Chipotle Guacamole (Copycat)

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This Chipotle Guacamole recipe is the real deal. With just seven ingredients and a few minutes, you can enjoy as much Chipotle Guacamole at home as you can mash!

Chipotle guacamole in a brown dish on a white platter with tortilla chips.

Guacamole is luscious, creamy, satisfying, filling, and gloriously “a healthy fat.” And when it comes to restaurant guacamole, Chipotle’s version is my numero uno choice.

Luckily, nothing could be easier to make. And when you do it at home, there isn’t an upcharge in sight.

If you’ve got some ripe avocados sitting around, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is– it’s time for guacamole.

What does Chipotle put in their guacamole?

Besides magic? It’s really quite simple.

  • Hass avocados. 95% of the avocados grown in California are Hass. How great is that?
  • Citrus juice. Chipotle uses a combination of lemon and lime juices.
  • Salt. Notice how I don’t say “freshly ground pepper?” Yep, there’s no pepper in guac
  • Red onion.
  • Jalapeño peppers. If you want to make spicy guacamole, look for Serrano peppers. Generally, they are similar in size/shape/color as jalapeño peppers, but thinner and maybe a tiny bit smaller.
  • Cilantro.

This Chipotle Guacamole recipe is the real deal. With just seven ingredients and a few minutes, you can enjoy as much Chipotle Guacamole at home as you can mash!

Selecting and storing avocados:

There are two schools of thought:

  1. Pick avocados that are firm but don’t feel like granite. They should give, ever so slightly, when you gently squeeze them in the palm of your hand. Be gentle! You can also flick off the stem and see if it’s bright green underneath. But, stay away from any avocado that feels too soft or has soft dark spots on the skin.
  2. Buy avocados when they are rock-hard and ripen them yourself. It takes patience, but then you won’t risk buying an overripe avocado.

How to ripen avocados:

Avocados ripen up if left out at room temperature. If you’d like to speed up the ripening process, store them in a paper bag with an apple, banana, or kiwi fruit. Those fruits give off high levels of a plant hormone, ethylene, helps things along.

Once the avocados are ripe enough for you, simply store them whole in the refrigerator until you’re ready to get your guac on.

How does Chipotle make their guacamole?

Thanks to several friends and former Chipotle associates, this is exactly how they do it:

  1. Halve a couple of avocados, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh.
  2. Toss the avocado with lemon and lime juice and add salt. Mash.
  3. Then, add finely chopped cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño peppers. Add more salt if you want and mix it up.
  4. And of course, devour it with tortilla chips!

This Chipotle Guacamole recipe is the real deal. With just seven ingredients and a few minutes, you can enjoy as much Chipotle Guacamole at home as you can mash!

How to cut an avocado:

Please don’t cut an avocado in half by holding it in your hand. There’s a lot of caution to take when cutting avocados. They can be slippery, and the knife blade could slip out of the fruit and into your hand, if you’re not careful and deliberate.

  1. Choose your avocado and place it on a cutting board.
  2. To cut it lengthwise around the pit, slice into the avocado with a chef’s knife until the blade hits the hard seed, then carefully rotate the avocado with one hand while keeping the knife steady in the other.
  3. Rotate the avocado halves in your hands, twisting gently if necessary, and separate the two halves and reveal the pit.

Help! Why does cilantro taste like soap?

It’s not cilantro…it’s you. Sort of!

Cilantro contains a natural chemical compound that some people (estimated 4-14% of the population) have the ability to taste better than others. The ones who can detect the compound describe cilantro as soapy, metallic, or just plain horrible. There’s nothing you can do about it, except avoid it in recipes. Parsley is a good substitute for cilantro, if that 4-14% happens to be you.

Chipotle burrito bowl in a white bowl.

How long is guacamole good for in the fridge?

Guacamole can last 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator provided you are willing to battle the effects of discoloration via oxidation.

The best ways to ward off the browning of guacamole is:

  1. Squeeze extra citrus juice over the top of the guacamole.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic directly on the surface of the guacamole in the bowl.

If all else fails, you can scoop off the brown layer of guacamole and enjoy the bright green happiness beneath!

What do you eat with Guacamole?

Enjoy guacamole on burritos, Carne Asada tacos, sandwiches, toast, veggie wraps, scrambled eggs, crackers, salads, burgers, chips… the sky is the limit! It makes a fantastic snack any hour of the day, because like I said: it’s always guacamole time. 

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Chipotle guacamole in a bowl on a white plate with tortilla chips.

