This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Holy Guacamole! You just found the BEST Guacamole recipe (and the ONLY recipe you’ll ever need). The freshness can’t be beat!
You’re Gonna Want to Bookmark This One
Everyone claims they have the best guacamole recipe, but trust me—mine really is the best. Any time I make this for a potluck or party, I always have people coming and asking me for the recipe. When I make this for my own family, I can hardly get it to the table before it gets polished off. My kids are always scrambling up behind me, dipping chips in before I can even lift it off the kitchen counter. Believe me, one taste, and you’ll understand why it’s the only guacamole recipe you’ll ever need!
The Secret to the Best Guacamole: Fresh Ingredients and a Zesty Twist
Want to know the secret to making the BEST guacamole? FRESH ingredients and a couple shakes of Green Tabasco. Whenever we make guacamole, we always try to use as many ingredients from the garden as possible. You just can’t beat that fresh garden taste. Also, you don’t need a bunch of extra spices. I love spicing EVERYTHING up, but for this recipe, simplicity reigns supreme. Kosher salt, pepper and a little green Tabasco is all you need. The green Tabasco adds just a hint of flavor that complements all the other ingredients perfectly.
I got the idea for using the green Tabasco sauce at a restaurant here in Boise called “Barbacoa.” They make the best tableside guac that I have ever had at a restaurant. I noticed the one thing they do differently from other restaurants is that they add just a tiny bit of that green Tabasco. I tried it at home and this tiny little ingredient makes all the difference! It gives the guac a “zing” that puts it over the top. Mind you, this post is NOT sponsored at all. This is NOT a plug for Tabasco. This is simply what we use to turn great guac into the BEST guac.
How to Pick Out Ripe Avocados
- There’s nothing worse than slicing into an avocado to make homemade guacamole and realizing that it isn’t ripe. Either it is underripe and very hard, or overripe, brown, and slimy. Avoid this situation by picking out ripe avocados.
- Ripe avocados will have dark green skin, and if you pull off the little stem, the skin under the stem should be green as well.
- You can also determine ripeness by giving the avocado a gentle squeeze. You don’t want to squeeze too hard. Just enough to see if the fruit has some give to it. If the avocado is ripe, it won’t be too hard or too squishy.
- You should be able to cut it in half and easily remove the pit with a spoon.
- If you won’t be making the guacamole for a few days after shopping, make sure to keep the avocados in the fridge in order to slow down the aging process and keep them from turning brown.
- One little trick to try if you want to speed up the ripening of your avocados is to store them in a paper bag with the top rolled tightly closed. The avocado will release natural gasses into the bag that will speed up the process.
Can You Freeze Avocados?
Yes! This is a perfect way to store avocados or leftover guacamole. Check out our post for four simple ways to freeze avocado. You’ll always have some on hand for any occasion that comes up! Make sure to use freezer safe containers and plastic wrap to avoid oxidation. Thaw some out if you need slices for a salad or a sandwich, or if you just have a craving for some chips and guac.
Delicious Ways To Serve Guacamole
Serving this guacamole with chips is just the beginning! Here are some of our favorite recipes that we have used this guacamole with:
- Guacamole Chicken Torta Sandwiches: South of the border freshness in sandwich form with this guacamole as a spread. Heavenly.
- Cafe Rio Recipes: We ALWAYS serve this guacamole when we make our Cafe Rio recipes. You just can’t beat it!
- ALL of our MEXICAN recipes: Here’s a quick link to ALL of our delicious Mexican recipes. This guacamole goes well with every single one of them! Especially our Chicken Flautas.
- Recipes for Cinco de Mayo: Check out this list of all the recipes you need to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
- You can also just pile some tortilla chips on a plate, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole dip, and some salsa, and go to town on a delicious plate of simple nachos.
More Great Mexican Dishes
Our family is OBSESSED with Mexican food. We would eat it every night if we could! Try some of our other Mexican-inspired recipes including our Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, Black Bean Tacos, Easy Ground Beef Taco Salad, and more! And of course, this guacamole pairs perfectly with all of the above recipes!
