Mango Guacamole

Switch up your guacamole with this sweet and savory mango guacamole. The bits of sweet fruit balance beautifully with the creamy salty mashed avocado. It’s delicious with tortilla chips or as a topping over shrimp tacos.

Use fresh ripe mango for best flavor. I like to add heaps of cilantro to my guacamole for citrus-like freshness. It doesn’t get more simple and delicious than that.

How to Pick the Best Mangoes

To make sure you’re using a fresh mango before slicing into it, you can check for signs of perfect ripeness.

Gently squeeze the mango with the palm of your hand to feel for a slight softness. Ripe mangoes shouldn’t be too soft or feel mushy. Also, check to make sure there aren’t any bruised or brown spots.

Another way to tell if your mango is ripe is to smell it. It should have a strong floral fruity smell that should make you think of picking it right from a mango tree.   

How to Know When Your Avocados are Ripe 

Good guacamole starts with ripe avocados. The avocado flesh must be soft enough to smash into classic guacamole. If the avocados are too hard, you won’t get that creamy texture that guac lovers know and love.

Avocados turn from green to brown when they are ripe. They should be in between green and brown. When the skin is black, that means they’re overripe.

A ripe avocado will also be green under the stem on the top. You may need to remove the small stem to see this.

How to Make Mango Guacamole

Good guacamole is all about a balance of flavors and textures. Remember to taste as you go. 

• Step 1: Mash the avocados – Place the flesh of the avocados into a bowl and mash with a fork until semi-chunky consistency. You want some texture.

• Step 2: Add everything else – Stir in the mango, onions, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

Serve immediately or refrigerate covered with plastic wrap so that no air touches the guacamole. Before serving, taste and add more salt and lime juice if needed. 

Variations

Guacamole is made with healthy ingredients that you can easily change and adapt to fit your tastes and preferences. Here are some options you can try out:

• Substitute pineapples, strawberries, pomegranate, jicama, or peaches for the mangoes.    
• Adding jalapenos, habaneros, serrano chile, cayenne powder, or red chili flakes will make it spicy. 
• Sprinkle in some seasonings like chipotle powder, cumin, or chili powder for a Mexican kick.
• Swap out the lime juice with lemon juice.
• Love the taste of traditional guacamole? Try Chipotle guacamole recipe.

How to Store 

To refrigerate: Keep leftover spicy mango guacamole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to reduce oxygen and turn it brown. It’s still alright to eat when it oxidizes, just stir the brown into the rest of the guacamole.

To meal prep: You can prepare this homemade guacamole ahead of time by prepping all of the other ingredients and putting them in zip-top bags in the fridge. It’s not a good idea to cut the fresh avocados ahead of time, but you can prepare them by ensuring they are ripe when you’re ready to make the dish.

Put the avocados in a brown paper bag to help speed up the ripening process. If they will be too ripe by the time you want to make the dip, place them whole in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cut into them.