Chipotle Guacamole (Copycat)

This Chipotle Guacamole recipe is the real deal. With just seven ingredients and a few minutes, enjoy as much Chipotle Guacamole at home as you can mash!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Servings 4 servings (¼ cup each)
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Calories 166
5 from 260 votes

Equipment

  • Molcajete (I use this mortar and pestle to make my guac!)

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, combine avocados, lemon juice, and lime juice. Mash until smooth. Stir in onion, cilantro, and jalapeños. Season to taste with salt (I like ½ teaspoon). Serve with chips.
  • To refrigerate, place in a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of the entire surface of the guacamole so no part is exposed to air. 

Recipe Video

Notes

For extra heat, include the seeds from the jalapeño (Chipotle does).

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 502mgFiber: 7gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 179IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. I AM SO HAPPY to have found you!!!!!!
    We live overseas, where alas there is no Chipotle– which we were addicted to in the US.
    Your recipes are delicious, amazing, absolutely perfect in every way…they taste EXACTLY LIKE CHIPOTLE!!!
    We couldn’t believe it. So thrilled we nearly cried. 😂😂😂
    We made like 5 of these recipes!
    Thank you, from my whole family, for sharing your beautiful talents with us. We are so impressed!
    ❤️
    M5 stars

    1. Hi MiKo, you are so absolutely welcome. This warms my heart so much! It’s wonderful that these recipes were able to you and your family so much happiness! Thank you so much for writing and sharing this with me. Take care! – Meggan

  2. I made chipotle copycat salsa from CulinaryHill and it was the bestest ever. If you haven’t tried that one you ought to try it out. I never thought to use jalapeno peppers instead of bell pepper – I think that was the magic.

    Anyway today I decided to make guacamole, so I googled “chipotle copycat guacamole” and this recipe comes up. I recognized Meggan’s face so I immediately decided to look no further.

    AWESOME AWESOME copycat recipe I absolutely love it, and so does my husband, and both my 11 and 12 year old sons.5 stars

    1. Janine, your comment made my day! I’m so happy that you and your family love these recipes. You’re so welcome! Take care! – Meggan

  3. This is a great recipe but I believe your carb count is way off. Avocados are a low carb fruit having maybe 3.5 carbs in total for a whole avocado 😉

    1. Hi Ms. Parker, the carb count is generated automatically and is for estimate only. Since produce size can vary so much, I would suggest using a digital scale if you are tracking carbs for best accuracy. Hope this helps! – Meggan

    1. Hi Amy, thank you for the question! The nutritional facts are generated using a program and is for estimation. A majority of the carbs in the recipe are coming from the avocados (34 carbs for two large avocados) and the red onion (4 carbs from 1/4 cup onion.) Hope this helps! – Meggan

  4. Just made this and it is delicious much better than the last recipe I tried that was full of garlic. It is now in my “always use this one” file!!!!5 stars

  5. This is a really good recipe. I tried another instant pot carnitas recipe; this one is better. Adding it to the rotation.5 stars

  6. LOVE this guacamole! My ten year old son and I have made it twice in the last two weeks. So delicious The only issue we have is that it just doesn’t last. We can’t stay out of it because it is so delish! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the universe.5 stars

  7. Thanks for this Chipotle hack. So great. Love your analysis of the original thing. Keep up the good work!5 stars

  8. I’ll be making your recipe tomorrow and I’m so excited! However, I am surprised to see the absence of garlic in your recipe? I figured that would be a staple ingredient!!

    1. So I made this and it was absolutely delicious. Had leftovers and they were even better the next day. I packaged as described with the plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole. Absolutely no browning. I was surprised to see no garlic in the recipe but it does not need it. Tastes just like Chipotle’s!

    2. Chipotle actually never uses garlic. That’s what makes their guacamole better and more consistent than others. Basic guacamole should not have garlic (or tomatoes, or pepper) in it. Those ingredients can be added, but in my experience adding garlic completely ruins the guac and gives it a burnt taste.4 stars

  9. Hi. You can also float a half-inch of water over prepared guac (after you smooth it in the bowl) to keep it from oxidizing in the fridge. Just pour the water off before you scoop.5 stars

  10. I made my own tortilla chips to go with this! I grated in some Himalayan pink salt and some garlic powder, and I think that really gave it an extra kick. Thank you! This was soo good.5 stars

