Mexican Food: How To Make Perfect Guacamole

Who doesn’t love guacamole? Well over two billion pounds of avocados are consumed every year in the United States, so clearly this dip has some serious appeal. It’s arguable that guacamole is the most popular kind of Mexican food – and with good reason!

Guacamole originates in Mexico, home of the world’s best avocados. The name comes from the Aztec Nahuatl words “ahuacatl” and “molli,” which translates to “avocado” and “sauce” (makes sense!).

It’s not hard to find great guacamole at Mexican restaurants – specifically Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill – but you can also make a mean version right in your own kitchen. We’ll show you how!

What You’ll Need

Guacamole is relatively simple to prepare; the key is having fresh ingredients. You want your avocados to be just the right amount of ripeness, so they aren’t too hard, thus losing their signature taste. You can check for optimum ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the fruit. You’ll want to have a little bit of “give,” but not too much. If your avocado is squishy, that’s not good either.

Once you’ve found the right avocados, combine them with salt and a little lemon or lime juice for a dash of acidity to help balance the avocado’s rich flavor. For extra flair, you can add chopped onion, chiles, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. Add some chips and start snacking!

The Best Way To Cut Avocados

You’ll want to hold the avocado lengthwise and cut it in half, twisting apart the sides. One of which will have a pit, which you can remove by tapping with your knife to pull it out (be sure to protect your hand with a thick towel first). You can also cut the pitted side in half again, exposing it more so it’s easy to remove with either your fingers or a spoon. Once the pit is removed, cut your avocados into chunks inside the peel, scooping them out with a spoon.

Guacamole Storage Tips

Guacamole is best served fresh, so it’s best to eat it right after you make it. That’s one reason why it’s such a great party favorite – hardly any leftovers! This is because, like apples, avocados oxidize, or turn brown, once exposed to the air after being cut. But adding a dash of lemon or lime juice can help slow this process if you store it properly. That means doing everything you can to prevent your dip from air exposure. Cover it with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container. This should delay the browning process. Using these methods, you can store fresh guacamole dip in the fridge up to three days.

If your guacamole does start to brown a bit, don’t worry – it’s still good to eat. The presentation of it may be less appetizing, but you can easily scrape off the discolored parts and enjoy the rest of your dip.

The Best Mexican Food in South Florida

Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill is one of south Florida’s best spots for authentic Mexican food – including, of course, our signature guacamole dip. We are a family owned and operated establishment since 1995, and our regular guests are part of that family. Come in for happy hour from 3 to 7pm, seven days a week, for deals on our irresistible margaritas – including our fishbowl sizes! For those who aren’t into tequila, our house wines and draft beers are also included in the happy hour deal.

Follow Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill online to find out our daily specials: specifically, Taco Tuesday, Fish Fiesta Wednesday, Sunday brunch, and more. Whether you’re celebrating the end of a long work week, or just in the food for great Mexican cuisine, we’ve got you covered.