Hi, my name is Angelica and I'm kind of a guacamole snob. So I made it my mission to taste test every grocery store guacamole I could get my hands on and decide which is best once and for all.
I went to 6 grocery stores and bought 12 different guacamole brands in total, ranging from prepackaged national brands to guacamoles that were made by the actual stores.
For total transparency, what I'm looking for here is the closest I could find to a traditional guacamole I grew up eating. While I'm flexible on the flavors (Some are garlicky. Some are citrusy. I'm open to it!), I think it's important to be able to actually taste the avocado and not just that not-so-pleasant artificial avocado flavor. I tend to prefer a bit of a chunkier guacamole over a totally smooth one but it's all about balance, in my opinion.
That being said, I rated each guacamole on five criteria — flavor, texture, variety of ingredients, freshness, and value for the price — and gave them an overall rating. Each rating is out of five, with one being the worst and five being the best.
To be as impartial as possible, I asked my partner to scoop each chip for me so I wouldn't know which one I was tasting until the very end. Each guacamole was tried with the same kind of tortilla chip, which I got from Trader Joe's.
A tortilla chip taste test though........ Now that's another idea. 👀
Without further ado, let's get to the rankings:
12. Simple Truth
I was not a fan of this one at all. Right off the bat, this one had a really artificial taste and I learned that this brand's whole ~thing~ is that they don't use preservatives. I couldn't quite put a finger on what it tasted like but it wasn't guacamole. I didn't taste any avocado but it had a weirdly floral aftertaste that I couldn't get out of my mouth.
As for the texture, there were some little chunks in it but overall, it was a little too smooth for my liking, bordering on feeling slimy. The flavor was pretty uniform: I couldn't identify any spices or bits of veggies while I was eating it. Despite what the label said, this one definitely didn't taste very fresh to me. Personally, I wouldn't purchase this guacamole again.
This guacamole cost $3.99 for 8 oz, making it $7.98 per pound. I calculated the mean price of all the guacamoles in this test and came out with a price a little over $8 a pound ($8.09 to be exact). I gave it a 2/5 on price, though, because I think you can get muchhhhh better guacamoles for the same (if not less) money.
11. Sabra
If you like a really lime-heavy guacamole, this is the one for you. It's got a very strong lime flavor but I couldn't really taste the avocado. Between the super-smooth texture and the flavor, it felt more like some kind of lime and avocado salsa than a guac.
From the bites I got, it all felt like one, uniform texture. My partner said there were big avocado chunks at the bottom of the container, though, so do with that what you will. If you've ever had one of those Starbucks avocado cups, it tastes pretty similar to that. Much like the previous one, I couldn't really make out any flavors (besides the lime) and was really missing the tomato and onion chunks. It also tasted really artificial.
This guacamole was $7.89 for a one-pound container. I feel pretty similarly about this one as I did about the last one's cost — I think you could be spending your money more wisely.
If you want to try this one yourself, I bought this one at Ralph's (Kroger), but you can also find it at Target or your local grocery store.
10. Ralph's Deli
Ralph's is a SoCal-based grocery chain tied to Kroger, which has locations all over the US, so I decided to throw it into the mix as well.
Immediately, I tasted a strong, artificial avocado flavor. It had a kind of chemically, almost sour aftertaste. I was not a fan. While I liked the flavor of this one less than the previous two, I did appreciate that there were chunks in it. In one of my test scoops, I bit into something crunchy that tasted almost fruity. I couldn't quite make out what it was — and it definitely didn't taste like something I've had in a traditional guacamole — but I appreciated that there was some texture in there.
This guacamole definitely had a lot going on. I didn't necessarily love all the flavors, nor could I exactly identify them, but I did kinda feel like I was going on a ~journey~ from the minute I put it in my mouth. So technically, yeah, there was a lot of variety.
As for freshness, while I got some crunch from the veggies, the really strong artificial avocado flavor makes this a 1/5 for me. That, and the fact that two days later, it was still almost fully green in my fridge.
Listen, nobody likes it when the guac starts getting all brown but it's a little off-putting when it doesn't brown at all, you know?
I paid $9.35 for 1.17 pounds of this guacamole, making it $7.99 per pound. Once again I feel similarly about this price as the previous two but I'm taking off half a point because it was by far the most I paid for one single container and there were no smaller size options.
