With Cinco De Mayo coming up, I thought it would be fun to share my family’s favorite homemade guacamole recipe! In Texas we have our pick of great Mexican Food restaurants, and my family eats a lot of guacamole.
Like, a LOT.
Of all the guacamole we eat, we like this recipe the best! It’s a little creamier than traditional guacamole, yet it’s still packed with classic, healthy, Tex Mex flavor from the red onions, garlic, lime, and cilantro. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
If you’ve never made your own guac, I assure you it’s super simple – this recipe requires only seven ingredients and about 10 minutes. It can be served right away, or can be stored and served the next day…I’ve got a great tip for keeping it nice and green, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
At our house, guacamole is an absolute must when serving nachos or tacos (try my Shrimp Tacos with Mango, Cilantro, and Lime!), or fajitas (check out my new recipe for Beef Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Marinade!). But it also makes an irresistible dip for homemade whole wheat tortillas or tortilla chips, and is even a simple way to add a Latin flare to sandwiches, salads, and burgers!
The Best Way to Store Homemade Guacamole to Keep It Green
The only down side to guacamole is how fast it begins to brown. The browning doesn’t mean the guac has gone bad – quite the opposite, actually. A chemical reaction takes place between a natural component of the guacamole and oxygen in the air in order to protect it from spoilage.
But brown guacamole is a turnoff, no matter how much beneficial food chemistry is going on in the bowl!
I’ve tried every method under the sun to keep my guacamole green overnight – placing the pit in the middle, covering tightly with plastic wrap, brushing extra lime juice over the surface. These offer some improvement over just tossing a lid on it, but none of them really work. You know what does, though?
Covering your guacamole with water! Who knew?
I first saw this tip in a video in my Facebook feed several months ago, so I can’t take credit for it. But I have used it a number of times now, and it is by far the best way to prevent homemade guacamole from browning overnight.
Just run 1/4 inch or so of water over the top of your guacamole in the bowl, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a day. I’ve actually kept it for up to three days before. It’s perfectly safe to eat, but I wouldn’t serve it to guests or take it to a party since it begins to lose it’s vibrant green color after the 24 hour mark. To serve, just pour off the water and give the guacamole a good stir.
Creamy Homemade Guacamole for Cinco De Mayo (+ the best way to keep it green!)
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 very large or 4 small Hass Avocados
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- Juice of 1 small lime
- heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion, plus more for garnish if desired
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Remove skin and pits from avocados and place in mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash them to desired consistency (we like ours pretty chunky).
- Stir in sour cream.
- Add remaining ingredients, folding to mix.
- Serve immediately with additional red onion and cilantro for garnish.
- To store, cover guacamole with 1/4″ water, cover and place in refrigerator for a day or more. To serve, simply pour the water off and give it a good stir!
- Enjoy your homemade guacamole
Additional Recipe Notes
To make this recipe dairy free, simply leave out the sour cream. You’ll still have an excellent, traditional Tex Mex guacamole!
For those who like it spicy, fresh serrano or jalapeno peppers could be chopped and added. (Serranos are hotter than jalapenos, and leaving the seeds in either will make it even hotter).
Cost Breakdown
- Avocados: 3.00
- Sour Cream: 0.28
- Garlic: 0.10
- Red onion: 0.15
- Cilantro: 0.01
- Lime: 0.20
- Salt: 0.01
Total: $3.75
Store bought guacamole ranges in price. The most expensive I’ve seen is $5 for a 6oz container that my local grocer makes in store daily. The best price I’ve seen is on Wholly Guacamole brand at Costco, where you’ll pay around $10 for 3 easy peel containers of 16 oz each.
My version is comparable to Costco’s price, but I’d prefer fresh, homemade guacamole to store bought any day!
OR…do as I do. Use the first four ingredients (although I have never added lime, no sense since we eat it up so quickly), then add chopped onion and salsa. Easy and delicious.
Yum – thanks for sharing your easy adaptation, Cate! 🙂
I have NEVER heard of this water storage method for guacamole. I am so excited to give it a try. Thank you Dena!
Glad to help, Sarah – happy (and green!) guac-ing! 😉
Dena, I had no idea you were writing this post at first. I thought it was Tiffany! When you wrote about living in Texas, I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, I thought you lived in California.” You threw me off track lol.
Will have to try putting water on my guac. Does it work for half an avocado as well? I almost always use only a half and save the other half for another time.
Avocados are much more expensive here in Philadelphia. Right now they are averaging about $1.49 each. Sometimes you can get them 4/$5, but even then it’s not worth it for me to buy them, as they go bad before use.
PS Where in Texas do you live? I’m trying to relocate to Austin. Love it there!
That’s funny, Rachel. I’ll take it as a compliment that I “sounded” like Tiffany – I always enjoy reading her friendly and helpful posts. 🙂
I hear you on the avocado prices. *Maybe* we’ll all get a little break since we’re coming up on the peak of the production season!
And I’m in Houston – not nearly as scenic as Austin, but just a short drive away!
Thanks Dena. I will try the onion slices. I’ve never tried that before either, I’ve always used a squirt of lemon or lime juice.
Lol! That was a great post Dena! I had no idea about covering your guac with water!!
★★★★★
Thanks, Mary Katherine! I was really skeptical at first, but it truly is the best thing I’ve tried! 🙂