How to Make Homemade Chipotle-style Guacamole
Make the famous Chipotle-style guacamole at home with 6 simple ingredients: red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and of course — quality avocados!
We know it, we love it, we pay extra for it — yes, I’m referring to Chipotle‘s famous guacamole. Fortunately, you will need just six simple ingredients to recreate this deliciousness at home! No mortar and pestle needed — just quality avocados, nicely diced red onion and jalapeño, chopped cilantro, freshly squeezed lime, and a pinch of salt. Let’s dive into how to make perfect guac every time, from proper avocado selection to relevant knife skills.
The ingredients
How do I select quality, ripe avocados?
- Color – Look for deep green/almost black avocados to indicate ripeness. Uniform color throughout is important – too much variation indicates uneven ripeness. If they are bright green, they likely have up to 5 days to go. For some reason, I’ve found that my avocados do not ripen well at home. Ideally, you’ll want to buy avocados right when you are ready to use them (aka – when they are perfectly ripe). Keep in mind the ripeness window is short — typically 24 hours or less.
- Firmness – Look for avocados that are neither rock hard, nor overly soft. Pick up an avocado and squeeze it in your palm — you should feel a light “give”, but your fingers should not be able to sink very far or form indents in the surface. Examine the whole avocado — if some spots are softer than others, that indicates bruising or uneven ripeness inside. A quality avocado has even, slight surface softness all around.
- Texture – I’ve noticed avocados with the smoothest skin tend to be the highest quality. Bumpier skin is usually fine too. However, you’ll want to look out for any protruding ridges or dry, brown patches — while these avocados could still be fine on the inside, these inconsistencies in the texture could indicate inconsistencies on the inside, too.
Avocado Ripeness Scale
How do I finely and evenly dice an onion?
First and foremost, before jumping into the steps, let me emphasize that you make sure your knife blade is sharp. A dull knife is very dangerous to work with, especially when making the unique cuts required for onion dicing. Set yourself up for success with a well sharpened chef’s knife that feels comfortable to work with!
How do I dice a jalapeño pepper?
Again — make sure your knife blade is sharp!
How do I finely chop cilantro?
Make sure to always wash your vegetables — I have found small bugs in my fresh herbs before, and a quick rinse will get rid of these plus any pesticides that may be coating your greens. I like to wash my cilantro before, rather than after chopping.
How do I make this Chipotle-style guacamole?
- Slice the avocados in half lengthwise. Swiftly bring the knife blade down so it sticks in the pit, and carefully twist the knife to remove it. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon, and add to a large bowl. Repeat for all four avocados, and then mash with a potato masher or fork.
- Add the diced red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro to the bowl. Slice the lime into 4 wedges, and squeeze all of their juice into the bowl. Mix to combine well.
- Add salt, one pinch at a time, and mix well. Taste after each salt addition until all the flavors pop to your liking.
- Enjoy!
This guac is best served with:
- Beyond Beef Tacos
- Queso Bean Enchiladas
- As a spread instead of whole avocados in a Spicy Veggie Grilled Cheese or Tofu Scramble “Egg” Sandwich
- Any burrito or taco recipe
- Tortilla chips, of course!
Don’t forget to leave me a comment and rating if you make this recipe, or any others on my site! It just takes a minute or two, but does wonders for my post and site performance. It means so much to me when people make and enjoy my food!
Homemade Chipotle-style Guacamole
Make the famous Chipotle-style guacamole at home with 6 simple ingredients: red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and of course — quality avocados!
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Potato masher or fork
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized ripe avocados mashed
- ½ medium red onion diced
- 1 bunch chopped cilantro
- 1 medium jalapeño finely diced
- 1 lime juiced
- Pinch of salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice the avocados in half lengthwise. Swiftly drive the knife blade down so it sticks in the pit, and carefully twist the knife to remove it. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon, and add to a large bowl. Repeat for all four avocados, and then mash with a potato masher or fork.
- Add the diced red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro to the bowl. Slice the lime into 4 wedges, and squeeze all of their juice into the bowl. Mix to combine well. Add salt, one pinch at a time, and mix well. Taste after each salt addition until all the flavors pop to your liking. Enjoy!