Use this Classic Guacamole to dress up all your dishes. From fajitas to eggs to burgers, nothing beats the amazing color, texture, and flavor of guacamole!

There are loads of ways to make guacamole. You can either go super simple, or super fancy. Since I have children (i.e. picky eaters) I take the in-between route. My go-to recipe for guacamole has just five simple ingredients:

Avocados, lime juice, salt, red onions, and cilantro.

First a little information about avocados. Avocados do not ripen on the trees. They only start to ripen once picked. And unlike other fruit (yes, it’s actually a fruit), avocados like to be in the dark. So if you want them to ripen more quickly, put them in a dark cupboard or pantry, or a paper bag. If you want to delay the ripening, just put them in your refrigerator, and then take them out when you want them to start ripening.

Once your avocados are soft, they are ready for guacamole! Just slice them from top to bottom and around to the top again. Pull the halves apart, and remove the pit. You can either do this by using a spoon to wedge it out, or by slamming the blade of a sharp knife into the pit, then gently twisting the knife.

Scoop out all the flesh with a spoon and put it on a plate. Then use a fork to mash the avocados. Just keep mashing until they are as smooth or chunky as you like.

Chop up some red onion and cilantro, and pop them on top of the mashed avocados.

Now you’re going to sprinkle some kosher salt on top. The amount is totally up to you. You’ll just have to keep tasting (darnit!) until you get the right balance.

Then you’ll want to squeeze some lime juice on top. (Confession: I practically never have real limes, so I just squeeze lime juice from those fake plastic limes you find at the grocery store. Shhh! Don’t tell the culinary police!)

Again, the amount you put in totally depends on your taste preferences.

Stir everything together and serve! I put the guacamole back into the shells for a fun presentation.

Scoop some up with tortilla chips, or slather it on anything you can think of. It is the perfect complement to these Easy Chicken Fajitas, and it’s the best friend to this Secret Ingredient Pico de Gallo. Deliciousness awaits! (Oh yeah. Did I mention it was healthy? It’s super good for you, so don’t hold back!)

Classic Guacamole

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
2 Tbsp. chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. lime juice

Instructions

(Amounts of ingredients are estimations only. Please feel free to adjust according to your taste preferences)
Cut open the avocados and remove the flesh. Place the flesh on a plate and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached.
Add chopped red onion, cilantro, kosher salt, and lime juice. Mix well. Taste and adjust the amount of salt and/or lime juice if desired.
Serve immediately.
Store in airtight container with plastic wrap pressed across the surface of the guacamole to help prevent browning.