If you love Chipotle Mexican Grill’s lime and cilantro infused guacamole, then this recipe is for you. It will make all your tortilla chip dreams come true.
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As the saying goes, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” However, in the case of this Copycat Chipotle Guacamole, imitation is the sincerest form of my need for 24/7 access to mind-blowing guacamole.
What’s so great about Chipotle’s Guacamole?
Uh, everything! While most chain restaurants’ guacamole seems squeezed out of a plastic bag, or worse, scraped out of an industrial tub, Chipotle’s guac is loaded with chunks of avocado and sprinkled with fresh produce.
Chipotle’s guacamole selling points for me have always been that hint of spice from the jalapeños and that kick of lime that hits you in the back jaw (in the best possible way, of course). These are the flavors you won’t taste from a bucket of mass-produced dip.
How to make copycat chipotle guacamole
Most restaurant recipes are easy to replicate at home – you just need to have the right recipe to replicate and make it as authentic as possible.
The results were there! And they showed that I didn’t have to try so hard. The ingredients were simple and easily identifiable: ripe avocados, red onions, fresh garlic and cilantro leaves and that vibrant lime juiceOf course.
How to choose the best avocados for guac
The star ingredient in Chipotle’s Guacamole is buttery Hass avocado. A lot of people worry about picking the perfect avocado, and I’m here to give you my top tips. Not to brag, but I’ve been dubbed the Avocado Whisperer.
Picking the perfect avocado is a simple task:
- Does the avocado still have its knobbly stem? It’s probably not brown inside. I refer to this pit as the avocado’s lifeline, which keeps it from ripening faster, so always choose an avocado with that woody stub still clinging to it.
- Choose an avocado that yields very slightly to pressure when pressed lightly with your thumb. If it feels extremely soft, it’s too far away. If it’s stiff and hard, it’s not ripe. Your avocados are guac-ready (aka ripe) when you press them, and it feels like you’re squeezing into a just-ripened yellow banana. Not too hard, but not too mushy either.
How to stop guacamole from turning brown
You can’t avoid the inevitable. avocados will brown in air. It’s just the nature of the animal. It’s possible to delay this process, but I believe the oxidation of avocados motivates us to eat the guacamole faster, so is that really a bad thing?
To keep your guacamole from browning quickly, don’t prepare it too far in advance. Once you’ve cut and mashed the avocado, the clock starts ticking. Try to eat your prepared guacamole soon after assembling it (shouldn’t be too difficult).
However, if you must store it, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the guacamole, then wrap the bowl in more plastic wrap or cover with a lid. This is the best way to prevent your avocado from turning overly brown.
The acidity from the lime juice in this recipe also helps delay the oxidation of the guacamole. But if you end up with a layer of guacamole that’s air browned, just use the edge of your spoon to scrape it off and discard it.
Do you want to know the best way to cut an avocado? We have a nice refreshment here.
How should I store guacamole?
Prepared guacamole should be stored in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the dip. It doesn’t keep for more than three days. Any longer, and you’re doomed to scoop drab drab guacamole.
Do you love guac? Try these other recipes!
- How to make perfect guacamole
- Guacamole with bacon and blue cheese
- Strawberry Guacamole
- Eggs with guacamole devil
- 6 Best Mix-ins for Guacamole
Copycat Chipotle Guacamole
ingredients
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4 ripe hate avocados
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3 cloves garlic
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1/2 Middle Red onion
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1/2 big jalapeno, Optional
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1/4 Cup chopped coriander
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2 tablespoon fresh lime juice (squeezed from 1 large lime)
Serve
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tortilla chipsstore bought or homemade
method
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Make the garlic paste:
Roughly chop the garlic cloves. Once the garlic is minced, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt on top and mash the salt and garlic by running the flat side of your knife over the mixture. This step shouldn’t take more than 1-2 minutes.
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Chop the vegetables:
Finely chop the red onion and jalapeño pepper. Cut the pieces of both into cubes smaller than 1/4 inch (for the onion) and 1/8 inch (for the peppers). You should have about 1/4 cup red onions and 1 tablespoon jalapeños. Discard the jalapeño seeds for a milder dip.
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Mix guacamole:
Slice and scoop out the avocado, then place in a large bowl. Slightly mash the avocado with a fork, but leave it chunky for now. The avocado will be smoother as you mix everything together.
Place the garlic paste, red onion, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl.
Pour the lime juice into the bowl and gently fold the ingredients together until combined. Taste the guacamole and add more salt to taste.
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Cover and store:
If you don’t want to eat the guacamole right away, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and cover the bowl with a lid. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The top of the guacamole may still be brown, but simply scrape off the top to reveal the light green guacamole underneath!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 82 | calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 15g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
