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    Home » Appetizers

    Simple 6-ingredient guacamole

    Updated: Apr 6, 2025 · Published: Oct 3, 2018 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 10 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Text overlay: 6 ingredient guacamole. Tortilla chip dipping into guac.

    Homemade guacamole is always a crowd-pleaser. This simple guacamole recipe is a breeze to make and great for parties.

    It has a delicious balance of flavors that make it downright addictive.

    Creamy avocado, a squeeze of lime, cilantro, and garlic come together in perfect harmony.

    Chip dipping into vegan guacamole.

    Guacamole is so quick and super easy to make. It comes together in just 5 minutes with 6 ingredients.

    Avocado is a mild tasting fruit. You don’t want to overwhelm or mask the flavor. The key is highlighting and amplifying what’s there.

    The end result is an addictively delicious dip you just can’t stop eating.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Why readers love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Tips for the best guacamole
    • Make it your own
    • What to eat with guacamole
    • How to store leftover guacamole
    • FAQ
    • More vegan dip recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why readers love this recipe

    5 stars

    “We had this on our jackfruit tacos minus the cilantro, which I didn’t have. It was perfect and probably took 3 minutes to make since I already had some extra onions from the tacos. Thank you so much. I always trust your recipes.” – Earlene

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Labeled ingredients for vegan guacamole.

    Avocados: Perfectly ripe avocados are a must. If the avocados are hard, they’re not going to mash well. If they are dented or have brown & spotted flesh, the taste won’t be nice.

    Onions: Finely diced yellow onions add flavor and crunch without taking over.

    Cilantro: Cilantro adds herbaceousness and color. If you don’t like the flavor of cilantro, omit it.

    Lime juice: Fresh is best when it comes to guac. Opt for juice that has been squeezed from a lime, rather than the kind sold in a bottle.

    Garlic: For best results, use a small clove of garlic that has been minced or finely grated with a Microplane zester.

    Salt: Just a pinch of salt brings all of the flavors to life.

    Step by step instructions

    This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Avocado that's been cut in half with knife.

    Cut your avocados in half, being careful to swivel around the pit in the center.

    Use your hands to twist the avocado to separate one side from the other.

    Carefully remove the pit with a knife, while the avocado is on the cutting board.

    Avocado that has been scored with a knife.

    Use a knife to score the avocado flesh into a checkerboard pattern.

    (Don’t cut into the peel.)

    Spoon scooping out avocado flesh from peel.

    Then use a spoon to scoop “diced” avocado from the peel.

    Diced avocado in bowl with onion and garlic.

    Add the following to a bowl:

    • Diced avocado
    • Finely diced onions
    • Fresh cilantro
    • Fresh lime juice
    • Fresh garlic
    • Salt

    Mash the ingredients together with a fork.

    Avocado smashed in bowl with garlic and onions.

    For chunky guacamole, don’t mash too much. Let the avocado pieces stay on the large side.

    For a smoother consistency, keep mashing until it’s pretty well blended.

    Tips for the best guacamole

    Close-up loaded nachos on table.

    Taste & adjust to suit your preferences.

    Avocados vary in size. So the exact seasoning balance you’ll want will change, depending on how small or big the avocados are.

    Ripe avocados are essential for the best guacamole.

    If you won’t need guacamole for a few days, buy firm, shiny avocados that are green and unblemished.

    Allow them to ripen on the counter (at room temperature).

    If you need avocados sooner, look for avocados with darker skin.

    Give a very gentle push. If the avocado yields to gentle pressure with your thumb, it’s ripe enough to use.

    Once your avocados are ripe, they can be used right away. Or extend their shelf life by moving them to the refrigerator.

    The refrigerator will slow their ripening, so that you can use them over several days.

    If your avocados have gone bad, don’t use them for guacamole.

    Once you’ve opened the avocado, look for brown spots.

    If it’s just one small area, scoop out the brown spot, and use the remaining avocado.

    However, if it has spread throughout the avocado, it’s probably a lost cause. You can give it a smell or a taste to be sure.

    Make it your own

    Vegan burrito bowl on table with pickled onions, and pico de gallo.

    You can tweak this guacamole recipe to suit your own preferences by varying the ingredients and amounts.

    • Add diced jalapeño pepper for spicy kick. You can use fresh or quick pickled jalapeños.
    • Add seeded, diced tomatoes for color and texture. Use as a garnish or stir in after the guacamole has been combined.
    • If you don’t like raw garlic, omit it, replace it with roasted garlic, or replace with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
    • For a Southwestern flair, add corn.
    • If you like sweet flavors with savory, add fruit like mango, peaches, pineapple, or strawberries. (If using fruit, I recommend omitting the garlic.)

    You can simplify guacamole-making by replacing the onions, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice with pico de gallo.

    Just stir mashed avocado and pico de gallo together.

    (If the pico de gallo has a lot of extra liquid, drain it first, so that the guac isn’t soupy.)

    What to eat with guacamole

    Platter of tempeh tacos on table with guacamole and shredded cabbage.

    Almost any dish is more delicious with a dollop of guacamole on top.

    Eat vegan guacamole dip on its own with tortilla chips or air fried tortilla strips.

    You can use it as a sandwich spread or on burgers in place of mayo.

    Add a dollop to toast instead of butter or sliced avocado. Or put it in a wrap.

    Guacamole is also delicious with these appetizers, snacks, and entrees.

    • Tempeh tacos (above)
    • Vegan burrito bowl
    • Vegan chicken tacos
    • Breakfast quesadilla
    • Vegan 7 layer dip
    • Vegan taco salad
    • Veggie fajitas
    • Black bean bowl
    • Black bean & plantain burritos (below)

    How to store leftover guacamole

    Hands holding black bean burrito with rice, plantains, and guacamole.

