This basic guacamole recipe couldn’t be easier with just four simple ingredients. Make this easy guacamole and wait for the compliments to roll in!

You know when someone gushes over your new skirt and you feel obligated to confess that you got it for $3.99 on the clearance rack at Target like you got away with some kind of crime?

That’s how I feel about this guacamole.

When I take this basic guacamole recipe to a potluck or serve it at a party, I always get compliments on it–and someone inevitably asks for the recipe.

Then I feel sheepish because it’s SO. DARN. SIMPLE. So I fall all over myself explaining that I don’t really deserve any praise.

But they don’t care. It’s good, and they want the recipe.

So, as with your new skirt: Just take the compliment!

How to Make This Basic Guacamole Recipe

Most guacamole recipes are more elaborate than this one, calling for onion, tomato, or peppers. But I’m convinced that the reason this recipe gets so much love is because the simple fresh, flavors really shine through.

Yes, Guacamole is Good For You!

Avocados are rich in fat, which is why it has a reputation of being decadent (that, and the fact that it’s served with chips and margaritas!). 

But most of the fats in avocados are the healthy monounsaturated kind, the same ones found in olive oil that have been found in research to be good for heart health.

How to Know When An Avocado is Ready

It’s the million-dollar question!  Here’s some advice from the Hass Avocado Board on choosing and storing avocados:

• Place the avocado in your hand and apply gentle pressure. Ripe avocados will feel soft but not mushy.
• Avoid avocados that have indentations in their skin.
• Refrigerate ripe avocados if you’re not ready to use them. They’ll keep several days that way.
• Place an avocado in a paper bag with an apple or banana to speed up the ripening.
• Choose firm avocados if you don’t need to use them for several days. Keep them on the counter to ripen.

The Best Way to Cut An Avocado

Slice the avocado lengthwise around the center pit, then twist the halves in opposite directions to pull apart. Use a spoon to carefully remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon or cut the halves into slices and peel away the skin.