Country of origin: Aztec/Modern day Mexico

Mastering a great guacamole recipe is—in my opinion—an essential life skill. This go-to dip is great for parties, taco Tuesdays, and any other day of the week you're craving some flavorful goodness. 

The Aztec empire is credited with the origin of guacamole (thank you, Aztecians!), making this saucy spread an oldie but goodie (dating back to the 1500s). Since then, this dip has received international accolade. This recipe omits tomato—a personal preference—but I encourage cooks to find what works for them, and make this recipe their own. That said, much of this recipe omits exact measurements and relies heavily on tasting-as-you-go methodology—enjoy!

Servings: Depends how hungry you are—enough for a party!

Ingredients:

• Four ripe avocados
• One medium red onion
• One jalapeno 
• Fresh cilantro
• 1-2 limes
• 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
• Salt
• Tabasco Chipotle Pepper sauce
• Tortilla chips 

Directions: 

1. Half each of the avocados, remove seeds, scoop the flesh from the bitter skins and into a large bowl
   • An important part of this guacamole recipe—and guacamole in general—is that you don't want to mask the flavor of the avocados, which is exactly why the ingredients in this recipe are limited. Remember this as you go about adding the spices and flavors.
2. Using a steel potato masher, begin to mash the avocado flesh until creamy
3. Mince entire red onion, add to mashed avocado, folding in as you go
   • I typically use the full onion, but feel free to tweak based on personal preference 
4. Juice one entire lime, adding juice to avocado mash. Stir juice into mashed avocado and onion mix. Give the mix a taste. Add more juice using second lime, if desired.
5. Add salt, as desired. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a good measurement of how much salt I add, this is totally done to taste. You may also want to taste the guacamole with one of the tortilla chips you plan to serve it with, as the saltiness of tortilla chips varies brand to brand and can affect how much salt you decide you want to add to the guacamole.
6. Rinse cilantro. Shake off excess water and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove stems and thinly slice cilantro leaves until you have 1/3 - 1/2 cup of sliced cilantro. Add to avocado mash, folding in as you add more to the recipe.
7. Mash the fresh garlic clove(s) and add to the guacamole
   • If you don't already have one, you absolutely need to invest in a garlic press. They're cheap and they will change your life in the kitchen! Make sure to purchase a press like the one I've linked to with two parts—the masher and the basket—this will make cleaning it easier than if it's one solid piece.
8. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly
9. Thinly slice the jalapeno, then mince. I like my guacamole at a mild to medium spice, and I use 3-4 thin slices of jalapeno mixed into the recipe. I then cut 3-4 thicker slices from the pepper and put off to the side until I'm ready to serve, using them for garnish. 
10. This next step is key in how my guacamole recipe differs from many others I've tried—I add a smoky, rich pepper flavor using Tabasco Chipotle Pepper sauce. It depends how saucy I'm feeling that day, but I tend to add at least 8-10 good, thick dashes of Tabasco into my guacamole for a full kick of flavor. Add as much (or as little) as you desire to achieve the flavor that's right for you and your guac loving crew.
11. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, taste testing as you go until the balance of flavors is just right. And again, a gentle reminder not to overpower the flavors of the avocado.
12. Once you have the flavors right, put that guac in a pretty bowl, garnish with the jalapeno slices and a wheel of lime and enjoy!