January 2, 2018
If you’re hosting a watch party for the big game, a birthday celebration, or simply a gathering of friends at your home, you want to be the host with the most — most guacamole, that is.
We don’t doubt that your friends love dipping into always good guacamole. But have you ever made your world-famous guacamole for a crowd? Nothing kills a party faster than a dry guac bowl, so it’s important to make sure there’s enough to go around. These tips and tricks will help you make enough guacamole for everyone (even pesky party crashers) to enjoy, all while keeping things fresh.
Related: Keep things fresh by checking out our guide to creative guacamole appetizers.
How Many Avocados Do I Need?
It depends on your guacamole recipe, but a good rule to follow is roughly half an avocado per person. Count your guests and divide by two to yield the number of avocados you’ll need. It’s not rocket science, it’s guac-it science.
Picking Avocados in Time for the Party
A party-size bowl of guacamole calls for the right avocados — ripe avocados. A good rule of thumb is that the darker the avocado, the riper it is. You can also give an avocado a light squeeze, and if it gives a little, it’s ready to party.
To make enough guacamole for a crowd, you may want to consider getting your avocados a couple days in advance. Here’s a cheat sheet for perfect timing:
- If the party is today or tomorrow, buy avocados that are dark green with bumpy skin and are slightly soft when you squeeze them.
- If the party is in two or three days, buy avocados that are green and firm. Let them sit on the counter until the day of the party — they’ll ripen just in time!
- If the party is in four or five days, buy avocados that are green and firm, but store them in the refrigerator. Take them out and let them ripen on the counter two or three days ahead of the big day.
See what we mean in this video:
How to Make Guacamole for a Crowd
Basic guacamole is mashed Avocados From Mexico, lime juice, and salt. Traditional ingredients include chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro — you can’t go wrong with that. But since everyone has different tastes, making guacamole for a big crowd means you’ll need to make something for everyone. Good thing guacamole is the most customizable snack food in the world.
When you’re preparing guacamole for a crowd, here are some things to consider:
- Spice: Some like it hot, others do not. If you have fire-eaters coming over, consider making a bowl of spicy guacamole just for them. Here’s our pepper-picking guide.
- Texture: Are you a chunky guac person? Or do you keep things smoooooth? Consult our guacamole texture guide to get that perfect consistency.
- Allergies/Diets: Do any of your guests have allergies or diets to consider? Don’t give up on the guacamole. It’s easy to make gluten-free guacamole, and there are plenty of vegan guacamole recipes, too.
- Crazy Ingredients: You might be a fan of banana chipotle jelly guacamole, but unless you run with a really niche crowd, not everyone will appreciate such a … umm, unique appetizer. We say follow your heart, but maybe serve up something more traditional, too.
A fun solution to make sure everyone at your shindig has the perfect guacamole: Set up a DIY guacamole bar. Guests can mash their own custom dip and make things as simple, spicy, or wacky as they want. Win-win-win-etc.
The ♥️ of the Party
Know what’s a good party trick? Showing off how much you know about avocado nutrition. Let your guests know that avocados are essentially the only fruit with good fats, which offer benefits in the body without raising LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. That means fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit, and are cholesterol-, sugar-, and sodium-free.
In other words, you should invite them to more parties.
Leftover Guacamole = An Awesome After-Party
When the party’s a-rockin’, folks are a-guacin’. But when the fun ends and your guests head home, you might have some leftover guacamole. Lucky you!
The good news about leftover guac: You can store it for later! When avocado flesh is exposed to oxygen, it oxidizes and turns brown. Just squirt lime juice over the surface and cover with plastic cling film. Make sure that the cling film is pressed firmly against the surface with no air pockets. Store it in the refrigerator and your guac will remain bright green, fresh, and delicious for a couple days. The party lives on!
Party Tips Beyond the Dips
Guacamole is enough to create good times on its own, but pro hosts know that with awesome parties comes awesome responsibility. Discover our top party-planning tips here.
Get more avocado inspiration on our recipes page.
FAQs
It depends on your guacamole recipe, but a good rule to follow is roughly half an avocado per person. Count your guests and divide by two to yield the number of avocados you'll need.
