[1] Try guacamole with different garnishes. Here, pomegranate arils, cotija cheese, and diced avocado (photo © Avocados From Mexico).

[2] Chef Richard Sandoval’s signature Bacon Guacamole. Here’s the recipe (photo © Maya Restaurant | NYC.

[3] Your signature could be chunky guacamole: diced avocado instead of mashed. Here’s the recipe (photo © California Avocado Commission).

[4] Make your own guacamole seasoning blend. The recipe is in the *footnote.

Updated September 2026

Dating back to Aztec times, guacamole sauce was made from avocado, a local form of onion, chiles, fresh tomato, and salt—a recipe that’s still made today.

The ingredients were mashed in a molcajete (mol-cah-HET-tay), a Mexican pestle carved from volcanic stone, although today granite is an easier-to-clean option.

Different regions, using local ingredients, created thousands of variations.

You can add your own “signature” recipe to the list.

Below:

> The many approaches to guacamole.

> Create your own signature guacamole recipe.

> Fusion recipes: guacamole x international cuisines.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> Beyond Mexico: guacamole recipes with global influences.

> Beyond tortilla chips: more ways to serve guacamole.

> More about the Hass avocado.

> 18 ways to spice up guacamole.

> The history of guacamole.

> The history of the avocado.

> The history of tortilla chips.

> The year’s 7 avocado holidays.

> The year’s 25+ Mexican food holidays.

> 60 avocado recipes.

> Guacamole BLT crostini recipe.
 
 
1. THE MANY APPROACHES TO GUACAMOLE

The name of the dish comes from the Aztec language, Nahuatl: ahuacamolli (ah-waka-MOLE-ee), which literally translates to “avocado sauce” (ahuacatl is avocado, molli is sauce).

The Spanish conquistadors pronounced it huac-ah-MOE-leh.

The Aztecs likely used a basic recipe initially; but over time different regions of Mexico began mixing local ingredients, creating thousands of variations.

Today, the better Mexican restaurants often offer a tasting appetizer of three or four different recipes.

Go for it!

At Maya by Chef Richard Sandoval in New York City, Chef Sandoval offers regional variations that include:

• Traditional, made with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro and serrano chile
• Baja, with flavors from Baja California—kiwi, jicama, strawberry, mango, mint, arbol chile, lime and sea salt
• Norteno, with signature ingredients from the North—chicharrón (fried pork rinds), pickled onions, salsa fresca, Serrano ham, queso fresco, roasted corn, lime and sea salt
• Pacifico, with grilled beet, roasted walnut, queso fresco, diced orange, citrus chipotle salt and lime juice
• Sur, incorporating flavors from the South including grasshoppers (uh…fried grasshoppers are a popular snack in Mexico and you can buy them online), tomatillo, cotija cheese, onion, cascabel chile, cilantro, lime and sea salt.

 
 
 

[5] The ancient Mesoamericans used a molcajete carved from lava stone to mash and grind (photo © IMUSA).

Perhaps the best way to enjoy National Guacamole Day is to create your own signature recipe. To the mashed avocado, lime juice and salt, add any of the following.

Not all at once, of course!

• Tomato group: tomato, tomatillo, salsa, sundried tomatoes.
• Onion group: chives, onion, green onion/scallion, pickled onions, red onion, shallots.
• Heat: chili flakes, minced chiles, hot sauce.
• Cheese: blue cheese, cotija, queso fresco, grated Cheddar (try jalapeño Cheddar) or Jack.
• Creamy: crème fraîche, Greek yogurt, sour cream.
• Fruit: dried fruits, mango, melon, papaya, pomegranate arils, strawberry.
• Herbs: basil, cayenne, cilantro, mint, parsley, sage, tarragon.
• Vegetables: asparagus, bell pepper, corn, garlic cloves, jicama, radish/daikon.
• Wild card: bacon, crab meat, minced pork or ham, olives, toasted nuts.

 
 
3. FUSION GUACAMOLE RECIPES

Check out these fusion recipes from the California Avocado Commission, blending flavors from international cuisines with Mexican guac:

• Cajun Guacamole
• French Guacamole
• Greek Guacamole
• Italian Guacamole
• Japanese Guacamole

There are dozens of pages of guacamole recipes on the website.

Here’s a Cranberry Guacamole recipe for the holidays.
 

[6] Present this cranberry guacamole as your “signature guac” for the holidays (photo © California Avocado Commission).
 

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