  11. This is a great recipe. Like all recipes, make it your own. When feeling lazy, I cheat and use 4-6 avocados (depending on size – it has to fit in my guaclok), 1/3 can of fire-roasted tomatoes drained (freeze the rest for later), some granulated garlic and onion to taste; some ground cumin to taste – a little goes a long way; salt and pepper to taste.
    If not in a rush and are using it right away, blacken you’re own fresh vine ripened tomatoes, onion and lightly toast the garlic to fragrant in its wrapper.
    Like Meggan’s recipe , I prefer a chunky guac. The best way when using fresh, is to mash half each of the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a seasoned, volcanic rock, mortar and pestle (molcajete). According to Mexican tradition: Mashing releases the flavorful oils where processing mostly releases the water. And some lime juice. No jalapeño.
    Past the first time or two, I rarely measure anything other than “some.”
    Anyway, this is a really great recipe and this is my interpretation.5 stars

  12. Meggan. Pour a thin layer of water over the top of the guac then apply the lid or cover. Just pour n serve. No brown.5 stars

  13. I love chipotle Guacamole absolute favorite by any means. Not quite sure if this is exactly their recipe but I followed it and modified it to my own liking. It’s bomb, I would say it’s definitely a good guide to make a good guacamole if you’ve never made it before.5 stars

    1. Yeah I really have no idea. But the end result tastes the same to me. I should ask them next time I’m there.

  14. So i forgot the jala so i made it without and it would be great if I had it lol. Without its still good my son is 1 and he loves it but ill be finishing it tomorrow with the jala. Ill update then!5 stars

  15. So so good! My 10 year old son was eating it by the spoonfuls! I love cilantro, but the next time I make it, I think I’ll try 1 tablespoon instead of 2.5 stars

    1. Hi Jennifer, that’s great! I’m glad you liked it and even happier that you tweaked it to your tastes. That’s always the best way to go. Have a great week! -Meggan

  16. Deeeelicious :) Forgot the jalapeno, wanted to note that it is still really delicious even if you skip that part.5 stars

    1. Hi Ali, glad you love it! This is great information for those that don’t like spicy food! :) . -Meggan

  17. Did you know that they have their recipe on some of the brown sheets that go under the burritos and tacos? That is how I found the recipe.

  18. Yes, they fry the chips in rice bran oil. Used to be soy oil. Fry chips at 350° for 25-30 seconds, shaking or storing chips the whole time so they don’t stick, let drain til not dripping and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze fresh lime onto chips as soon as they come out of the oil and salt liberally with kosher salt and toss to evenly coat. Enjoy!

    In a medium bowl, combine avocados and lime juice. Toss until evenly coated.
    Add salt and mash until smooth.
    Stir in onion, cilantro, and peppers. Taste and add more salt if desired.
    To refrigerate, place in a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of the entire surface of the guacamole so no part is exposed to air. Serve with chips.

    Chipotle method:
    Combine salt, lemon/lime juice mix, onion and avocados in bowl. Mash until about 3/4 of the way to smooth, add jalapenos and continue mashing til smooth. Stir in cilantro. Salt to taste. VERY simple.

    1. You are my hero!!! Thanks for this, Jessica. Do you know if they are just regular corn tortillas cut up that you used to make the chips? Or some kind of special extra-thin kind? Or maybe everything just tastes awesome when it’s deep-fried. :)

  19. Only thing I will add is that Chiptole actually soaks there red onion and jalapenos in the lime juice for several hours prior to making the gauc. It softens them and provides a better texture in my opinion.

    1. THEY DO? Daniel, this is culinary gold. I had no idea. I really need to get a job in there, do they make you sign an NDA, do you reckon? I am for sure trying this. THANK YOU!!!!

    2. This is not true, I was a kitchen manager there for two years and we never did that

    1. Hi Kaity, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist so I can’t really say. If you have high blood pressure, or other conditions I know nothing about, it might be important for you to watch your sodium intake. I personally don’t worry about salt too much; sugar is my bigger concern, generally speaking. Salt aside, I believe avocados are a source of healthy fats and the rest is just veggies. I hope this helps! Thank you for your comment, and take care.

  20. I made this tonight without the jalapeño pepper and it was DELICIOUS. I couldn’t eat it fast enough. Thank you for sharing.5 stars

    1. LOL Renee!! You eat like I do, as fast as possible. :) Who has time to chew?! Well I’m so glad you liked it, it’s my favorite. :) Have a great weekend!

