Quick and Easy Guacamole

I’ve recently taught a few small cooking classes/demos and come to the realization that a lot of my local readers and friends are on the lookout for simple, tasty, easy, no-fuss recipes to add to their repertoire. Recipes that I think are simple and not exactly blog post worthy, are really what most people want to make, and have time to make. I’ve always assumed that everyone had a go-to guacamole recipe, knew how to make brown rice, or de-stem kale, but I’ve come to realize that not everyone knows these things, and most of the time will not admit it.

Hey, I’ll be the first to admit that during the beginning of natural chef school I googled certain unfamiliar techniques or knife cuts before class, because I didn’t want to show up in class not knowing these things. I soon realized as the semester went on  that it’s “OK” to not know everything, and that most of my classmates were unsure or unfamiliar with the same techniques as I was, so I learned to put my ego aside and ask the questions, and let me tell you, I asked lots of questions 🙂

With all that being said, I’m going to give you my favorite recipe for guacamole. This recipe is neither fancy nor complicated, and it’s better than anything store-bought. It’s so easy in fact that your kids can make it, and will have fun making it, as they get to smash all of the ingredients together with a fork!  This quick and easy guacamole requires only 5 simple ingredients, avocados, lime juice, cilantro, red onion and sea salt!  That’s totally it, folks!

This recipe is also “kid approved” and “kid tested.”  I’ve tested it out on a number of kiddos besides my own, and they all LOVE it! It also makes for a great after school snack for the kiddos, as it’s not only filling, but a great way to get some healthy fats into your kids, and as I said before, healthy fats are great for our bodies and our brains! Our brains love fat!

Guacamole isn’t just a dip for chips.

• We love topping it on our scrambled eggs, AMAZING! It’s also great slathered on some toast, think avocado toast!
• I always make a batch for taco night to add it to our burritos or tacos.
• You can add guacamole to any sandwich. I love it paired with an egg salad, turkey, ham or salami sandwich! YUM!

So there you have it, a simple, no-fuss and tasty recipe that can be made in under 10 minutes!  Yippee! So, let’s get our aprons on, get back in the kitchen and make us up some guac!

Quick and easy guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup red onion (approx 1/2 of a red onion), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste

The trick to making perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. You can check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If the avocado is hard and there’s no give, then the avocado is not ripe yet, and will not taste good. If  there’s a little give, then the avocado is ripe and ready to use. If there’s a lot of give, then the avocado may be past its prime and will not be good.

Avocado’s don’t have to be black on the outside to be good either, these below avocados we’re perfect and they were still a bit green on the outside.  Like I said above, the best indicator of a ripe avocado is if there’s a bit of a give when pressed.

Cut avocados in half lengthwise (around the pit) and give them a twist to pull them apart.

Remove pit by firmly striking it with a chefs knife so it lodges into the pit, then gently give the pit a twist to dislodge it and lift it out. The pit will be slimy, so the best way to remove it from the knife is to grasp it with a paper towel and gently pull if off the knife.

Using a pairing knife, score the avocado crosswise and lengthwise, creating 1/2-inch cubes. Then using spoon, scoop out the diced flesh from the skin and place it into a bowl.

Add the lime juice, cilantro, red onion and sea salt.

Using a fork, gently mash and toss all of the ingredients together until the guacamole is well blended, but still chunky.

Give the guacamole a taste and add in more salt, lime juice, cilantro or red onion if desired. I always add a touch more sea salt, as we like our salt.

You can also spice it up by adding in a bit of diced jalapeño pepper, or hot pepper or chili sauce.

In the summer, feel free to add a de-seeded and diced heirloom tomato.

This is truly a great guacamole base, so feel free to spice it up or add in other ingredients to make it your own.

Top the guacamole with some fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately with some crunchy tortilla chips.

Got leftovers? Store leftover guacamole in a sealed container in the fridge. It should last for 2 days. If you find that it separates or browns a bit, then just give it a quick stir before serving. It may not look as pretty as day one, but it still tastes great!

Guacamole isn’t just a dip for chips.

• We love topping it on our scrambled eggs, AMAZING! It’s also great slathered on some toast, think avocado toast!
• I always make a batch for taco night to add it to our burritos or tacos.
• You can add guacamole to any sandwich. I love it paired with an egg salad, turkey, ham or salami sandwich!  YUM!

Do you have a favorite guacamole recipe?  If so, please share it in the comment section below!  I would love to try it!

Like avocados?  Here’s 2 other recipes that we love!

Avocado-tahini dip.

Avocado yogurt crema.