How To Make Guacamole With Garlic & Onions

The urge for chips and dip can strike at any moment, which means it’s essential to have a great guacamole recipe to turn to. Buttery, ripe avocados are the star, so my all-time favorite version requires just five ingredients. The best part is a how I add the gentle heat of garlic so that it doesn’t bite back. It’s a recipe so simple you’ll commit it to memory. Here’s how to make the best homemade guacamole.

Choosing your guacamole mix-ins, which can range from more common (onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and chile peppers) to more unusual (

green peas

To make the guacamole, you’ll peel and pit the ripe avocados, then scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl with garlic paste, my secret ingredient that makes this guacamole so much better than your average dip (more on how to make it below). You’ll then stir in the finely diced red onion and half an unseeded jalapeño pepper. The amount of red onion might not seem like much, but since it’s raw, the flavor will intensify as it sits. A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens the dip. You’ll mash the dip with a fork or a potato masher, and you can make it as creamy or chunky as you like. I like to leave it relatively chunky if I’m serving it straight up with tortilla chips.

• Ripen avocados at home. I buy my avocados rock hard several days before I need them, which ensures I won’t be forced to buy avocados that are too hard or too mushy day-of, or that I’m not left with bumps, bruises, and brown spots from squeeze-happy shoppers in the produce department. Left on the counter, the avocados will ripen in a few days (quicker if bananas and tomatoes are nearby). Everyone has their own foolproof way to determine an avocado’s ripeness, but I look for a darkened peel and fruit that gives slightly when gently pressed at the top and bottom (not around the equator). Once they reach peak ripeness (and they might not all ripen on the same day), transfer them to the refrigerator to suspend the ripening process.
• Make garlic paste. Garlic paste has a gentler, less biting flavor than chopped garlic, which is desirable when serving it raw. Bonus points for the paste’s ability to incorporate easily into the guac, eliminating the risk of biting into a chunk of raw garlic. To make it, you’ll mince the garlic, sprinkle with kosher salt, crush the mixture with the side of a chef’s knife, then run the knife over the garlic and salt several times until smooth.
• Cover completely to avoid browning. Unless preparing guacamole tableside is part of your plan, you’ll want to have a plan for storing the guacamole before you break out the chips — and in the unlikely event of leftovers. Air exposure turns green guacamole brown, so cover it with a thin layer of water or transfer to an airtight container and press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the dip before snapping on the lid. Or, invest in this handy guac saver.