How do you keep guacamole fresh during a party? ›
Place guacamole in a sealed container
Using an airtight container keeps the amount of oxygen coming into contact with the guacamole to a minimum. It also locks out moisture and humidity, which maintains food's freshness.
What's the easiest way to make guacamole? ›
Add your peeled and de-seeded avocados to a bowl and use a fork to mash them just enough like the photo below. You want some nice chunky pieces. Add in your lime juice, grape tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño and a little salt and pepper. Give it a stir with your fork to fold in all of the ingredients.
How long before a party can you make guacamole? ›
You can make homemade guacamole 1 to 2 hours ahead, as browning is inevitable. Store it in the fridge with plastic pressed firmly over the top until ready to serve. If you'd like to get ahead further, the day before, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the tomato.
How to bulk up guacamole? ›
Double Your Serving Guacamole
- 1 cup of frozen peas completely thawed.
- 2 ripe avocado diced.
- 1/4 red onion diced very fine.
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatos diced and seeded.
- 2 cloves crushed garlic.
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon.
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.
- Salt to taste.
When you use roughly 1 tablespoon of lime juice per avocado, the acidity will prevent the avocados from turning brown overnight in the fridge. I always make this recipe the night before with no browning. Use a tall (not wide) storage container.
How long should you refrigerate guacamole before serving? ›
Add about a half-inch of water to the top of the guacamole. Make sure the water covers the whole surface of the batch. Put the lid or covering on the container, and store in the fridge for two to three days. When you're ready to enjoy your guac, gently pour off the water and stir before serving.
Is it cheaper to buy or make guacamole? ›
Making guacamole is fairly easy and, when homemade, easy to customize, so you can have it exactly the way you like it. But the primary reason that you should make your own if you can is that it's much cheaper — about half the cost, in fact.
Can I use vinegar instead of lime in guacamole? ›
Apple cider vinegar: This has a slightly sweet and tangy flavor that can be a good substitute for lime juice in guacamole. Use about half as much vinegar as you would lime juice. Orange juice: This has a sweet and citrusy flavor that can add a unique twist to your guacamole.
Is lime juice necessary for guacamole? ›
All you really need to make guacamole is ripe avocados and salt. After that, a little lime or lemon juice—a splash of acidity—will help balance the richness of the avocado. If you want, add chopped cilantro, chilis, onion, and/or tomato.
Some people swear by this one, so we had to put it to the test. The verdict: Contrary to popular belief, adding the avocado pit to guacamole does not prevent oxidation. In fact, if it sticks out above the surface, it creates air pockets that prevent the plastic wrap from adhering tightly enough.
Does Saran Wrap stop guacamole from turning brown? ›
Make your guacamole, then place any uneaten dip in a resealable container. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the dip, lightly pressing all over to make sure the plastic is directly in contact with the entire surface of the dip. Store the guacamole in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
How much lemon juice to keep guacamole from turning brown? ›
I simply squeezed the juice from half a lemon over the surface of the prepared guacamole. I checked for browning after one hour, one-and-a-half hours, and two hours. Results: I couldn't believe how well this worked!
How many avocados in 1 lb of guacamole? ›
of guacamole, then it requires 2.5 avocados to make one pound of guacamole. To produce 8 million pounds of guacamole, we therefore require: => 20,000,000 avocados are produced from 8,000,000 pounds of food. Therefore, 8 million pounds of guacamole require 20 million avocados to prepare.
How many avocados for 25 lbs? ›
Pack Sizes
A 25-pound case holds two layers of fruit. The size designation equals the fruit count, e.g., size 48 = 48 count. A 12.5-pound case holds one layer of fruit. The size designation is double the fruit count, e.g., size 48 = 24 count.
How much avocado per person? ›
They're high in fat, but it's monounsaturated fat, which is healthy as long as you don't eat too much of it. The recommended serving size is one-third of a medium avocado. Research suggests eating avocados might help prevent cancer, arthritis, depression, and inflammation.
How many ounces of guacamole for 20 people? ›
Feeds 18-20 people.
