Your Guacamole Will Taste Better With This 30-Second Hack

For a condiment as zesty and flavorful as guacamole, its components are fairly simple. You don't have to throw in the whole spice cabinet to make guacamole taste good. Aside from avocado, guacamole is made up of a basic combination of onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapeño, all of which are mixed together and seasoned with lime juice and salt.

Chances are you already have a great go-to guacamole recipe, but if you want to take the flavor up a notch, consider cookbook author Cindy Pawlcyn's 30-second hack for a dressing that will make all the difference. This according to Food52's Ella Quittner, who did just that: adapting Pawlcyn's dressing for avocado salsa to give her own guacamole mix a lift.

In "Fog City Diner Cookbook," Pawlcyn finishes her avocado salsa off with a homemade vinaigrette consisting of 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. But instead of mixing the dressing in with the rest of the ingredients, Pawlcyn pours it over the salsa as the last step. Similarly, Quittner recommends doing so for guacamole, just pouring it over the guac before you're ready to serve. If you've ever been served hummus with a pool of olive oil around the top and sides, this is basically the guacamole version of that.

If you've ever had to toss your leftover guacamole on account of it turning brown before you got the chance to use it, Cindy Pawlcyn's hack has the added bonus of extending the dip's shelf life. There are plenty of ways to keep your guacamole from turning an off-putting color, including mixing in more lime juice, or adding a layer of water on top. But if you don't want your guacamole to be too sour, or are afraid of watering it down, covering it in a delicious vinaigrette is the best option.

According to Delish, the olive oil works to preserve the green of the avocado for as long as 24 hours. Oil of any kind, whether it be olive oil or vegetable oil, forms an "oxygen barrier around the mashed avocado," the outlet explains, which in turn staves off the oxidation process. Not only does a pool of oil-based vinaigrette add a delicious layer of flavor to your guacamole, it also keeps it fresh so you can enjoy it longer.