It's possible that they had smaller sizes and they sold out earlier in the day, but I didn't see smaller sizes in any of the dips or salsas out with it so I really can't say either way. Still, it's nice to have options!
9. Wholly Guacamole
This guacamole was reallllly heavy on the garlic. Personally, I like a garlic-heavy guac so I didn't mind it. It was a little on the salty side and definitely had an artificial flavor. TBH, it tasted exactly how I'd imagine prepackaged avocado would taste but I found that I noticed it a bit less because the other flavors were strong. I wouldn't exactly call it fresh or traditional but the artificial flavor and aftertaste were weaker than those of the previous ones.
The texture was pretty smooth, with the exception of some little onion chunks. It felt more like the texture of an avocado toast spread than a guacamole. Can confirm I had this on some toast for breakfast the next morning and quite enjoyed it.
Final verdict: not the best guacamole but a pretty good garlicky avocado toast spread.
My Target didn't have the full-size Wholly Guacamole containers so I bought these individually packed ones, which cost $6.79 for 12 oz in total. That means it's about $9.05 per pound. That's a whole dollar more than the average price and while I didn't hate it, I don't think it's worth the money.
8. Trader Joe's Avocado's Number
This one tasted pretty similar to the last one, TBH. Really garlicky, really salty, same texture. The color, texture, and flavor were so close, my partner had a hunch that they actually might be the same guac in different packaging. I checked the ingredients and they're pretty much identical, but I'm admittedly not an expert so I'll leave it at that. Regardless, I'd say these are pretty much tied and rank the same for me on all criteria aside from price.
I paid $4.49 for one pound of this guacamole, which is the best bang for your buck in this whole test. You also get two prepackaged containers so you don't have to use it all at once and can prevent that sweet, sweet guac from turning all brown and mushy if you don't eat it all right away. I gave this a five on price because, while it's not the best, I think it's a great deal and not bad overall.
7. Sprouts Farmer's Market Deli
This one differed from the others in that it had a bit of a spicy, smoky taste. It was very subtle but it was the first thing — and pretty much the only — thing I tasted. Aside from that, though, it felt watered down. It didn't bring a lot to the table aside from being a little spicy and the flavor of the tortilla chip seemed to overpower the flavor of the guacamole. It wasn't bad but I wish it had more going on.
This was, by far, the chunkiest guac and had a lot of variety in ingredients. I thought it was too chunky personally and could use more avocado. The texture felt a little closer to that of pico de gallo. As far as freshness goes, this felt pretty middle of the road. It was definitely an improvement from the previous ones but I wish the veggies had been less soggy.
This guacamole costs $5.99 for an 18 oz container, making it $5.32 per pound. While I didn't think the quality was great, the price is waaay under the average and less expensive than some other guacs I enjoyed much less so I gave the price a three and a half.
6. Trader Joe's Organic Chunky
We're making progress, folks, because I bit into this one and immediately said, "Wow, that tastes like guac!" It tasted fresh, clean, and simple. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't really anything special, either.
There were definitely some chunks in there but the flavors all kinda blended together. Mostly, they just added some texture. I also got some avocado chunks in my bite which I enjoyed, but my partner said there was pretty much a fully unmashed avocado piece in the middle. I didn't know this was a thing about packaged guacs but apparently it is??
I paid $3.99 for this 10 oz container, making it about $6.38 per pound. What I was not expecting to learn from this test was that Trader Joe's is the place to go for a guacamole that's just okay but won't break the bank. I think this is a really fair price for what it is — not the best but not the priciest, either.
5. Yucatan
I would consider this a pretty middle-of-the-road guacamole. It had a good flavor: It was a little salty and the citrusy flavor stood out. Neither of those was overpowering, though. It didn't taste super artificial but it wasn't the freshest, either.
The texture was very silky and uniform overall. There were no chunks but it tasted more like actual guacamole than the avocado spread the other smooth ones resembled. For that, I gave it an extra half point above those. While the texture was pretty homogenous, the taste wasn't as uniform and I liked that was able to make out different ingredients and flavors like the citrus.
