Quick & Easy Guacamole Dip

Five-minute guacamole dip for parties when there’s no time to make the traditional version. The trick this version uses is mayonnaise to extend a single avocado into a generous bowl of creamy dip without diluting the flavor too much. Tomato, minced onion, and diced green chilies do the work that fresh jalapeño and cilantro would in a more authentic recipe.

This isn’t a purist’s guacamole, and that’s the point. The mayo gives the dip body and a faintly tangy richness that holds up against thick tortilla chips, makes it go further at parties, and slows the avocado’s browning even without lime. For situations where one avocado has to feed a crowd, this is a smart compromise.

The lemon juice does double duty: brightening the flavor against the richness of the mayo and avocado, and adding the citric acid that prevents enzymatic browning so the dip stays green-ish during the party.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a fully ripe Hass avocado. Underripe avocados give a stringy, flavorless dip
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dip while it chills. Air contact is what turns guacamole brown
• Drain the canned green chilies thoroughly. Wet chilies water down the dip
• Salt at the end and taste. Mayo varies in saltiness so over-seasoning is easy

Variations

• Skip the mayo entirely and use 2 ripe avocados for a more traditional guacamole
• Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin for deeper Mexican flavor
• Substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon for a more authentic Mexican profile