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This chunky guacamole is made with ripe avocado, fresh tomatoes, green onions, chilis, cilantro and plenty of lime. I always make my guacamole chunky because I prefer getting pieces of avocado and tomato in every scoop rather than mashing everything completely smooth. The chilis are easy to adjust depending on how much heat you want. Serve it right away with tortilla chips or add it to tacos, nachos and other Mexican dishes.
Why You’ll Love It
This chunky guacamole recipe combines creamy avocado with fresh tomato, chilis, cilantro and lime, with plenty of texture left in every scoop.
Plenty of texture: The avocado is mashed just enough to bring everything together while leaving plenty of chunks throughout.
Fresh ingredients: Tomato, green onion, cilantro, lime and chilis balance the richness of the avocado.
Adjustable heat: Taste your chilis before adding them and use as much or as little as you want.
More than a dip: Serve it with tortilla chips or spoon it over tacos, nachos, burgers and grilled meats.
If you enjoy this, you might also like Italian salsa verde, my baked artichoke dip or perhaps some shrimp ceviche.
Chunky Guacamole Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Avocados: Hass avocados are my first choice because they’re creamy but still hold some texture when they’re ripe. Look for avocados that yield slightly when pressed without feeling soft or mushy.
Tomatoes: Seed the tomatoes before chopping them so they don’t add too much liquid to the guacamole. This recipe also peels them, which gives the finished dip a smoother texture without losing the chunks.
Chilis: Jalapeños are a good choice for moderate heat, while serranos will make the guacamole hotter. I always taste the chili first since the heat can vary quite a bit from one pepper to another.
Lime juice: Fresh lime adds acidity and helps balance the richness of the avocado. I wouldn’t swap it for bottled juice here because there are so few ingredients.
How to Make Chunky Guacamole
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Prep the tomatoes: Cut a small cross in the tomatoes, blanch them briefly in hot water, then peel, seed and finely chop them.
Prep the chilis and onions: Finely chop the green onions and chilis, tasting the chili first so you can adjust the heat.
Add the seasonings: Combine the tomatoes, onions and chilis with fresh lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Add the avocado: Score the avocado flesh, scoop it into the bowl and gently mash everything together with a fork or potato masher.
Keep it chunky: Stop mashing while there are still visible pieces of avocado and tomato throughout, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Change the onion: Red onion can replace the green onion if you prefer a sharper onion flavor.
Adjust the heat: Use jalapeño for moderate heat or serrano for more. You can also remove the seeds and membranes for a milder guacamole.
Add garlic: Stir in a small amount of freshly minced garlic if you like garlic in your guacamole.
Skip the cilantro: If you’re not a cilantro fan, leave it out rather than replacing it with another herb.
Serving Suggestions
As a dip: Enjoy homemade chunky guacamole as a dip for tortilla chips or serve it with homemade rosemary cheddar crackers.
With Mexican food: It also pairs well with seared steak nachos, taco stuffed sweet potatoes or these fiesta chicken stuffed poblano peppers.
With a sandwich: You can add guacamole to an Italian chopped sandwich or use it to top your favorite hamburger.
How to Store
Store: Guacamole is best served fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the guacamole before refrigerating to limit its exposure to air.
Make ahead: You can make it a few hours before serving. Keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this chunky guacamole because the fresh tomatoes and chunky texture are much better when freshly made.
Top Tips
Choose the avocados carefully: They should give slightly when gently pressed but shouldn’t feel mushy. An underripe avocado won’t mash properly and an overripe one can have brown spots and an off flavor.
Taste the chili first: I always do this before deciding how much to add. I’ve found that two peppers that look almost identical can have very different levels of heat.
Add the avocado last: I prep everything else first and add the avocado just before mixing. It spends less time exposed to air and I find it easier to control how chunky the finished guacamole is.
Don’t over-mash: Use a fork or potato masher and stop while there are still obvious pieces of avocado. You can always mash it more, but you can’t put the chunks back.
Chunky Guacamole FAQs
You can, but I don’t recommend it for this recipe. A food processor can turn avocado smooth very quickly. I use a fork or potato masher instead so I can stop as soon as the guacamole reaches the chunky texture I want.
Limit its exposure to air. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface before refrigerating it and keep the container tightly covered. Lime juice can also help slow browning. Putting an avocado pit in the bowl doesn’t protect the exposed surface from oxygen, so it isn’t an effective way to keep the whole batch green.
Chunky Guacamole Recipe
Chunky Guacamole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 avocados, peeled and pitted
- 4 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 chilis, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons lime juice , fresh
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- ¾ Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Skin the tomatoes by blanching. Cut a cross in the top and add to scalding water for 2 minutes only. The skin should come off very easily after that.
- Chop the green onions, de-seed and chop the chilies. Depending on how hot you like the guacamole, taste test the chili. You’ll know how much you should add after that. I usually stick to 2 chilies and go from there.
- Add the lime juice, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro.
- I like to add the avocado last as that gives more ‘green-time’. Chop the avocados in half and remove the pits. Keep one or two on hand to add back to the guacamole to help help preserve the bright green color. Using a knife, score the avocados then squeeze the flesh into the bowl.
- Gently mash and mix with a potato masher or fork, leaving plenty of chunks of avocado throughout. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving with tortilla chips.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving with tortilla chips.
Notes
Taste the chili first: I always do this before deciding how much to add. I’ve found that two peppers that look almost identical can have very different levels of heat.
Add the avocado last: I prep everything else first and add the avocado just before mixing. It spends less time exposed to air and I find it easier to control how chunky the finished guacamole is.
Don’t over-mash: Use a fork or potato masher and stop while there are still obvious pieces of avocado. You can always mash it more, but you can’t put the chunks back.
Nutrition
I always come back to chunky guacamole because I prefer getting pieces of avocado and tomato in every scoop. Taste the chilis before adding them so you can control the heat, and don’t get carried away with the potato masher. This one is at its best freshly made with a big bowl of tortilla chips alongside.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I love the creamy guac but the chunky one is also a good one. Yummy
This one exceeded my expectations! So flavorful! 🙂
Love the chunky twist to an old-time favorite. Thanks for this recipe!
I love fresh guacaomole! It’s one of my fave party foods and every day snacks!
This is really similar to my guacamole recipe. I just don’t put in the onions or the chilis because we like it a little on the mild side. It looks absolutely delicious!
This looks so yummy! I haven’t had guacamole in forever so I definitely need to give this recipe a go