Store-Bought Guacamole, Ranked Worst To Best

Homemade guacamole is delicious but requires ingredients, preparation, and specialized storage. The last thing that I want to do is spend money on everything that's needed, chop it all up, mix it to perfection, and then watch as the guac begins to turn brown almost immediately. And that's not to mention the time and trouble you go through to find a perfectly ripe avocado! Fortunately, you can pick up an equally tasty store-bought guacamole to save yourself some work and many come in single-serving containers that reduce browning. With many chains making their own, either fresh in-store or with a signature label, there are plenty of options to get tasty guac at home. But which ones are the best and which ones are better to skip?

Great guacamole has creamy avocado as its base and plenty of flavor thanks to the addition of garlic and onion. Some blends add extras like tomatoes, herbs, and even peppers for an extra kick. I tested different brands to see which had a nice blend of ingredients and a creamy consistency. Guacamole with chunks of avocado and easy-to-open individual containers got special mention, since those features make store-bought guacamole even more convenient and delicious. Some of my favorite guacamoles were store-specific, but I also made note of which options were easy to find, because convenience and availability are another top criteria in my household of guacamole-loving kids.

As one of the only spicy options that I found at the store, the Yucatan medium guacamole is something unique on this list. It has chopped bell peppers and jalapenos to add extra flavor, but they overwhelm the creamy avocado, seasoning, and any hint of tomato and onion. They're chopped thick, which makes the guac chunky but there aren't as many large pieces of avocado as there are peppers. Yucatan makes mild guacamole and an even spicier version than this one, but only the mild authentic-style guac and medium restaurant-style guac are available in the convenient squeeze containers.

This guac comes in an airtight pouch, which keeps air from getting to the dip even after you open it. That means that the dip stays green, allowing you to use just what you need and not wasting any, an aspect of this guac that I really liked. It's just over $7 for 12 ounces, which is a bit more expensive than tub guacamole. But since this one keeps for up to two weeks without browning, you're likely to get more guac for your money and throw less away. If making the most of your budget or preventing food waste is high on your priority list, this type of container is perfect for you. You can also follow Chipotle's tips for keeping your guac green, but a tube like this is much easier.

Whole Foods makes its own guacamole fresh in-house, and it tastes that way. It's extra chunky with large pieces of avocado and tomato in the mix. The garlic and onion impact the flavor more than the consistency because they are chopped very fine. That makes the flavors well-blended and very uniform, even with the overall chunky texture of the dip. It doesn't have any additives or preservatives, either — just avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime, sea salt, and black pepper. There are blends with and without tomatoes, as well as a spicy guacamole. The mild is the most versatile, since you can leave it as is or mix in extras to suit your tastes.

The main reason that this guac ranked so low on this list is its price. Whole Foods has a reputation for being on the expensive, side so it's not surprising that its made-from-scratch guacamoles are pricey as well. The guac sold by weight, so each container is slightly different, but expect to pay between $6 and $7 for the smallest container. That works out to almost double the cost per ounce as some other brands. While this is good guacamole and made with fresh ingredients, it's not the best in taste or texture, and I can't justify spending that much when there are better options that are also more budget-friendly.

This guacamole is from Giant's organic line and has a lot of flavor, but is a bit watery compared to other brands. Mixing it before serving helps but it is still on the thin side with few, if any, chunks of avocado. If I went with the Nature's Promise guac, I would definitely need to mix in chopped avocados, tomatoes, and onions to doctor it up. Adding pico de gallo, which is also available pre-made at many stores, is a great trick to introduce these fresh flavors into your guac. This option works better as a base for a semi-homemade dip rather than on its own. The consistency is the main reason that this comes in at such a low ranking, since the taste is pretty good and there is a good balance of seasoning.

Even though it is one of the smaller guacamole containers it still costs over $6. The package contains four individual servings that are 2 ounces each, but when you consider that it is organic, the price is decent. If sticking to organic ingredients within a tighter budget is important to you, it might be worth dealing with the thinner consistency. Just be sure to consider the cost of other ingredients if you want to transform it into a chunky dip or add something unexpected to the mix.

The Kirkland Signature guacamole is great for both flavor and texture as it has hunks of avocado, plus tomatoes and onions, in the mix. This is a particularly chunky guac blend with large pieces of tomato and onion that add visual interest to your plate, plus plenty of salt and pepper to bring out the flavors of the ingredients. The taste, which has a nice balance between onion and garlic, is what convinced me to make this a staple in my household grocery list. The blend is heavy on cilantro, giving it an earthier flavor than many other guacs, which might be a pro for some and a con for others. It benefits from a little mixing to make it look for appealing right out of the container but it tastes great from the first bite.

Because it's sold at Costco, it comes in a large package that is perfect for a family that loves individual servings of guac and each one is separately sealed. Costing around $14.00 for 16 containers, it is a particularly good value, especially when you consider that this is an organic dip. Plus, the cups are a little bit bigger than other individual servings and are perfect for packed lunches or snacks. Each container has a best-by date printed on it, which tends to be a few weeks from the date that it's available at the store.

The Good & Gather guacamole from Target comes in both a squeezable pouch, which prevents it from browning, as well as a traditional tub. Salt is the dominant seasoning, making it a good option for tacos or other savory dishes that have other fresh ingredients to balance the flavors. Because it comes in a squeezable container (assuming you opt for that one), it is easy to apply within a taco shell or add to the top of nachos. If you're serving it as a dip, you'll need to mix it bit to make it look more appealing than it does right out of the pouch. It also benefits from some tomatoes, chopped jalapenos, and other additions to boost the texture and give it a more complex flavor.

