Garlic Guacamole

This garlic guacamole is made with ripe avocadoes, tomatoes, lime, salt, pepper, and a secret ingredient: freshly mashed garlic. Once you try guacamole with garlic, you will never go back. And it only takes 10 minutes to prepare!

This simple and creamy guacamole recipe is also a great side to a meal like fajita bowls or homemade street tacos. Or if you are feeling spunky, add this garlic guacamole to some toast for breakfast. You can also make this as an appetizer to pair with your homemade pineapple salsa recipe.

What I Love About This Recipe

What I love about this recipe is it’s so simple and yet so GOOD. After about 50 guacamole recipes, this is the best guacamole recipe hands-down. My brother, Jamil, is the one who thought to add mashed garlic many moons ago. Thanks, Jamil!

Ingredient Notes

• Avocados: Pick some really fresh avocados because good guacamole starts with good avocados. Make sure the avocadoes are ripe and soft. If you buy unripened avocados, leave them out on the counter to ripen.
• Tomatoes: I prefer to use grape tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine. Tomatoes balance out the crushed garlic and lighten up the recipe.
• Fresh garlic: This is the secret ingredient to great guacamole. You MUST smash the garlic or crush the garlic to achieve the right taste. Chopped garlic will not work in this recipe.
• Lime: Use a juicy ripe lime for the best results.
• Salt and pepper: I really love flake salt and fresh cracked pepper. The fresh cracked pepper is really great in this homemade guacamole recipe!

How To Make Garlic Guacamole

Peel the fresh garlic cloves. Cut off the end of the garlic. Mash the garlic with salt using a mortar and pestle until it forms a paste. Deseed the avocado and remove the peel. The avocado should be ripe and easy to scoop out from the peel.

In a bowl, add the mashed garlic and avocado. Using the pestle, mash the garlic and avocado together. Squeeze the lime juice over the mashed avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

Wash and finely dice the tomato. Mix the diced tomatoes into the garlic guacamole. Serve with some pita chips or tortilla chips.

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure the avocados are ripe and ready to be used. My method for determining if an avocado is ripe is what I call the squish test. If you squeeze the avocado and it's as hard as a golf ball, then the avocado is not ready to be eaten. When there is a "medium" squish somewhere between slightly firm and squishy, this is the ideal ripe level. If the avocado is overly squishy then it might be over-ripened, and the best way to find out is by cutting it open. Another way to tell if an avocado is over-ripened is if there are pockets between the avocado skin and meat.
• Crush the garlic to a pulp with some salt. I recommend crushing the garlic with a mortar and pestle or using a handheld garlic crusher. I don't recommend chopping the garlic or using garlic from a jar. It's just a different taste in my opinion.
• Eat the guacamole right away for the best result but if you have to store it, follow the instructions at the bottom of the post.

Substitutions and Variations

• Add some chopped cilantro.
• If you would like the garlic guacamole to be spicy, finely chop a jalapeno. When mashing the garlic, add the chopped jalapeno and mash the garlic and jalapeno together into a paste. Add the mashed garlic and jalapeno to the avocadoes.
• Omit the tomatoes if desired.

Storage

Everyone knows that guacamole turns brown after a few hours. The best hack that I've found for guacamole is this:

1. Squeeze lime on top of the guacamole surface, prior to putting it in the refrigerator.
2. Put plastic wrap on top of the guacamole directly. Remove all of the air between the plastic wrap and guacamole.
3. Put the lid on the container.

This hack will keep your guacamole good for a few days.

Equipment

• mortar and pestle to mash the garlic
• lime/lemon squeezer to squeeze the lime
• chef's knife and cutting board to cut the tomatoes
• a large bowl to mix the garlic guacamole in

FAQs

Appetizer Recipes

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