Pure and Simple Guacamole (3 Ingredients)
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Make the best guacamole, stripped down to the essentials — all you need are three ingredients (and the chips). Sure to become your favorite easy guac recipe!
Searching for that perfect super-easy guacamole recipe? This is the one! The truth is that delicious, authentic guacamole is one of the easiest appetizer and snack recipes you can possibly make.
What you need to make guacamole
You only need three ingredients to make great tasting, basic guacamole. That’s why I like to call it “naked.”
- Avocados
- Lime juice
- Salt
That’s it. In fact, the hardest part about making a batch of guac might be getting your hands on ripe avocados.
Because you can’t mash avocados when they’re unripe and hard as a rock. Plus they won’t taste very good!
How do you know when an avocado is ripe?
There are two foolproof ways to tell when an avocado is ripe and ready:
- Color: The outside of the avocado should be very dark green, almost but-not-quite black.
- Feel: Give the avocado a gentle press up near the stem end. A ready-to-eat avocado will give slightly, like pressing on the palm of your hand.
Can you make avocados ripen faster?
Unfortunately (and sometimes, tragically) the answer is no. However, some markets will have ripe, ready and almost over-the-hill avocados in the back — ask your friendly produce manager.
Optional guacamole add-ins:
While purists may agree that guacamole needn’t contain anything more than avocado, lime and salt, many others like to jazz it up.
I’m okay with that, within reason. Here are some simple ingredients to add to guacamole:
- Finely chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Sliced or finely chopped hot green chili, like a jalapeño or serrano.
- Tomato. I believe adding tomato to guac crosses the line, turning a perfect, classic dip into salad. But it’s your call 🙂
How long to store guacamole
People like to say that saving the avocado pit and sticking it in the bowl slows the guac from turning brown. But according to science, it doesn’t really work.
- It’s better to serve guacamole within one day of making it. To keep it fresh, squeeze a few more drops of lime juice over the top and cover tightly with plastic.
Serve your perfect, easy guacamole with chips or try:
Pure and Simple Guacamole (3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 3 (510 g) ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- Freshly grated zest from 1 lime
- 2-3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh-squeezed lime juice
- Fine sea salt
Instructions
- Scoop the flesh from the avocados with a spoon into a bowl.
- Add the lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Press down gently on the avocado mixture with a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon until it’s creamy with some visible chunks.
- Taste for seasoning. Add more lime juice and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips, spread on toast and sandwiches, or spooned into tacos.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Use ripe Hass avocados in this recipe. It’s usually the variety you’ll find in most markets and grocery stores.
- Don’t be shy about adding salt. It works magic with the fatty avocado and the bright acidity in the lime juice.
- Serve within one day for best quality.
- To keep it fresh, squeeze a few more drops of lime juice over the top and cover tightly with plastic.
Add in options:
- Finely chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Sliced or finely chopped hot green chili, like a jalapeño or serrano
- Chopped tomato
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Making guacamole always seemed a hit or miss for me. Add onion? Add cilantro? Add tomato? None of these flavors seemed to elevate the avocado. But this is perfect. Lovely avocados, salt, and lime. ?perfection.
Exactly! Thanks Christine 🙂
This simplest guacamole is truly the best – please pass the chips! 🙂