    Guacamole is best when it’s fresh. Over time, it will start to oxidize and brown.

    If you’re planning on storing leftovers, add a squeeze of lime to the top of the guac. That will help ward off oxidation.

    Then cover it in plastic wrap, being sure that the plastic wrap is actually touching the guacamole.

    Any pockets will mean the guacamole will come into contact with air, where it can oxidize and brown.

    Some people swear by the trick of leaving the pit in the avocado to ward off oxidation. But it doesn’t really make a difference.

    It just protects that one tiny spot of the guacamole from coming into contact with air. You’ll better off using cling wrap.

    Store guacamole in the refrigerator.

    When you’re ready to eat the guacamole, if it is brown on top, use a spoon to carefully remove the top layer. Underneath it will likely still be green, because that portion wasn’t exposed to air.

    FAQ

    What is guacamole?

    Guacamole is a smashed avocado dip that originated in Mexico. Written records of guacamole go all the way back to the 1500’s!

    It’s a tasty appetizer on its own with tortilla chips for dipping. It’s also a great accent on dishes like tacos, rice bowls, burritos, and loaded vegan nachos.

    Is guacamole vegan?

    Most of the time, yes!

    The ingredients in standard guacamole are all plant-based. Expect things like avocados, onions, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic.

    Usually guacamole is dairy free and egg free. Rarely people will include random animal products like sour cream or mayonnaise. But that’s not standard or authentic.

    If you’re making a basic homemade guacamole, it’s simple to make it totally vegan.

    Is guacamole healthy?

    Yes! The base of guacamole is avocados, which are dense in phytonutrients and heart healthy fat.

    Avocados are also a rich source of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, fiber, potassium, and folate.

    More vegan dip recipes

    Keep the party vibes going with these delicious dips you will love.

    • Baba ganoush
    • Pickle salsa
    • Pineapple salsa
    • Peach & black bean salsa
    • Olive tapenade
    • Pizza hummus
    • Vegan chili cheese dip
    Tortilla chip being dipped into guacamole.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Chip scooping guacamole.

    Simple 6-ingredient guacamole

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 5 votes
    The perfect guacamole is all about balance. Since avocado is a mild fruit, too much of any one component can quickly dominate. But with just a little onion, garlic, lime juice, and salt, the results are heavenly. Guacamole is a crowd pleaser in any setting.
    Finish with optional garnish like cilantro leaves and/or 1 to 2 Tablespoons of diced tomato.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: dip, party food

    Ingredients

    • 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced*
    • 2 avocados pitted and removed from peel
    • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
    • 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
    • 1 teaspoon lime juice
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients with a fork until mashed and fully combined. I prefer a chunkier guacamole, where there are still some larger chunks of avocado. But make it as smooth as you like.
    • Taste and add more salt or lime juice, if necessary.
    • Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

    Notes

    *Depending on the size of the garlic and how much you like raw garlic, choose one or two cloves.
    ** If you top the guacamole with diced tomato, remember to seed the tomato first, so that you don’t end up with watery guacamole.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 487mg | Fiber: 6g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 11.3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Earlene

      May 05, 2022 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      We had this on our jackfruit tacos minus the cilantro, which I didn’t have. It was perfect and probably took 3 minutes to make since I already had some extra onions from the tacos. Thank you so much. I always trust your recipes.

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        May 11, 2022 at 8:53 am

        That is so nice to hear, Earlene. Thank you!

        Reply
    2. Dianne

      October 04, 2018 at 8:23 am

      5 stars
      Most of my “from scratch” food used to come from packets! I’m pretty sure the first time I made guacamole was with one of those Trader Joe’s kit, too. I love how easy this recipe is.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        October 04, 2018 at 8:36 pm

        Same! So many of the first foods I cooked were things like ramen noodles, canned soups, rice boxes (like the one you re-vamped on your blog today), and even boxed mashed potatoes. I don’t think I had real, from scratch mashed potatoes until high school or college. Once you realize how easy it is to actually prepare food from scratch, it is amazing the boxed version sells well at all.

        Reply
    3. Shell

      October 04, 2018 at 8:12 am

      5 stars
      Lots of good info in this post! I tend to just mash up the avocado and eat it with nothing additional, but this inspires me to make it officially guacamole.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        October 04, 2018 at 8:33 pm

        Oh, that’s good too! I have avocado on toast several times a week for breakfast. Although, I do like to add nutritional yeast flakes & Everything But the Bagel seasoning.

        Reply
    4. b

      October 04, 2018 at 6:24 am

      5 stars
      Ooh I love this! Darrol has been asking to make guacamole at least once a week, and our lazy recipe is similar to this one. I need to show him yours, next time we make guac!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        October 04, 2018 at 8:32 pm

        Fun! Guacamole is definitely a recipe that kids can help prepare. I love that he enjoys cooking too.

        Reply
    5. Claire

      October 04, 2018 at 5:58 am

      Packets of seasoning for guacamole?! Don’t think I’ve ever seen those or thought there would be a need!
      For anyone home-ripening avocados, if you keep them next to bananas they will ripen faster (same should apply to any fruit)!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        October 04, 2018 at 8:28 pm

        Isn’t that baffling? It seems so strange now that they sold guacamole seasoning packets. But then again, people clearly bought them! I haven’t looked, but they’re probably still selling them today. I’d heard that bananas emit ethylene gas that ripens fruit. But you know what’s interesting? Avocados also emit ethylene gas! So just by having avocados together (or bananas together), they will ripen faster. If you put them in a paper bag, it will speed the process, because it traps in the gas. But it’s not strictly necessary.

        Reply

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