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This Chipotle Guacamole recipe is the real deal. With just seven ingredients and a few minutes, you can enjoy as much Chipotle Guacamole at home as you can mash!
Guacamole is luscious, creamy, satisfying, filling, and gloriously “a healthy fat.” And when it comes to restaurant guacamole, Chipotle’s version is my numero uno choice.
Luckily, nothing could be easier to make. And when you do it at home, there isn’t an upcharge in sight.
If you’ve got some ripe avocados sitting around, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is– it’s time for guacamole.
What does Chipotle put in their guacamole?
Besides magic? It’s really quite simple.
- Hass avocados. 95% of the avocados grown in California are Hass. How great is that?
- Citrus juice.ย Chipotle uses a combination of lemon and lime juices.
- Salt. Notice how I don’t say “freshly ground pepper?” Yep, there’s no pepper in guac
- Red onion.
- Jalapeรฑo peppers.ย If you want to make spicy guacamole, look for Serrano peppers. Generally, they are similar in size/shape/color as jalapeรฑo peppers, but thinner and maybe a tiny bit smaller.
- Cilantro.
Selecting and storing avocados:
There are two schools of thought:
- Pick avocados that are firm but don’t feel like granite. They should give, ever so slightly, when you gently squeeze them in the palm of your hand. Be gentle! You can also flick off the stem and see if it’s bright green underneath. But, stay away from any avocado that feels too soft or has soft dark spots on the skin.
- Buy avocados when they are rock-hard and ripen them yourself. It takes patience, but then you won’t risk buying an overripe avocado.
How to ripen avocados:
Avocados ripen up if left out at room temperature. If youโd like to speed up the ripening process, store them in a paper bag with an apple, banana, or kiwi fruit.ย Those fruits give off high levels of a plant hormone, ethylene, helps things along.
Once the avocados are ripe enough for you, simply store them whole in the refrigerator until youโre ready to get your guac on.
How does Chipotle make their guacamole?
Thanks to several friends and former Chipotle associates, this is exactly how they do it:
- Halve a couple of avocados, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh.
- Toss the avocado with lemon and lime juice and add salt. Mash.
- Then, add finely chopped cilantro, red onion, and jalapeรฑo peppers. Add more salt if you want and mix it up.
- And of course, devour it with tortilla chips!
How to cut an avocado:
Please don’t cut an avocado in half by holding it in your hand. There’s a lot of caution to take when cutting avocados. They can be slippery, and the knife blade could slip out of the fruit and into your hand, if you’re not careful and deliberate.
- Choose your avocado and place it on a cutting board.
- To cut it lengthwise around the pit, slice into the avocado with a chef’s knife until the blade hits the hard seed, then carefully rotate the avocado with one hand while keeping the knife steady in the other.
- Rotate the avocado halves in your hands, twisting gently if necessary, and separate the two halves and reveal the pit.
Help! Why does cilantro taste like soap?
It’s not cilantro…it’s you. Sort of!
Cilantro contains a natural chemical compound that some people (estimated 4-14% of the population) have the ability to taste better than others. The ones who can detect the compound describe cilantro as soapy, metallic, or just plain horrible. There’s nothing you can do about it, except avoid it in recipes. Parsley is a good substitute for cilantro, if that 4-14% happens to be you.
How long is guacamole good for in the fridge?
Guacamole can last 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator provided you are willing to battle the effects of discoloration via oxidation.
The best ways to ward off the browning of guacamole is:
- Squeeze extra citrus juice over the top of the guacamole.
- Cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic directly on the surface of the guacamole in the bowl.
If all else fails, you can scoop off the brown layer of guacamole and enjoy the bright green happiness beneath!
What do you eat with Guacamole?
Enjoy guacamole on burritos, Carne Asada tacos, sandwiches, toast, veggie wraps, scrambled eggs, crackers, salads, burgers, chips… the sky is the limit! It makes a fantastic snack any hour of the day, because like I said: it’s always guacamole time.ย
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Chipotle Guacamole (Copycat)
Equipment
- Molcajete (I use this mortar and pestle to make my guac!)
Ingredients
- 2 large avocados halved and pitted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeรฑo pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves finely chopped
- salt
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine avocados, lemon juice, and lime juice. Mash until smooth.ย Stir in onion, cilantro, and jalapeรฑos. Season to taste with salt (I like ½ teaspoon).ย Serve with chips.
- To refrigerate, place in a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of the entire surface of the guacamole so no part is exposed to air.ย
Recipe Video
Notes
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Just perfect! Exactly like Chipotle! Delicious and quick and easy. I love adding guacamole to a bean/corn/bell pepper salad. I used to be lazy and buy the guacamole. So glad I now know how easy it is to make. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Janet! I’m so happy you loved it! – Meggan
Great recipe! The taste is so fresh. Love the addition of lemon juice and seeds from jalapeรฑo. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Deb! Take care! – Meggan