The Best Spicy Guacamole Recipe

Pair this with some tortilla chips, make nachos, or just throw it on a slice of toast to make one of these amazing avocado toasts! This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!

💭 Why you’ll love this recipe

This recipe uses simple ingredients, but there’s a secret twist to making sure the flavors are evenly dispersed and irresistible!

Six ingredients and fifteen minutes: Everyone loves a good dip, and nothing better than a quick and convenient one at that. Avocado is super nutritious: Avocados are loaded with healthy fats, fiber and various important nutrients, and it’s super delicious too!

📋 Ingredients and notes

This recipe uses only six fresh ingredients: avocado, half a red onion, fresh jalapeños, fresh lime juice, cilantro and kosher salt.

Notes, variations and substitutions

Should you use tomatoes in guacamole? I love adding fresh tomatoes, but only in the summer. But otherwise, they water the recipe down. What about garlic or garlic powder? This is not a traditional component of guacamole, but you could add them in if you love garlic. What kind of onions should I use? I love using red onions because they bring a nice bite. But white onion or yellow onion works too. What kind of avocados should I use? Hass avocados are easy to find, and have the optimal fat content to make the best guacamole! How can you adjust the spice level? I use one jalapeno per three medium sized avocados. You can use half, or leave out the seeds or you can leave it out altogether. You can also swap jalapeno with Serrano peppers or habanero peppers if you want to kick up the spiciness. Other variations? This is a classic guacamole, but you could also add cotija cheese, char the jalapeno peppers, add charred corn (especially during the summer), green onions, or hot sauce to try something new!

🧂 Three Step Process (+ Secret Tip)

I have a three step process, but I led with “secret tip”, so I gotta spill!

Chop up the cilantro and jalapenos and mash them together!

This is my secret to the perfect, even spread of flavor. First, remove the stem and deseed the jalapeno. Chop finely into small pieces. Chop up the cilantro as well. Add them to a mortar and mash with a pestle (or throw them in a food processor really quickly). Or add to a medium bowl and use a fork or the back of a spoon to mash. This is the best way to evenly distribute the flavor.

Chop up avocados and add to a bowl

Slice the avocado into two halves. Twist to pull them apart. Carefully use the edge of a knife to twist and remove the pit.
Criss-cross the avocado using a knife on each half, and then use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Get those good fats! Oh, and save the avocado shells if you want an eco-friendly way to serve guacamole!

Add other ingredients and season to taste!

Chop up red onions really finely (so it’s an even size) and add that to the bowl. Then, add the jalapeno-cilantro mixture. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash them together, but don’t over mash them! Add salt to taste and drizzle with a little extra lime juice to finish. Serve with these delicious tortilla chips, or make some delicious nachos with a bit of sour cream and pico de gallo, or my favorite: throw on wholegrain bread to make avocado toast for a perfect healthy snack!

👩🏽‍🍳 Serving and storage suggestions

If you store it properly (in an airtight manner, limiting surface exposure to air) - guacamole can last 3 to 4 days. If some parts brown, you can just skim the top surface off and serve the rest. My favorite trick is to top the guacamole with a thin layer of water. Never fails me! You could freeze guacamole, but the texture changes significantly. Just make sure to squeeze all the air out of the container and then pop it into the freezer. It can stay 2-3 months in the right container. Pop in the fridge overnight before you’re ready to eat it. If you liked this easy guacamole recipe, check out these easy dips: