Classic Guacamole
Fresh, chunky guacamole with lime and cilantro—the essential game day dip
- 4ripe avocados
- 0.5red onion(finely diced)
- 1jalapeño(seeded and minced)
- 0.25 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
- 2limes(juiced)
- 1Roma tomato(seeded and diced, optional)
- 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 0.5 tspcumin
- 0.75 tspsalt(to taste)
- Tortilla chips(for serving)
Best made fresh. If making ahead, press plastic wrap directly onto surface and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
- 1Halve avocados, remove pits, and scoop flesh into bowl
- 2Mash with fork to desired consistency—chunky is traditional
- 3Add lime juice immediately to prevent browning
- 4Fold in onion, jalapeño, cilantro, tomato if using, and garlic
- 5Season with cumin and salt
- 6Taste and adjust lime and salt as needed
- 7Serve immediately with tortilla chips
- 8Press plastic wrap directly onto surface if storing
Use ripe avocados that yield to gentle pressure. Leave one pit in the bowl to slow browning. Add jalapeño seeds for extra heat.
Guacamole traces to the Aztec civilization of central Mexico, whose Nahuatl name for the preparation — āhuacamolli — combined āhuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The Aztecs cultivated avocados extensively; the trees are native to Mesoamerica with documented human use stretching back approximately five thousand years. Spanish conquistadors encountered and documented the dish in the 16th century, and the preparation spread across Latin America with Spanish colonization. Avocados arrived in North America's commercial food supply in the late 19th century, first cultivated in California and Florida, but it was not until the 1990s and 2000s — driven by expanded California production, the North American Free Trade Agreement (1994) which allowed Mexican avocados into the US market, and the rise of Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurant culture — that guacamole became a mainstream American staple. The National Football League reports that guacamole is consistently among the most consumed foods on Super Bowl Sunday in the United States. For game-day service, the key is preparing guacamole as close to serving time as possible, as avocado oxidizes quickly; pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface or using the pit to slow browning are common preservation techniques.