4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
This 4 ingredient guacamole recipe (with variations) is creamy, tangy, savory, and simple. It has quite a following, and for good reason. Here's how to make it.
Calories: 123kcal
Ingredients
- 2 limes
- ½ small red onion diced small (to make about ½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 4 ripe Hass avocados
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems
Optional
- 1 jalapeño pepper white ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 2 plum tomatoes core and seedy pulp removed, diced
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves minced (if using, add in step 2)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin if using, add in step 3
Instructions
- Juice the limes into a medium mixing bowl. It might seem like there's a lot of juice, but you won’t be sorry.
- Add onion to the bowl along with ½ teaspoon of the salt and stir to coat. Let sit while you prepare the avocados.
- Halve and pit each avocado. Dice flesh and scoop from skins into mixing bowl, tossing with lime juice as you go to prevent browning.
- Using a fork, mash avocado to desired consistency. I like to leave a some pieces diced and mash some more thoroughly for a little textural interest.
- Add cilantro and any additional ingredients.
- Taste for salt and add more as desired. I usually use the full teaspoon, but tastes vary.
Video
Notes
- Hass avocados form the base of the best guac. They're creamy and buttery and fabulous. If, like me, you don't live in an area where avocados grow, you'll still probably be able to find them at various stages of ripeness in your local stores. If you do live somewhere with plenty of access to different avocado varieties, feel free to use your favorite creamy cultivar.
- if you live far away from where limes are grown, they can be a little one-note sometimes. Using half lime juice and half lemon juice can restore some of the nuance in this and other recipes.
- If you adjust the level of lime or salt, you’ll probably want to adjust the other one, too. They really work in tandem.
- You can substitute white onion or even shallot if that's what you've got.
- In my book, chopped fresh cilantro is essential to guacamole. You can use the leaves and also some of the small, tender stems. That said, if you simply don't do cilantro, I know I won't be changing your mind here. You can leave it out or substitute thinly sliced scallions, flat-leaf parsley, snipped chives, or a combination.
- In general, it's best to make guac right before you eat it. However, this recipe has enough lime juice in it to prevent the avocado from browning, even if you store it in the fridge overnight (in a nonreactive, airtight container such a a glass bowl with a lid). For extra insurance, you can lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface before closing the container.
- Leftovers will stay good in a nice cold fridge for two to three days.
Nutrition
Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.7g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 10.5g | Fiber: 5.3g