4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
How to Make Guacamole from Scratch with Only 4 Ingredients
This is the ultimate EASY 4 ingredient guacamole recipe that you can throw together in minutes! Seriously, guac is the supreme dip that is always amazingly tasty and is always so simple to make. You don’t need tons of flavorings or add-ins—just avocados, salt, lime juice, and maybe a dash of garlic. I’ll show you how to make guacamole from scratch with only 4 ingredients. Plus, how to jazz it up, how to fix an over-salted guac, and how to keep it from browning!
Honestly, you don’t even need a recipe to make guacamole, and the best way to make guac is really to taste as you go. Each avocado is a bit different in terms of its size, ripeness, or even the variety of avocado, so it helps to adjust your salt and lime juice accordingly. This 4 ingredient guacamole recipe can give you some guidance in terms of the ratios and flavorings, but your taste buds are your best guide!
The MOST basic guacamole you can make would be just mashed avocados and salt, and it would be totally delicious. Avocados are rich, creamy, and buttery thanks to their nutritious fat content, with a subtle savory yet nutty flavor that really shines with the help of some salt. Add a bit of lime juice into the mix for acidity, and the flavor of your guac will brighten up even more! (And, the acidity will help it last longer.)
Personally, I love garlic so I added just a single grated clove to give this 4 ingredient guacamole recipe an extra punch of tastiness. But, you’re also welcome to omit it if you’re not a fan, or add even more garlic if you love it as much as I do! Of course, there are also plenty of other fun additions you can play around with which we’ll get into below—along with how to save a salty guacamole & how best to store your guac.
4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
- Ripe avocados
- Lime juice
- Garlic clove
- Salt
How to Make Guacamole from Scratch
Whether you’re going for the most mild guacamole recipe you can make with a few ingredients, or you want to jazz it up with fun flavorings, the process for making guacamole from scratch is essentially the same. Mash up your ripe avocados, season to taste with salt, then mix in your lime juice, garlic, or other flavorings as desired.
How to Know When an Avocado is Ripe
The key to a tasty guac is using ripe avocados—not hard and underripe, but also not too soft and overripe. To check the ripeness, press gently on the outside of your avocado. If there’s no give and it feels rock-hard, it’s not ripe yet and will likely taste chalky or bitter. If there’s too much give, it may be overripe and might taste sour or tangy. (Be sure to taste this first before using in your guacamole!)
The perfect ripeness is an avocado with a bit of give when you press on it with your fingers, and when you cut into it it’s nice and green. (No big brown/gray spots or sunken areas.) Also, another trick is to check the nub on top of your avocado. If it slides off easily, your avocado is likely ripe and ready! These are the ideal candidates for your 4 ingredient guacamole recipe as they’ll have the best flavor.
What Do You Do When You Put Too Much Salt in Guacamole?
When making any guacamole recipe, I recommend starting by mashing up your avocados and then adding a large pinch of salt to taste. Be generous with it! Generally, a good ratio to start with is about ¼ tsp of salt per 2 medium avocados—but just think of this as a guideline. Mash your avocados, stir in a pinch of salt, and then taste it as you go. If it tastes good to you, the salt levels are great!
Now, in the process of doing this, it’s easy to oversalt your guac. It happens to everyone! So, to fix a salty guacamole there are a few simple solutions you can try:
- Add Avocado. To reduce the saltiness, the simplest trick is to just add in another half or entire mashed avocado! Then, taste again and add salt gradually if needed.
- Add Acidity. Acidic ingredients can help to counteract saltiness, so try adding 1-2 tsp of lime or lemon juice. Continue tasting as you go until you get the flavor you like! Also, be wary of adding too much juice as this will result in a watery guacamole.
- Incorporate Other Mix-Ins. Much like adding more avocado, adding additional mix-ins will help to reduce the concentration of salt in your guac. So, get creative with ingredients that you enjoy (see ideas below)—and even better if you incorporate some acidic mix-ins like chopped tomato or onion!
What to Add to Guacamole to Make it Taste Better?
So, if you’re not in the market for a 4 ingredient guacamole recipe exclusively, what else can you add to make your guac taste even better? There are so many possibilities! Add additional spices and seasonings, add fresh herbs, or add whole vegetables. Pretty much, think of it like anything you might put in a taco could be tasty in your guacamole—and then some!
- diced fresh tomatoes
- cilantro & other herbs
- onions, red or white
- diced jalapeno or peppers
- salsa
- cumin, chili powder, or other spices
- cotija cheese
- finely chopped vegetables
Storage: What Prevents Guacamole from Turning Brown?
As we all know, guacamole is an ephemeral dip—green one day, brown the next. Though it can look unappetizing, the browning is actually just a natural process. Avocado contains an enzyme which reacts with oxygen, and in that oxidation process, the bright green avocado turns brown.
Thankfully, adding a bit of citrus like lime or lemon juice can help your guacamole to last longer and prevent that browning! This is because the acid in the citrus can slow down the oxidation process. So, that’s part of why I suggest stirring a bit of lime juice into this 4 ingredient guacamole recipe, but I also recommend trying this storage method to help fend off the browning process:
- Store your guacamole in an airtight container with a lid. Pack the guac into the container and smooth it out so it has a flat surface.
- Squeeze a thin layer of lime or lemon juice on top of the surface of the guacamole—just enough so you can see it on top. This will form a barrier between the avocado and the air.
- Grab a sheet of plastic wrap and push it down directly on top of the guacamole, so the plastic is flush with the flat surface of the guac and locks in that citrus juice. Then, cover the container with its lid.
- Store in the fridge for 3-5 days. When you want to enjoy, pour off any excess liquid on top, give your guacamole a stir before tasting, and adjust any seasonings as needed. To store again, repeat process!
To see how this recipe is made—along with the rest of this bento lunch box—check out my Bento Box Breakfast & Lunch video!
4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
Basic Guacamole Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 lime, juiced (to taste)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- ¼ tsp salt, to tase
Optional Mix-Ins
- diced fresh tomatoes
- cilantro & other herbs
- onions, diced
- jalapeño or peppers, diced
- salsa
- cumin & other spices
- cotija cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash avocados. Add lime juice, grated garlic, and salt, mixing well to combine.
- Serve with chips or your favorite dippers and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To prevent browning, squeeze lemon or lime juice on top of guacamole in storage container. For best results, press a layer of plastic wrap on top of guac so it’s flush, to lock the citrus juice in place on top.
- Yields 8 servings, ~2 cups of guacamole
2 Comments on “4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe”
All about that guac!
Hard to beat a 4 ingredient guacamole recipe 🙂