How to Make the BEST Guacamole EVER
The BEST Guacamole EVER
Video
Ingredients
- 3 avocados
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 large tomato or 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pit avocados and place in a bowl. If you like your guac chunky, coarsely chop the avocados. If you like your guac smooth, mash it instead.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.
- Stir until all the ingredients are distributed evenly.
Wow.. sooooo goood.. love it. we all do.. thank you for sharing.
This is a great recipe! The only suggestion I would make is to quantify the avocado by cups rather than number. Hawaii backyard avocados yield 2 cups of mashed avocado each😁. Also, suggest cilantro should be similarly quantified since I pick it from my garden.
Good recipe with the exception of the tomato. I leave that out. The key is the cilantro which I am fortunate to have growing in my front yard where a tree used to be. I didn’t plant it there, it made its way from my herb spot and now comes up every year by reseeding itself and makes it through winter. It is quite amazing!!
Having been raised in Texas, I feel I know a thing or two about guacamole and this is as close to the way we do it in Texas as possible. This is the best ever and absolutely delicious. I’ve never come across another recipe online that even came close to my family tradition but this is it! Well done!
This is possibly the best guacamole I’ve ever had. I cut the recipe into one third, as I was just craving guacamole for lunch for myself. I used a hot sauce I love called a Mango Blaze for the hot sauce. I loved how all ingredients were bought at my local fruit and veggie stand, except the salt and pepper. Awesome recipe. I think the jalapeño and hot sauce took it up a notch. It was so good, I ate it on its own, no chips, no carrots, nothing on the side.
This guacamole is really good! Guacamole is probably my favorite food and this recipe is perfect.
This was so delicious and made this not so confident cook look amazing. Everyone loved it so much! Excellent recipe.
Love that little kick!! I could eat this all day long…it’s so addicting!!
This is nearly identical to the guacamole I’ve been making for many years. Even the green Tabasco! I don’t even remember when I started making it this way… but it’s always a huge hit. I rarely use the jalapeño chiles though, as I don’t like my guac too spicy, and found it was unpredictable used the chiles, so I either use more Tabasco or add some green enchilada sauce. A little chili powder adds some variety too. It’s pretty hard to screw up guac if you just use the flavors you love!😋
Mine tastes like it’s missing something… am I not using enough salt maybe? Do you typically put quite a bit in there? Also, I could have used too small of garlic cloves?
We are very generous in our salt when it comes to guacamole! I would definitely start there.
This is awesome guacamole!
This is AMERICAN guacamole, not REAL Guacamole. Real guacamole is just avocados, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and DONE. No tomatoes, no cilantro, no Tabasco sauce… that’s all white-washing the Mexican simple DELICIOUS topping. I can say this because I am white. No Pico de Gallo goes into authentic guacamole -it is it’s own topping (tomatoes, cilantro, onion) and added to the meal IF the person wants it not within the guacamole. You dilute, disgrace guacamole to serve it as anything other than pure avocados with simple seasoning mentioned above.
I made this recipe to take a friends house for a get together, it was a hit. I will absolutely make it again. Full of awesomeness.
I recommend doubling this recipe. 👍
OMG, ABSOLUTELY the BEST GUACAMOLE EVER!! This is the 1st review I’ve ever left, I had to because it is soooo good. I won’t need to add olive oil because it doesn’t stay in my refrigerator long enough lol. Definitely a family favorite, thank you for sharing.
Yay!! So glad you loved it!! Thank you for taking the time to write a review!
If you use a little olive oil it can help with the avocado oxidation. I guess the oil coats the surface so it doesn’t turn dark so quickly. I’ve made it with and without. You don’t use a lot. I’ve never tried the thyme, so can’t say but why not. I sometimes use a good quality garlic salt instead of the chopped garlic for those who aren’t garlic fans it just adds a subtle garlic flavor.
,
These are great tips – thank you so much! I’ve never used olive oil in my guacamole, but it makes sense. I’ll definitely try it next time.
so amazing and easy – our family fav!
