8 Tips For Better Guacamole Slideshow

We only use California-grown, Hass-variety avocados at Dos Caminos because they are the creamiest and most flavorful. The easiest way to determine if a California avocado is ripe is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe and ready-to-eat fruit will yield to gentle pressure. If it's not quite ripe, place it in a paper bag with a tomato or apple overnight; the natural gases they release will ripen the avocado quickly.

Everyone will have a different answer, but for me, lime, chiles, cilantro, and salt are mandatory. At Dos Caminos, we prepare it to the guest's personal tastes — mild, medium, or spicy — and they can omit any ingredients, such as cilantro, that they don't care for.

Use a spoon, and mash gently just until you have enough creamy mashed avocado to bind the chunks for the perfect texture.

First grind the onion, salt, cilantro, and chile to a paste with a mortar or the back of a large spoon. This releases the oils of the ingredients and really creates the flavor. The rest of the ingredients can then be tossed in gently.

We use a combination of serrano and jalapeño peppers — serranos for heat and jalapeños for their fruity, floral aromas.

We have a version that adds mango, papaya, and habanero, and another one that adds lump crabmeat and chipotle chiles. Lobster and chicharones are also fun additions.

Click here for 6 Twists on Guacamole.

Corn tortilla chips are the classic, but we also offer a crudité of cucumber, jicama, and radish to dip. Warm soft corn tortillas, fried pork rinds, and even pretzels are very good dippers.

The key is the perfectly ripe California Hass avocado. Once you have that, there is very little you can do wrong!

Check out the Perfect Guacamole recipe.