This 8 oz container cost me $4.49, making it $8.98 per pound. I gave the price a 3.5 because that seems a little expensive for the quality. It's about a dollar over the average and — while I liked it better than some of the previous ones — I think you can get a better bang for your buck out there.
If you wanna give this one a try, you can find it at Walmart or your local grocery store.
4. Erewhon*
*While Erewhon grocery stores are only located in LA, it's pretty well known for — and gone viral online for — being a fancy grocery store a lot of celebrities shop at. So, for comparison, I decided to throw it in the mix.
This was another lime-heavy guacamole but the flavor was more subtle and balanced this time. It was a little sour and had a smoky aftertaste that burned just a bit. I wouldn't necessarily say it tasted like a traditional guac but after all these artificially tasting ones I tried, I liked that it tasted fresh and like it was trying something different.
My partner pointed out that it tasted a bit more like an avocado-lime-jalapeño dip than a guacamole, which felt like a fair observation. Either way, I wasn't too mad about it.
I really liked the texture of this one. There was a good balance of smooth avocado, little avocado chunks, and the crunch of the onion and tomato. I actually bit right into a chunk of jalapeño, which — after eating this many smooth guacs — I was pleasantly surprised by. It definitely had lots of variety and I could make out the flavor of the individual components, which I enjoyed. They worked well together and I liked that every bite gave me something a little different. Thus far, this was the freshest guacamole I tried.
This guac costs $13.49 per pound and I paid $5.39 for this little 2 oz container. It's by far the most expensive guacamole in this test; however, I'm going to give a three for price because I do think you can taste a difference in the quality of the ingredients.
Final verdict: If you like a lime-heavy guacamole and you're a little bougie, this is the one for you.
3. Whole Foods
This had a great flavor. It was garlicky, limey, salty, and had a hint of cilantro (but it didn't give me the soapy taste I usually get when I eat fresh cilantro — a very important note). It was a tad bit too salty in my opinion but I liked the variety of flavors. This one just barely ranked higher than the one from Erewhon but it felt a little more traditional.
I enjoyed the texture of this one a lot. It had a good smooth-to-chunky balance, especially with the avocado. There weren't as many veggie chunks but it tasted clean and fresh.
This guacamole cost $6.19 for my 0.62-pound container, making it $9.98 per pound. I'm giving this four stars because — similarly to Erewhon — I think it's a little pricey but I do think you can taste the difference in quality.
2. Target Good & Gather
I was very pleasantly surprised by this one, TBH. It was limey, it was garlicky, and it had a bit of a kick. I could actually taste the avocado and it didn't feel like it was being overpowered by the other ingredients. It kinda tasted like a combination of the last two guacamoles, highlighting the best of each while feeling a little more traditional.
Similar to the last one, there was a good chunky-to-smooth ratio and the flavors worked well together and complemented each other. All the vegetables had a good crunch and tasted fresh, which really stepped this one up compared to the others. I'd definitely buy this one again.
I paid $4.69 for this 10 oz container, making this guacamole $7.50 per pound. It's not the cheapest guacamole but given the quality, I think you definitely get your money's worth with this one.
1. Herdez Traditional
I took one bite of this guac and immediately knew it was gonna be the winner. (AKA I asked for like four more bites because WOW.) It tasted fresh, clean, and traditional. I could taste the lemon, garlic, onion, and avocado individually but none of them overpowered the others. I especially loved how it highlighted the natural flavor of the avocado, whereas a lot of the other guacs tended to cover it up.
This had pretty much the perfect chunky-to-smooth ratio. Specifically, I enjoyed that the consistency of the guacamole was a little thicker than the previous ones. It wasn't goopy and held up on the chip. It had a good variety of mix-ins; they were fresh and crunchy, and everything worked together really nicely.
As for the price, this 15 oz container cost me $7.49, making it $7.99 per pound. This is just under the average price of guacamoles in this test and I think the quality is muuuuuch better than most of the ones I tasted today. So I'd definitely say it's worth it!
If you'd like to try it yourself, you can find it at Walmart or your local grocery store.
Thanks for coming along on this journey with me, y'all! Now go on and enjoy your guacs with this newfound knowledge!
If there's anything else y'all want me to try and rank, shout it out in the comments below!
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