The Best Authentic Mexican Guacamole Recipe (Easy and Creamy)

This authentic Mexican guacamole recipe is deliciously creamy and easy to make. With a fascinating ancient history and an exciting present, this is the best guacamole, ever.

What is Mexican Guacamole?

In its simplest form, guacamole is simply mashed avocados and spices. A dish with a long and rich history, guacamole comes from the Aztecs in Mexico.

The word guacamole is related to the Aztec word for avocado. In Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztec, it is āhuacamolli. 

The first part is the Nahuatl word for avocado. And, mōlli means “sauce.”

Today, most of the world’s avocados come from the Mexican state of Michoacan.

Discovering Mexican Guacamole in Mexico

Surprisingly, guacamole is not readily available at local restaurants in Mexico, unless you order it. Instead, you’re more likely to find a variety of salsas or sauces.

Salsa verde or green sauce is one of the most popular salsas in Mexico and is sometimes made with avocados. 

Lighter and thinner than guacamole, it tends to be paired with tacos de carne or meat tacos. In Oaxaca, you’ll find salsa verde on every table to accompany the local specialty tlayudas or Oaxaca-style pizza. 

You will most likely find guacamole in restaurants frequented by tourists. Also, seafood restaurants will have it on the menu to go with ceviche or seafood tacos.

We enjoyed delicious Mexican guacamole on a Secret food tour in Mexico City. 

And importantly, we learned how to make authentic Mexican guacamole in a cooking class in Oaxaca.

This Mexican guacamole recipe is the one we made in our cooking class. We invite you to taste authentic Mexican flavors, courtesy of Chef Gerardo Aldeco of La Cocina Oaxaquena.  

Authentic Food Quest Tip: If your Mexico travels take you to Oaxaca, we recommend taking a cooking class at La Cocina Oaxaquena. With a local family, you will learn to make a number of Oaxaca specialties. This cooking class starts with a market visit and includes local beverages like Mezcal.

Brief History of Mexican Guacamole

The Aztec’s dominated central Mexico in the 14th to 16th centuries. They are believed to have made guacamole purely from mashed avocados. 

At the time, Mexican guacamole was very popular for its high fat and protein content. Further, the Aztec believed guacamole to be an aphrodisiac, further increasing its popularity.

When the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they turned the name “ahuacatl” into “aguacate” to today’s Spanish word for “avocado.” And, ­”āhuacamolli” became “guacamole.

Guacamole has grown in popularity around the world. In the United States, more than 139 million pounds of avocados are eaten on Superbowl day alone.

How To Make Authentic Mexican Guacamole At Home

This authentic Mexican guacamole is really easy to whip at home. The simple preparation and fresh flavors make it one of the most iconic Mexican dips.

There are only a few ingredients needed in this authentic Mexican guacamole recipe. 

The most important is the quality of the avocados. You want to pick ripe avocados that are soft but not squishy.

Authentic Mexican Guacamole Recipe Ingredients

• 4 ripe avocados
• White onion
• Garlic, 3 cloves
• Cilantro
• 1 lime, freshly squeezed
• Chilis serranos or jalapenos depending on your spice tolerance
• Salt to taste 

How to Pick Ripe Avocados

To make guacamole, you want the avocados to be ripe, slightly soft to the touch. However, you don’t want them to be so soft that they become mushy.

When they are soft, they will give you creamy textures, perfect for your guacamole.

How to Keep Guacamole Fresh

There are several tricks and tips to store guacamole and keep it from turning brown. 

One popular theory is to put the guacamole in glass Tupperware and pour water or lime juice on its surface. 

Before you pour the water or lime juice, first smoothen and even out the surface of the guacamole. The water or lime juice acts as a seal, preventing the avocado from turning brown.

It’s an option. But our recommendation and best tip, is to make it fresh at the last minute and simply eat it all.

Tips for Making Mexican Guacamole at Home

How to Cut Avocado and Remove the Seed

The best way to remove the seed from the avocado is to cut the avocado across at its midsection. 

Use your knife to pick up the seed and delicately remove it from the core of the avocado.

Mexican Guacamole Spice Levels

Depending on your spice tolerance, you can use chili serrano to make this Mexican guacamole spicy.

For less spice, go with jalapenos peppers which are typically milder than chili serranos.

Guacamole Variations with Tomatoes

Some Mexican guacamoles call for tomatoes. If you are a tomato lover, feel free to add some. Choose Roma tomatoes, about one tomato, for two avocados used.

Typically, when we’ve made guacamole in the past, we’ve always added tomatoes. This was our first time having guacamole without tomatoes and we loved it. 

We like the creamy avocado flavors, which are not influenced by juicy tomatoes.

Try this Mexican guacamole recipe and see what you think. Nonetheless, if you want to add tomatoes, simply chop them up and add them slowly to the mashed avocado mixture.

What Kind of Onions to Make Mexican Guacamole

The type of onion you choose will add a different dimension to the avocado flavors. Red and yellow onions are less obtrusive, while white onions will offer a sharp bite.

This authentic Mexican guacamole recipe calls for white onion. We’ve made guacamole with red onions in the past and they are also a good alternative. 

Feel free to substitute white onion with red onion regarding your preference.

Tortilla Chips or Tostadas with Guacamole

Finally,  great Mexican guacamole deserves fresh and crunchy tostadas. We prefer purple corn to regular yellow corn, which are lighter, thinner, and easier to digest.

We recommend the organic blue corn chips for a refined taste that will pair well with your homemade Mexican guacamole.

When you make this recipe, take a pic and tag @authenticfoodquest on Instagram (Or hashtag #authenticfoodquest ). We’d love to see what you cook up.

Don’t forget to give a Star Rating on the recipe and let us know your comments.  

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