How To Tell If Store-Bought Guacamole Is Worth It

While you all probably understand that homemade guacamole is typically the way to go, it's not always realistic. Sure, you can use seasonings to make guacamole in a pinch, but even then, you don't always have the time. So when those guacamole cravings hit, sometimes those plastic store-bought containers and a family-sized bag of Tostitos seem like your best bet. That is, until you get home and realize what you thought was guacamole tastes more like puréed avocado baby food than a flavorful Mexican dip.

This isn't to say you shouldn't ever buy your guacamole from the store. However, instead of grabbing the first one you see, you can avoid future disappointment by ensuring that the guacamole you get is actually worth it. How do you do that? By looking at it closely to inspect its texture: Good store-bought guacamole will have a visibly chunky texture with ingredients that you can actually see.

Even the most basic guacamole will contain a few things: Avocados (duh), tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime juice, salt, cilantro, and, if it's spicy, some sort of pepper or chili powder. By looking at the ingredients list, you can check to see which of these any guacamole at the store contains. While powders and seasonings are okay and aren't necessarily a sign of a bad batch of guacamole, you should opt for a guacamole that contains more fresh ingredients than not. Not only will it pay off in the flavor, but the texture as well. In fact, if you can visibly see pieces of avocado, onion, tomato, and cilantro in the guacamole, you can have faith that the guacamole won't disappoint.

You'll see this rule reflected in our ranking of the 10 best store-bought guacamole brands as well, where lower-ranked brands like Yucatan and Taste of Inspirations were critiqued for being too smooth while higher-ranked brands like Good Food's chunky guacamole and Whole Food's 365 received good notes for their visibly noticeable ingredients. 

So, if your guacamole craving hits and neither of those brands can be found, pick up another container, read the ingredient list, and take note of which ingredients you can visibly see.