I will say that I was completely skeptical about the thyme – it just sounds like a wrong ingredient for guacamole. But WOW! Seriously – this is the BEST guacamole EVER! I will never make another recipe!
Thank you so much!
Try diced banana peppers and a little juice from the jar, it adds something special.
I have always used lemon juice. What is the difference in lemon and lime juice?
You can definitely use lemon if your would rather. We simply prefer the taste of lime, plus this is the way our favorite restaurant does it as well. Hope this helps!
This was delicious! Huge hit here. Thank you!
If you like it chunky, use a wire whisk to “mash” your guac! Works great and not as hard on the hands (I have arthritis).
Your recipe sounds terrific! Since it’s Memorial week-end, I’ll probably try it!
Love this tip! Thanks for sharing!
very good!
Thanks
I went there to and you are right the best ever! I think they put a pinch of thyme in also. But so glad you posted this because I had forgotten the green Tabasco ????
Isn’t it the best? I didn’t notice they put a pinch of thyme in it. Now you gave me an excuse to go back 😉
I love this guacamole! Here’s a tip. If you are making it for a crowd and like it chunky try using a wire cooling rack and just mash the halves of avocado through it. It makes the perfect size chunks. I also use a little less red onion as raw onion gives me heartburn. Lol
I make similar too thise Crept I put splash of Sriracha in and if time allows, I grill the tomatoes and onions first and chop and Jalepeno too! I agree, salt, salt, and salt!
The title is not an exaggeration: this is the BEST guacamole ever. I think I could eat it on anything. Next time I make it, I will use even more avocados (4 or 5).
Thank you so much! I totally agree 😉 I can’t get enough of this guac!
thanks for sharing this 🙂
This is EXACTLY how I’ve always made it, except I use roma tomatoes and seed them first…I don’t like the extra “wet” in my guacamole…
We’ve had a visitor from Sonora, Mexico stay with us several times and he makes guacamole almost the same way and it is the best guacamole I’ve ever had! The only differences are he uses white onion instead of red, doesn’t use Tabasco, and tops it with crumbled queso fresco. I’m definitely going to try it with the green Tabasco next time I make it (which thanks to your great pictures will be sooner rather than later). 🙂
your missing the thyme and olive oil…
How much olive oil and thyme do you use tazz?
Love the recipe, I don’t know about thyme and olive oil, I’ve never heard of adding thyme to guacamole and why in the world would you want your guacamole to be oily? Sometimes people try to be all fancy when in reality less is more. Thanks!
Thyme and olive oil…..NO… just NO.
I am a guacamole purest, can’t do the tomatoes.
What I have learned over 40 years of making guacamole is it needs salt a goodly amount of salt. My tip and it work nicely is to mix in a bit of salt but, then sprinkle most of the salt on the very top of the guacamole, when you dip your chip & bite in the salt will be on your tung, so you will use far less in the over all dish.
Why use thyme and olive oil?
Because thats ALSO what they put in it at barbacoa and it is AMAZING!
Ive also watched them make it plenty of times and even had my phone out during so while typing in on a list so I wouldn’t forget the ingredients they were adding to the mix. And definitely thyme and olive oil are added. Its seriously amazing. Its really the only reason we go to eat there.
This guac was fantastic. I love the tomatoes in it. It reminded me of my mission where tomatoes and avacodos were dinner every night! Thanks!
So GOOD. Thank you!
I love this guacamole and have made it several times this summer and always get many compliments. However, I always put in at least 4 avocados.
i agree!! this is the best. ever.
Did not care fot it. Sticking my recipe.. Simplest 1 ever. Mash 3 avocados add tablespoon diced red onion & tablespoondiced tomatoes, toss in a tbls sour cream and dash of salt. stir. Wonderful stuff.
Sounds white
And a piece of crumbled bacon mixed in tops it off. I do use a few scoops of Pace picante sauce instead of chopping tomatoes. 😊🌵