  21. Am I missing something.  The recipe I see above calls for 1/2 Jalapeno pepper, where did the Serrano pepper come from and in the review above where did the 4 peppers come from as well as your response of 2-4.  I’m really confused.  I tried the recipe I see above tonight and it was good.  I think it was missing something, but not sure.  I used:
    INGREDIENTS

    2 large Hass avocados, halved and pitted
    2 teaspoons lime juice
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
    2 Tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
    1/2 jalapeño pepper, including seeds, finely chopped

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Hi Dale, I am so sorry about that. There was a point where I found a “copycat” recipe that was allegedly STRAIGHT from Chipotle and it used serrano peppers. But then, Chipotle’s website actually has jalapenos, so I fixed my recipe. Yours looks perfect, you aren’t missing anything at all. Here’s a link to Chipotle’s ingredients list for all items (you can find the guac on this page). If you think it was missing something, for me that usually means it needs more salt. But that might just be me.
      https://www.chipotle.com/ingredient-statement
      The most important thing is that you liked it. I will make sure my recipe is clear, and I can delete those confusing reviews. So sorry for the trouble again, and thanks for your comment.

  22. Since Chipotle guac runs in my veins, but runs out my wallet, this is the perfect recipe! Thanks Meggan for piecing it together, I honestly can’t taste a difference.5 stars

  23. I have seen this link too, and I was so confused because I watched a video where Chipotle made the guacamole on camera (with a site called YumSugar) and provided the recipe and it had serrano peppers and lemon juice along with limes… then again seeing it again today, employees have commented on the video and said it is incorrect. So, I think I’m just going to ask them when I go there today and update my recipe. Thanks for your comment!

  24. I’ve been trying to find the RIGHT recipe for guacamole, but alas haven’t found one… till now? I’m dying to try this but I have a question. You call for 4 peppers. How hot is this?! I like a little bite but not “my lips are on fiiiiire.” ;-)
    Many thanks!5 stars

    1. Hi Shannon! I am on the same page as you with regard to spiciness. Here is what I can tell you. First of all, making sure you remove ALL the seeds and membranes from the peppers. That is crucial. And please use gloves. Second, the heat goes down as the guacamole sits. Strange but true. If you eat it IMMEDIATELY when it is done, it will be hotter than if you eat it 30 minutes or an hour later. Speaking of which, as long as you keep plastic wrap directly ON the surface of the guacamole in the fridge, it will last a long time. Days, actually. I made so much guacamole while working on this recipe, and it literally kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. It was perfect until the end. So to answer your question, the guacamole definitely had some heat immediately when I was done stirring it. But an hour or so later (which is nice so the flavors can blend) it wasn’t nearly as hot. Significantly less hot. Since I don’t cover this in my blog post specifically, I should change my recipe to say “2 – 4 peppers” and people can add more as they see fit. So maybe start with 2? The good thing is, serrano peppers are usually pretty cheap. they are typically sold by the pound and super tiny. I think I bought 7 or 8 for about twenty-three cents. I hope this is helpful. Spiciness is always subjective, but I’m a wuss when it comes to spiciness. I will also say as I put in for peppers I was thinking I’d regret it, but it turned out to be great. So. Good luck!! and I’ll update the recipe. Thanks for your input.

    2. Oh one more thing! Sorry, longest reply EVER. I used fairly small peppers, maybe 3″ in length. So if you have larger ones, you would definitely use fewer. Also, I should mention that serranos are “considered” hotter than jalapenos, but I really didn’t think so. Could have just been my batch. But yeah. A lot of factors here! Good luck.

    1. Thank you Yead! I hope you enjoy it. The serrano peppers and the blend of citrus juices make all the difference. Take care and thank you for stopping by!

  25. You’ve nailed it Meggan! That is by far my favorite part of my meals at Chipotle. Plus with their lime chips?? Mmmhmm!!5 stars

    1. Alyssa you are soooo right about their lime chips!!! I actually have a recipe for those too, although that’s the one thing that I haven’t quite nailed in duplicate form yet. I am “fairly” certain they deep-fry their chips… they must, right?! How else can something be so good! And they are also extremely thin. Even using “extra thin” corn tortillas it’s still not thin enough. So, the quest continues. But yes, to your original point, their guac is the best. And I really think this version is, too!!!! thank you so much for visiting my blog! :)

    2. They do certainly deep fry their chips, I am in Chipotle restaurants in the mornings cleaning their windows and see all kinds of good things going on. They have a person just doing chips in the morning.

    3. Well that is one mystery solved. I wonder if regular corn tortillas taste that good once they are deep-fried or whether they have some sort of special tortilla. I would love to intern in their chip-frying department, ha ha ha! So delicious. Thank you for your comments Chris, I appreciate you stopping by!