guacamole
condiments
avocado
vegetarian
game day
spicy
memorial day

Actor and chef David Burtka steers away from the classics when making the guacamole from his cookbook Life Is A Party.

"In the lemon vs. lime guacamole debate, I come down on the side of lemons," says David. "They just give the guac more zip. Besides, I got the idea from Ina Garten, the undisputed queen of everything cooking-related. If it's good enough for Ina, it's good enough for me!"

Make It Pretty: Serve the guacamole in a stone mortar if you're feeling fancy.

David likes to serve this with his Homemade Tortilla Chips. Plus, have you tried David's Classic Margarita or his Watermelon Agua Frescas?

Adapted from Life Is A Party by David Burtka. Copyright © 2019 by David Burtka. Used with permission by Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • 6 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
  • 1 large lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, halved, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
  • Hot sauce
  • Homemade Tortilla Chips, or store-bought

Yield

Serves: 6 to 8

Preparation

In a medium bowl, use your hands to mash the avocados with the lemon juice, garlic, red onion, cilantro, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. (Or have your kids mash up the avocado with their hands first. Kids love getting their hands dirty.) Wash your hands, then use a spoon or spatula to stir in the jalapeno, half the tomatoes, and hot sauce to taste. Taste the guacamole and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl and garnish with the rest of the tomatoes and the whole cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Transfer any leftover guacamole to an airtight container and nestle an avocado pit into the guacamole to prevent browning. Press the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole and seal the container. Store in the refrigerator and eat within 1 day.