Avocado Tacos

These fried avocado tacos are easy to make and loaded with awesome flavor from crispy fried avocados and corn tortillas, beans, cotija cheese, tomatoes, cabbage, and a zesty serrano cream sauce.

Avocados are one of my favorite fruits. I eat them for breakfast in my caprese avocado toast, for lunch in salads like my Greek yogurt avocado chicken salad, and for dinner in dishes like this healthy grilled halibut with tomato avocado salsa. It’s one fruit you can always find on our kitchen countertops and one I never tire of. Not only are cool and creamy avocados totally delish, but they boast a plenty of health benefits. They’re a great source of healthy fats, potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin B6.

And while I do love a creamy avocado, sometimes I want a little crunch and this fried avocado taco recipe delivers it every time. Dredging the avocado slices in panko and frying gives them a crunchy outside with an irresistibly creamy interior. Frying the corn tortillas as well ensures these tacos have the ultimate crave-worthy crunch. Refried beans bring the protein, and tomatoes and cabbage bring freshness (and even more crunch). Finally, a drizzling of my homemade serrano cream sauce adds just the right amount of heat so I know I’m still in taco land. 

What’s in These Avocado Tacos

For these tacos, you’ll need ingredients to make the avocado breading, as well as veggie accouterments and sauce ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Avocados (choose avocados that are ripe but firm)
• Egg
• Milk
• Flour
• Panko bread crumbs
• Cayenne
• Chili powder
• Kosher salt
• Canola oil
• Corn tortillas
• Cotija cheese
• Refried black beans
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes (cherry or fresh, ripe tomatoes if in season)

For the Serrano Cream Sauce

This zesty sauce is the perfect blend of spice and tang and complements these fried avocado tacos perfectly. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Serrano chile pepper
• Cilantro
• Green onions
• Sour cream
• Limes
• Water
• Garlic salt

How to Make Avocado Tacos

These fried avocado tacos are so simple and come together in no time. Here’s how to make them:

Make the breading. In a shallow bowl whisk flour with cayenne, chili powder, and salt. In another shallow bowl, mix egg with milk. Then, in a separate shallow bowl, add the panko.

Prep the avocados. Cut the avocados in half, remove pits and slice halved avocados into 4 equal slices. With a large spoon, scoop out whole slices from the avocado peel. Set slices aside.

Fry it Up

Frying both the avocados and the corn tortillas gives these tacos the best crunch.

Fry the tortillas. Fry the corn tortillas in canola oil heated to 350ºF according to a deep fry or candy thermometer attached to the side of the pan. Let them drain over a large plate with paper towels.

Fry the avocados. One by one, dip avocado slices into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then toss gently in panko crumbs. Next, add the avocado slices to hot oil and fry in small batches until golden brown.

Make the creamy serrano sauce. Place the serrano pepper, cilantro, and green onions in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend. Add kosher or more lime juice to taste.

Assemble the tacos. Spread 1 to 2 spoonfuls of refried beans to the bottom of a taco shell, top with slivered cabbage, then stuff the shells with 2-3 fried avocado slices. Top with tomatoes, cotija cheese, and Serrano cream sauce, then top with cilantro. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

Tips for Cooking with the Perfect Avocados

These are a few basic rules I go by to ensure I’ll be cooking with a perfectly ripe avocado:

•  Buy them firm. I usually buy my avocados while still quite firm and allow 2-3 days of ripening power on the countertop before it’s time to eat or use for cooking.
• I never refrigerate a not-yet-ripened avocado, unless I want to stave off the ripening process.
•  A hack for quick ripening: If I need to expedite my ripening time I’ll place the avocado in a paper bag with a banana. A hormone in bananas called ethylene speeds up the ripening process and within 12 to 24 hours I’ll have a ready-to-slice and devour avocado. With a touch of kosher salt, please.
• I don’t peel my avocados, but instead cut them in half from stem to stern, twist the halves in opposite directions and pull the sides apart resulting in one half with the pit and one pitless. From there it’s all about slicing, then using a spoon to spoon out the slivered sections.
• To prevent your avocado halves from browning, I’ve found the best way to store them is to set the unused section of the pitless half back onto the pitted side and set it in my refrigerator. They stay firm and ready to eat for several days afterward with no discoloration. I don’t even wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in a container. And yes I discovered this due to pure laziness and not wrapping a leftover. But I was delighted to find it made it so much easier to pull from the fridge, dash with kosher salt and eat. Are you detecting a pattern here?

What to Serve with Avocado Tacos

• Pico de Gallo
• Mexican Corn Dip
• Easy Mexican Coleslaw
• Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

More Taco Recipes You’ll Love

• Breakfast Tacos
• Grilled Steak Tacos
• The Best Carnitas
• Just Like Taco Bell Tacos
• Taco Stuffed Avocados with Chipotle Cream
• Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos

 

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