This 4-ingredient guacamole recipe is so easy to make and is super flavorful. Made with minimal ingredients, and ready in under 15 minutes! This recipe is great on it’s own, or you can add your favorite ingredients to it. It’s a healthy snack, easy appetizer, or perfect topping for other dishes.
Guacamole is not only a great appetizer for sharing amongst a crowd, it’s also a great topping for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and honestly anything you can plop it on! My secret ingredient for making this the easiest and best guacamole recipe ever? Swapping regular salt for garlic salt, and tons of lime juice!
If there’s one thing I would always pay extra for, it’s guacamole! I’ve been very passionate about guacamole ever since I was young. My family and I used to go to a Mexican restaurant where they would custom make the guacamole in a molcajete in front of us. It was always so fun to see and make it our own.
Now one thing about guacamole is that everyone has their own recipe - from tomatoes to onions, cilantro or spice, there’s so many little things that can change the flavor of the guac. However, this 4 ingredient guacamole recipe is intended to be your go-to recipe that you can always add on depending on the company you have!
Jump to:
Highlights of this recipe
This recipe is:
- Limited ingredients (only 4!)
- Easy
- Ready in under 15 minutes
- Vegan
- Gluten free
Ingredients
I love that this simple guacamole recipe only requires 4 main ingredients!
- 4 large ripe Hass avocados - The key ingredient to this guacamole is perfectly ripe avocados. Read on below for tips on picking the perfect ones.
- Fresh lime juice - Freshly squeezed is best. Pick up a few extra limes in case they are not very juicy.
- Garlic salt - If you don’t have garlic salt you can use regular or flakey salt, but garlic salt does change the flavor (for the better!). This is my secret ingredient for making this guacamole the best! Raw garlic really changes the flavor of the guacamole, but I don't like all the chopping! I like getting the garlic flavor by using garlic salt instead. You can always add fresh garlic if you like it!
- Fresh cilantro - For me, there is no guacamole without cilantro! If you are like my sister, then cilantro = soapy bitter taste. If you are, simply omit the cilantro.
- Extras - You can also add in any of your favorite guac ingredients, like diced tomatoes, red or white onions, pico de gallo, fresh salsa, or jalapeños.
- Something to dip - This is the perfect dip for your favorite tortilla chip! You can also try raw veggies like sweet peppers, sliced radishes, carrot sticks, and celery.
How to pick, store, and ripen avocados
What is better than opening up a perfect avocado? Sometimes picking avocados can be tricky, but I have a few tips for you to get the best avocados at the store.
How to pick the right avocado from the store
When picking avocados, apply gentle pressure to the outside. If it gives in a little, it is ripe. If it squishes in too much, it may be overripe, and the inside could be browning. Avoid the avocados that are too mushy when pressure is applied.
Depending on when you are going to use the avocado, you want it to be hard (ready in 3-4 days) or barely able to push in (ready in 1-2 days).
How to store avocados
Whole avocados should be stored on the counter at room temperature until you are ready to use them.
You can help you avocados ripen quicker or more slowly, depending on when you would like to use them.
If the avocados are not ripe enough and you need them right away - Wrap them in aluminum foil and put in oven at 200ºF for 10-20 minutes, or until soft. This is one of the best ways to ripen them quickly.
If the avocados are not ripe enough but you don’t need them for a few days - Store the avocados in a bowl with bananas. The ethylene gas will help soften the avocados quickly.
If the avocados are already ripe but you don’t need them yet - Store ripe avocados in the fridge to slow down the browning process. This can prolong their shelf life longer than leaving on the counter.
How to make 4 ingredient guacamole
This easy four-ingredient guacamole recipe is so simple to make and is ready in under 10 minutes!
To make homemade guacamole, first, prep the avocados.
To do this, make a cut around the avocado lengthwise down to the seed. Twist the two halves apart. They should come apart easily.
Carefully remove the avocado pit by firmly embedding a knife into the pit, then gently twisting the seed out.
Next use a blunt knife, and score the inside of the avocado. Use an oven mitt or thick towel under the avocado to protect yourself from getting cut.
Cut lines vertically and horizontally in order to create smaller cubes of avocados, making it easier to mash. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado with a spoon, making sure to avoid the remaining stem piece at the top of the avocado.
Place the diced avocado flesh in a medium bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients.
Gently mash the ingredients with a fork (or potato masher) and mash to preferred chunkiness. I prefer to leave it on the chunkier side, but you can go as far as to puree it if you like that texture better.
