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Tortilla chips and guacamole are one of the best chip-and-dip combos of all time<\/a>. According to recipe developer Marissa Gencarelli (who developed our guacamole recipe<\/a>!), guacamole is rooted in Mexican history and was originally created by the Aztecs, \u201cwho enjoyed it over tortillas much like we do today.\u201d Hundreds of years later, it\u2019s still a party must-have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While it\u2019s hard to compete with the freshness of homemade guacamole<\/a>, there are still plenty of great pre-made tubs out there. How can we be so sure? Well, we spent weeks researching and an entire afternoon dipping our way through 10 different brands to find the absolute best one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n For the purposes of this test, we focused on guacamole brands that were advertised as just<\/em> guacamole \u2014 free of extra spices, add-ins, or flavorings. We narrowed down the brands based on availability, popularity, and affordability. They ranged in price from $3 all the way up to $8, although most were around $5 at the time of this tasting. We also requested input from our editorial team to round out the list of 10 competitors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n We grabbed a group of testers, a big bowl of chips, and 10 bowls of chilled guacamole (everyone was psyched!). After a long-yet-delicious hour of dipping, one guacamole stood out for its chunky texture and \u201csuper-flavorful\u201d taste.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When all the tallies were in, Herdez Guacamole<\/a> earned the honors of the <\/em>best store-bought guacamole of the bunch. Herdez is a Mexican-owned-and-operated brand that has an incredibly popular salsa verde<\/a>, so it was not too big of a shocker that its guacamole is also top-notch. \u201cThe flavor is definitely big on this one,\u201d raved Ola, our culinary associate. \u201cI can see myself hosting a party with this being the star of the spread.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n She wasn\u2019t the only one. Susan, our associate director of brand innovation and strategy, summed it up perfectly: \u201cIt\u2019s really chunky, and I LOVE it.\u201d The ingredient list is short, and contains just avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and serrano peppers. Ola also praised its \u201cslight heat\u201d and \u201cfresh flavor\u201d that Ali, our associate groceries editor, echoed: \u201cThis guacamole checks all of my boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n We were a bit surprised to see Sabra Guacamole<\/a> clinch runner-up status \u2014 mainly because we usually associate the brand with its delicious hummus<\/a>. Turns out, it makes really<\/em> great guac, too. In fact, the number-one thing that Ali looks for in a good guacamole is acid, and Sabra\u2019s had a \u201cstrong, lime-forward flavor\u201d that kept her dipping.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Susan also raved about its lime flavor, \u201cbright-green color,\u201d and \u201ccreamy, savory texture and taste.\u201d This guacamole\u2019s strong citrus flavor, largely due to the combination of lime juice concentrate and ascorbic acid, was a bit overpowering for some, like Kayla, our senior special projects manager. But if lime is your thing, then you\u2019ll love<\/em> this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cZesty, balanced, and very fresh,\u201d are the five words Ola used to describe this store-brand guacamole. The diced red onions and tomatoes added to its \u201ccolorful appearance.\u201d\u00a0I could \u201cget on with this one,\u201d she wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Brian, our executive director of people operations, was also a big fan: \u201cIt has a nice spice and lime flavor that tastes like it was freshly made.\u201d This was the only guacamole to come in smaller, 2.5-ounce cups, which we like for easy snacking and packing.\u00a0<\/p>\n So how come this guacamole didn\u2019t rank higher in our tests? Well, others, like Ali, found the \u201creally strong garlic flavor\u201d a bit overwhelming (although it would make an excellent avocado toast<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBest Guacamole: Herdez Guacamole<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Runner-Up: Sabra Guacamole<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Honorable Mention: Kirkland Signature Organic Chunky Guacamole<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n