Guacamole was at the top of my must-try list during my visit to Mexico City. CDMX, with its amazing culture and a staggering population of 23 million, is one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world. While there, I had the chance to indulge in authentic Mexican cuisine, sampling everything from street market delicacies to dishes at world-renowned restaurants.
As someone who makes a pretty mean guacamole, I was curious to see how mine would measure up against the local offerings. The standout for me was at Nicos, a highly regarded neighborhood restaurant. Their guacamole, prepared tableside with impeccably fresh ingredients, was outstanding.
But here’s the verdict: I still prefer mine. There’s just something unbeatable about homemade guac, tailored to your taste, using the freshest ingredients and just the right seasonings. Not even the best guacamole in Mexico, and certainly not the stuff in plastic tubs from the grocery store, can top that.
Avocado 101
Choose your avocados carefully. Over-ripe and they are already mush, or will soon become mush. Under-ripe and it may be a long wait for them to ripen, several days or more. It’s very tempting to become impatient, but using anything less than a ripe one will always result in disappointment.
Here’s what to look for:
- A dark green to almost black color. Ripe avocados will have skin that’s dark green or nearly black. If an avocado is a beautiful bright green or dark green with black specks, it’s not ready.
- Feel it for bumpy skin. Avocados that are ready to eat will have a bumpy, not smooth, skin. If the skin is too smooth, it’s not ready.
- Give it a gentle squeeze. If it yields to firm, gentle pressure without leaving indentations and doesn’t feel mushy, it’s ripe and ready.
Avocados don’t ripen on the tree, they ripen after harvest. In my experience, the vast majority of grocery avocados aren’t ripe yet. The best way to ripen avocados at home is to place them in a paper bag with a banana or other fruit, close it and wait. The ethylene gas released by the fruit will hasten the ripening of the avocado. Check it daily and when it passes the checklist above it’s ready. Print
Home-Made Guacamole
Fresh ripe avocado with red onion, tomato, cumin, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and lime
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1-1/2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados – flesh only
- 2 TBL fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 medium size red onion – diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers -seeded and minced
- 1–1/2 roma tomatoes – seeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 TBL cilantro – chopped
- Blue corn or multi-color chips
Instructions
- Mix the salt, cumin and cayenne pepper
- Slice the avocado longitudinally around the center, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh
- Mash the avocado thoroughly with the lime juice
- Add the seasonings a little at a time as you mash, then mix in the cilantro, onion and jalapeno
- Taste and adjust salt and cayenne – if necessary, then fold in 3/4 of the diced tomato
- Place the remaining tomato on top as garnish and serve with blue or multi-color real corn chips
And just one more thing…