Let’s Talk Guac: 5 Guacamole Recipes for Cinco de Mayo – Familia Kitchen (2024)

Alongside its tequila-loving cousin, la margarita, el guacamole is the star of the show at Cinco de Mayo, a day we honor the wonders of all things Mexico. And while la fiesta de Cinco didn’t get its start as an authentic day of Mexican commemoration (as opposed to, say, a way to sell mucho beer in the 1980s), things have changed. Thankfully.

Hoy, the annual fiesta is also about meaningfully recognizing and saluting the history, culture and traditions of our neighbor to the south. As Familia Kitchen contributing editor writes in The History of Cinco de Mayo: What Is It, Who Celebrates It and Why?: “We’re not sayingyou shouldn’t enjoy the tequila-y-taco special día at your local Mexican restaurant.What wearesuggesting is:Consider Cinco de Mayo an opportunity to learn about a day that originally celebrated Black and brown solidarity against colonialism and slavery.”

And what better way to do that than over a bowl of an authentic dish first served in Mexico more than 500 years ago? Because guacamole was one of the earliest local culinary experiences of los Españoles showing up in ships in the 1500s, writes Isabel Wright in her . ”When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 1500s, they saw local Aztecs eatingāhuacatlin a sauce they calledāhuacamolli. After some shoddy translation, they gave us the wordguacamole. Back then, the dish had just one ingredient: avocado, and the Spaniards wereobsessed. Can we blame them? The Aztecs were culinary pioneers, and we are still enjoying their ingenious dish.”

Yes we are: we are still enjoying their ingenious dish AND we are still obsessed. We’re betting you are too.

5 Guacamole Recipes for Your Cinco Celebrations

Here are family-favorite guacamole recipes shared with Familia Kitchen by our community of talented homecooks. Choose one or more and let the fiesta begin.

MariCarmen’s Classic Guacamole With 1 Secret Ingredient

”Guacamole is, for me, such a big deal,” writes Familia Kitchen go-to Mexican cocinera and tequila connoisseur MariCarmen Ortiz Conway. “it is one of the most typical recipes of Mexico because it is green, white and red—like our flag. Green from avocados, white from onion, red from tomato. It’s beautiful. It’s healthy. It has it all. One more reason guacamole is so important, adds MariCarmen. It’s meant to be shared. ”It’s the perfect hors d’oeuvre to eat acompañado: accompanied. El guacamole,la magaritayel tequilaall taste best when enjoyed with your favorite dishes and with your family and friends: people you love.”

>>Ready to make MariCarmen’s recipe? Find it here!

Gollita’s Essential Guacamole

While growing up in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, in a family of siete, Gollita González learned how to cookfrom her grandmother. The techniques and traditions she passed on from her abuela go into every dish, making Gollita one of our most trusted cooks for Mexican recipes here at Familia Kitchen. Gollita’s family recipe for creamy guacamole is notable for its simplicity and bold flavors. Be sure to mince the garlic clove before you mix it all together to let its flavor seep into every bite.

>>Ready to make Gollita’s recipe? Find it here!

Bex’s Guacamole and Pico de Gallo

This dos-por-uno recipes with guacamole and pico de gallo comes from Bex, a Puerto Rican-Polish homecook married to a husband with Mexican heritage. She is a tremendous cook, as you’ll see in this impressive recipe. ”Cooking comida traditional de Puerto Rico, México, y mucho más is a way that I connect to mi familia,” writes Bex.

>> Ready to make Bex’s recipe? Find it here!

Guacamole Crostini With Onion and Bacon Jam

In this recipe, Familia Kitchen homecook says she kept the guacamole recipe simple and got fancy with the topping and presentation. ”I paired it with a sweet caramelized onion and bacon jam, served on lightly toasted baguette slices.In each bite, you get the fresh citrusy flavor from the guacamole, a hint of smokiness from the bacon, the sweetness of the caramelized onion, and a light crunch from the toasted bread.”

>> Ready to make Michelle’s guacamole crostini? Find it here!

Want to Mix Things Up? Serve Guacamole With Plantain Chips

”Although guacamole is traditionally served with corn tortilla chips, our family loves the sweet/salty combo of guac with sweet potato chips or plantain chips, making our family’s guacamole a Dominican version after all,” writes Lig Mendez Goodwillie, a Familia Kitchen go-to homecook whose family comes from the Dominican Republic. She loves to make guacamole and advises getting all your ingredients chopped and ready to mix before you crack that first avocado to keep it as green and un-oxidized as possible.

>>Ready to make Lig’s recipe? Find it here!

And Because You Need to Scoop All That Green Goodness: Totopos!

Easy and inexpensive to make, totopos—homemade tortilla chips—take your guacamole, salsas and dips to the next level of delicioso.

>> Ready to make your own totopos?

Now that you’re good to go on guacamole, what about the rest of the fiesta menu, including main dishes, dessert and, of course, drinks?

OurFamilia Kitchen Guide to Cinco de Mayois full of ideas and recipes for what to eat and drink at your fiesta this year and the next and the next and the next… We will keep updating it every year with new family-favorite recipes for you and your family to have a super-féliz and delicioso Cinco de Mayo.

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