Serve immediately and garnish with fresh limes or cilantro. I like to serve in a molcajete.
For best results, let the guacamole sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
If serving later, place guacamole in an airtight container and squeeze juice of ½ lime on top of the guacamole. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole. Make sure to press down on the plastic wrap so it touches all edges of the guacamole. This helps prevent browning.
Refrigerate guacamole for up to 3 days. If using plastic wrap and lime juice, guacamole may last up to 4 days without browning, but taste may become more bitter.
What to add to Guacamole
This 4 ingredient guacamole is the perfect base recipe for your favorite add-ins. Here are a few suggestions for additional ingredients.
- For a spicy kick: Add in finely diced habanero or serrano (spicier) or jalapeño. Be careful, some peppers can be spicier than others!
- Herby: Add more herbs like chopped parsley or chives.
- More savory: Add fresh minced garlic.
- Veggie-forward: Add fresh diced tomatoes, diced onion, peppers, or even corn.
- Fruity: many people now add pomegranate seeds to the top of their guacamole. This adds freshness and a texture pop.
- Elotes Guacamole: try adding roasted corn kernels and cotija cheese!
Serving suggestions
Guacamole is honestly something I could add to everything and everything! There’s so many ways you can use it!
Try guacamole as a delicious dip appetizer served with tortilla chips and fresh veggies (like carrots, peppers, radishes, or cucumbers) of snacking size. Or make a large buffet of Mexican-inspired appetizers like Mexican Elotes, Mexican Rice and Tajín Watermelon Mint Salad.
Other options for guacamole include using it in or on main dishes, like in Carnitas Burritos or piled on Fried Fish Tacos. You can even make a Taco Bar with all of the fixings! Try it on nachos or fajitas too!
These would all be great served with a 3 Ingredient Skinny Margarita or Spicy Mezcal Margaritas with Carrot Juice.
Storage and reheating
There’s nothing worse than making the best guacamole and then having it go brown IMMEDIATELY. I’ve done more than enough testing in my lifetime (we’re talking endless guacamole!), to find out the best hacks for how to prevent guacamole from going brown. The biggest tip is adding enough lime juice. In fact, my Mexican Avocado Salad has so much lime juice, like this guacamole, that it doesn’t go brown for DAYS!
Here are some tips for preventing your guacamole from going brown.
- Cover top with extra lime juice. The more lime juice = less browning.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to the layer of the guacamole
- Store in the fridge
Note - if adding tomatoes to the guacamole, putting tomatoes in the fridge removes the flavor, so it’s better to add fresh at a later time.
How to store leftover guacamole
To properly store leftover guacamole, store it in an airtight container and squeeze juice of ½ lime on top of the guacamole. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole. Make sure to press down on the plastic wrap so it touches all edges of the guacamole. By reducing the amount of air touching the guac surface, you can help prevent browning.
Refrigerate guacamole for up to 3 days. If using plastic wrap and lime juice, guacamole may last up to 4 days without browning, but taste may become more bitter.
How to freeze
Freezing guacamole is not recommended. Luckily this recipe is so easy to make, there is really no reason to have to make it ahead of time.
If you are worried about using up the whole recipe before it goes bad, you can easily halve the recipe to make less servings.
Frequently asked questions
There are a few things you can do to prevent guacamole from turning brown. Cover the top of the guacamole with extra lime juice. The more lime juice = less browning. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to the layer of the guacamole to prevent extra air from touching the surface. Store in the fridge
To quickly ripen an avocado, wrap it in aluminum foil and put in the oven at 200ºF for 10-20 minutes, or until soft.
It is not recommended to freeze guacamole. It will lose its texture and some flavor.
You can make this guacamole a day of 2 ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It is best when made fresh.
📖 Recipe
Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole
Ingredients
- 4 avocados
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup lime juice about 2-3 limes
Instructions
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit carefully.
- Using a blunt knife, score the inside of the avocado (cut both lines vertically and horizontally in order to create smaller cubes of avocados, making it easier to mash).
- Scoop out the flesh of the avocado with a spoon, making sure to avoid the little seed at the top of the avocado.
- Place avocado flesh in a bowl and add all ingredients.
- Gently mash the ingredients with a fork (or potato masher) and mash to preferred chunkiness (I prefer to leave it on the chunkier side, but you can go as far as to puree it).
- Serve immediately and garnish with fresh limes or cilantro. (I like to serve in a molcajete).
Leave a Reply