This guac costs around $5 for a 12-ounce package. That's on the expensive side for the size, but considering it won't go to waste and doesn't require special storage, you may get more out of this purchase than a regular tub of guacamole. Good & Gather also comes in a sharable container, which is a little bit cheaper per ounce. The individual serving cups would be a good alternative to the squeezable pouch since they also prevent browning of leftover guac. The brand is only available at Target, which might mean a special trip if you want to get this guac specifically. I thought it was solid, but didn't particularly stand out from other options out there in terms of taste or texture.

The Park Street Deli guac is available at Aldi and comes in mild or spicy, both of which have rich flavor and nice texture. The mild variety is good for my kids, but I prefer the spicy one, which has a little bit of a kick. Even though it doesn't contain extras like tomatoes and onions, the large chunks of avocado mixed in are big hits with my family. This guacamole is on the salty side, which wasn't as obvious while eating as it was afterward when I needed extra water. It works best on tacos, nachos, or other dishes where the saltiness plays well off savory taco meat, cheese, sour cream, and other toppings. It's not my favorite to eat with chips, which are already salty. 

Aldi is known as a budget-friendly grocery store, and this guac is one of its in-house brands that lives up to the store's reputation. It's not the cheapest option on our list when you consider price per ounce, but it comes in individual servings, reducing the likelihood that you'll have to throw extra away. It's one of my top choices for on-the-go guacamole thanks to the value for single-serving cups. Each package contains six individual cups and costs around $4.25. If you opt for the larger tub to share, keep in mind that any extra guacamole will turn brown if left exposed to oxygen.

The jalapeno pepper in the classic Sabra guac adds just a hint of spice that makes it unique among classic guac options. But it's the creamy texture that really stands out in this guacamole. This stuff is very smooth, so if you like a creamy guac, it's a great choice. There aren't many chunks of avocado, which moved it slightly down on this list. But some people prefer a more blended dip, so it might just come down to personal preference. The blend of spices and seasonings is very well balanced, which ultimately gave this guac a higher spot on the list than it would have gotten based on just texture.

Sabra also makes a few different guacamole styles which you can find at multiple grocery stores. If you want to avoid making a special trip to a particular store for its guacamole, this is a reliably good option that is easy to find. When I'm at a store that carries Sabra guac, I am happy to add it to my cart rather than going to a different store in search of a brand that is only slightly better. It is a little pricey, thought, despite it's a pretty standard guac without any special ingredients. It costs more $7 for four individual portions that are just 2 ounces each. Still, its overall flavor and texture land it third.

The Trader Joe's chunky guacamole is one of the few out there made with Greek yogurt, which is the reason behind its light green color. The combination of avocado and Greek yogurt makes it extra creamy and a bit milder than those made with just avocado as a base. When eating it as a dip, I generally prefer a mild guac rather to a spicy one, so this hit the mark for me. If you want something with a bit more kick, some chopped jalapenos will do the job. Trader Joe's chunky guac has significantly less fat and calories than traditional guacamole, but it's the taste and texture that make it one of my favorites.

It costs around $4.50 for a 12-ounce tub, which is a similar value to most other guacamoles out there. As its name suggests, it's only available at Trader Joe's, so you might need to make an extra stop if you don't shop there normally. But this is one of the few guacamole options that I would go out of my way to pick up because of its unique flavor and texture. To keep it in the fridge longer after opening the container, press plastic wrap directly onto the guac and then put the resealable lid back on. While it doesn't maintain the same vibrant green hue as it would if it was packaged in single-serving containers, this method does a good job of reducing browning to a minimum.

Another large size that's carried at Costco is Good Foods organic guacamole. Rather than individual cups, these are sized to share at 10 ounces each. This guacamole has chunks of avocado that hit the spot if you like a chunky texture, but they are still consistently blended with the other ingredients in the guac. This guac is one of the closest replicas to homemade that I've gotten pre-made at the store, primarily due to its texture as well as all of the extras like tomatoes and onions mixed into the blend.

Other grocery stores carry multiple styles of Good Foods guacamole, but Costco only has the organic chunky option. It is one of the best from Good Foods and on this list overall, so you'll be happy with the blend of flavors and texture. It's around $11 at Costco, which is a good value for this much guacamole and a fantastic price for an organic one. Combine its budget friendliness with great texture and taste, and we've got a clear winner on our hands. The only complaint I can muster about this dip is that the airtight seal can be hard to get off the container, which made getting to the tasty guacamole inside a tiny bit harder. But when it tastes that good, every second counts!

Taste and texture were top considerations, with balanced flavors and creaminess being two of the most sought-after attributes. I carefully taste tested all of the options with plain tortilla chips and chips flavored with Old Bay seasoning, considering the blend of flavors. I tend to prefer guacamole with chunks of avocado plus other mix-ins like tomatoes, so the dips that had larger pieces got high marks for texture. However, even some of the smoother guacamoles were very balanced with spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Watery guacamole or dips that needed a lot of doctoring before they would work on their own went to the bottom of the list. Some were too heavy on one ingredient, such as salt, which ultimately made them less enjoyable to eat.

I mentioned when brands had individual serving cups available since leftover guacamole can quickly turn brown if not stored correctly. Single-serving cups eliminate this common problem, but airtight squeezable containers also worked well and were easy to use. My family frequently packs guacamole for lunch, and we tested all of the single-serving cups in our lunchboxes. Some were difficult to open, which slightly lowered the convenience factor, but didn't impact the taste of the guac. I don't like running all over town for special brands while grocery shopping, so I mentioned a few that were available at multiple stores. Some of the best-tasting guacs were store-specific, but there were also plenty of choices that worked well and were easier to find.