross (in my personal opinion…). Unless you absolutely have no time or can’t find ripe avocado… please do yourself a mega favor and take the maybe 5 minutes or less to make this from scratch. It’s just SOOOOO much better.

This recipe is my basic version. You’ll see notes for cayenne versus fresh pepper, different herb ideas (you can also use dried herbs if you don’t have fresh), adding tomato or not, etc. It’s pretty simple and intuitive. Just use what you have on hand and what your taste buds desire. When I make this with my family (and niece) I leave out the onion and hot peppers to portion some out for her, and then I’ll add those for the rest of us.

Tip: keep at least one of the pits to store with the guac if you are not eating it right away. This will help it stay more on the green side (brown less). Just take out when serving.

Holy Guacamole

Yields 2-4 servings (I ate a bunch of it before I measured the actual quantity… I’ll update that on my next batch, hehe)

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled

a squeeze (~1 tbsp) lemon or lime juice

1/4 tsp salt (I use fine ground pink Himalayan)

1/4 tsp fine ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced, optional*

1/4 sweet yellow or red onion, diced (leave out if you don’t have, don’t like, or are allergic)

pinch (~1/8 tsp) cayenne, optional - fresh fine diced jalapeño or other hot peppers are also great instead if you have

nice handful of fresh herbs, chopped (cilantro, basil, parsley are all awesome)

Note: feel free to add some diced tomato - I’d say I don’t add tomato about 90% of the time, but it’s definitely delicious :)

*Let’s be real, it’s way better with garlic, but if you don’t have it on hand or have someone with an allergy, it is perfectly fine without.

DIRECTIONS

Use a fork to “mash” the avocado in a small bowl, being careful not to over mash (you don’t want it to get too smooth, or I don’t - I like a little texture / chunks, not a perfect purée)

Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir to incorporate

Serve with or on almost anything! Simply dip chips, enjoy with fries, nachos, tacos, etc. You know what to do ;)

Store in a sealed container in the fridge with the pits (leaving at least one pit in the guac will help it stay fresh longer) for a few days, if it lasts that long. It’ll likely be gobbled up faster than that.