Gordon Ramsay’s guacamole is a chunky, lime-sharp dip made with ripe avocados, shallot, garlic, red chilli, plum tomatoes and fresh coriander, mashed by hand with a fork in under 10 minutes. The recipe comes from Fast Food, where he serves it alongside beef fajitas with soured cream and says to get everyone involved in making it. It is one of two guacamole recipes across his cookbooks.
What sets his apart from most is the shallot. He uses finely chopped shallot instead of the red onion that almost every other recipe calls for, which gives a milder, sweeter bite without the sharp raw edge that overpowers the avocado. In Quick and Delicious he publishes a second version that swaps half the avocado for frozen peas and mint, which he calls “so much brighter, fresher and better for you than shop-bought.”
His other non-negotiable is the mash. He writes “lightly mash with a fork until you get a chunky paste,” which means stopping well before it turns smooth. The lime juice goes in before the fork because the acid coats the avocado and slows browning. That way the guacamole stays green on the table instead of turning grey before people reach for a second scoop.
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Gordon Ramsay Guacamole Recipe
Course: AppetisersCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes135
kcal10
minutesRamsay’s Fast Food guacamole that goes with his beef fajitas. Shallot instead of red onion for a milder bite, fork-mashed chunky, lime juice first to hold the colour. He also publishes a pea and mint version in Quick and Delicious.
Ingredients
2 medium ripe avocados
Juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 ripe plum tomatoes, finely chopped
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Halve and scoop: Cut the avocados in half, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a bowl. For a clean scoop, Ramsay suggests slipping a dessertspoon between the flesh and the skin and running it gently around the fruit.
- Add lime and mash: Pour in the lime juice and lightly mash with a fork until you get a chunky paste. Do not blend or overwork it.
- Mix in the aromatics: Add the garlic, chilli, shallot, tomatoes and coriander. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl and eat straight away with tortilla chips, crudités, or alongside fajitas.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use shallot instead of red onion?
Raw red onion has a sharp, lingering bite that sticks around long after the avocado flavour has faded. Shallot is sweeter and softer, so it blends into the dip rather than shouting over it. In a recipe with only seven ingredients, every one of them has to earn its place, and a milder allium lets the lime and coriander do more of the talking.
Most guacamole recipes online choose red onion for the colour contrast against the green. Ramsay picks the shallot for flavour instead, which is why his tastes cleaner even though it looks simpler on the plate.
Does Ramsay add Tabasco to his guacamole?
Not in the cookbook recipe, but in a Kitchen Nightmares episode where he has staff making guacamole blindfolded, he tastes the result and says “there’s no Tabasco in there,” which tells you he expects it. The Fast Food recipe uses fresh red chilli instead, which gives a cleaner burn without the vinegar that Tabasco carries.
If you want both, chop the chilli into the dip as written and add a few dashes of Tabasco on top at the table. The chilli builds slowly while the Tabasco hits straight away, so they layer rather than doubling up.
What is Ramsay’s pea and mint guacamole?
A completely different recipe from Quick and Delicious that swaps half the avocado for frozen peas and all of the coriander for fresh mint. He defrosts the peas under running water, sweats a sliced onion in olive oil, then blends everything with double the lime juice of the classic version. The result is brighter green, lighter and tangier.
He says it works “with tortilla chips or spread on toast as an alternative to houmous,” which connects it to the same dip-with-crudités role as his beetroot hummus with za’atar. Both sit on a party platter at room temperature without wilting, so you can set them out early and let people graze.
What does Ramsay serve guacamole with?
In Fast Food he serves it with his beef fajitas, soured cream and warm tortillas, where everyone builds their own at the table. He writes to “get everyone involved in making them,” which is why guacamole works well alongside his beef empanadas for the same kind of hands-on, pass-the-plate meal.
The pea and mint version from Quick and Delicious goes in a different direction: raw vegetables, baby gem leaves and mini cucumbers, more like a light lunch dip than a dinner side. Both versions work with tortilla chips, but the classic pairs better with hot food while the pea version suits cold spreads.
How long does guacamole last?
Not long. The avocado starts browning within an hour of being mashed, and no amount of cling film or extra lime fully stops it. Make it fresh and serve it the same sitting. If you need 30 minutes of hold time, press cling film directly onto the surface so no air touches the dip, then stir before serving.
For a party where you need dips that last longer, put the guacamole out last and let his anchovy dip with crudités cover the table while you mash. The anchovy dip actually improves as it sits, so it fills the gap until the guacamole appears fresh at the last minute.
