Best Homemade Guacamole

This delicious homemade guacamole recipe comes together in under 10 minutes and is always a huge hit at parties! It’s made from scratch using fresh ingredients, and the addition of smoked paprika gives it a subtle smoky flavour that’s impossible to resist!

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We do our best not to serve the same dishes all the time when we have people over, but while we do try out new recipes and serve a variety of foods, there are certain dishes we always seem to fall back on. After all, if our guests enjoy them, who are we to argue?

Guacamole is definitely one of those dishes. We make it almost every time (provided we have ripe avocados on hand) and it always gets devoured at lightning speed!

I’ll admit that I used to make guacamole simply by mixing a store-bought seasoning packet into some mashed avocados, but I’m really not a big fan of buying pre-made seasonings for several reasons.

For one thing, they tend to contain a lot of weird ingredients, including lactose- and soy-based fillers. Believe me when I say that lactose and soy are in everything—you never realize to what extent until you marry and have kids with someone who is genetically intolerant to both!

Store-bought seasonings also tend to be more expensive than just combining your own spices, so making them yourself not only allows you to control the ingredients, but it also saves you money!

About this Recipe

For a while, I did try to create my own powdered guacamole seasoning. Thankfully, I soon discovered what guacamole could taste like with fresh ingredients added in, and I’ve never looked back!

I tested out a few recipes trying to find one I loved, but found a lot of them tasted way too heavily of salt and lime juice. Perhaps people outside of Canada are using larger avocados than the ones I have access to? Whatever the case may be, I prefer more subtle flavours, so I’ve dialled down certain ingredients in order to let the taste of the avocados shine through!

Another change I’ve made is the addition of smoked paprika.

If you’ve never tried it, do so—it’s awesome! We put it in everything. It has a more complex flavour than regular paprika and they even make a milder version if you (or your kids) don’t like food that’s too spicy.

Large chains don’t always carry it, but smaller ethnic grocery stores usually do. You can even order it online in small quantities or in bulk if that’s more convenient for you!

How to Make Guacamole from Scratch

Required Ingredients

This guacamole recipe comes together in under 10 minutes and is always a huge hit at parties! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Avocados
• Tomato
• Onion
• Garlic
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime juice (bottled or fresh)
• Salt
• Smoked paprika (we use the mild version so it’s not too spicy for our kids, but you don’t have to)
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Note About Avocados

For this recipe to work, you’ll need to use avocados that are perfectly ripe—you’ll know they’re ripe when they are black in colour and give a little when you press on them with your finger.

Unfortunately, avocados can be pretty finicky and they’re not very good when they’re under- or overripe.

The good news is that you can freeze them when they’re ripe and keep them on hand for later! Freezing them changes the texture somewhat, but if you’re going to be mashing them up anyway, the difference won’t be noticeable.

Just cut them into pieces and place the pieces on a baking sheet to freeze. You’ll be able to place them in a freezer bag for long-term storage, but freezing them on a baking sheet will prevent them from sticking to each other.

When you’re ready to use them, just let them defrost at room temperature and you’ll be making delicious guacamole in no time!

(I’m planning on writing an article about foods you can buy on sale and freeze to save money, so check back soon! For regular updates, you can subscribe to my newsletter using the form at the bottom of this article or follow me on social media using the icons at the top of this page!)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mash Up Avocados

To make guacamole, start by cutting three avocados in half and removing the pit, either with a spoon or by carefully lodging your knife in it and twisting. Then, spoon out the flesh and mash it up in a small bowl using a fork.

2. Add Fresh Ingredients

Dice half a tomato and half an onion and mix them in with the avocados. Then, mince a couple cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of cilantro and add those in too.

3. Add Seasonings

Finally, mix in one tablespoon of lime juice, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Taste the guacamole and adjust its seasoning as needed. You can also add freshly ground black pepper if you choose.

And that’s it! Just make sure to eat it immediately, as guacamole doesn’t keep very well in the fridge if you don’t finish it the day it’s made.

There are a few tricks you can use to preserve it, such as keeping it in a container and placing plastic wrap, water or a sliced onion on top of it, but that only buys you a couple of days at most. It starts browning pretty quickly and it really isn’t as good once that happens.

Thankfully, it’s so delicious that there’s rarely any leftover!

Related Dinner Party Recipes

Looking for more flavourful recipes that you can serve at dinner parties? Check out these articles:

• 5-Minute Arugula Salad
• Quick & Easy Caprese Salad
• Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

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