Crunchy Avocado Tacos will Change Your Life
We all love tacos, am I right? I’ve made many versions, and the first impulse when I make a plant-based taco is to go meat-y. Mock meat taco filling is the bomb. But what if we swerve a little, and use warm, creamy avocados as the main ingredient? Crunchy Avocado Tacos will rock your world.
These tacos are a fun, deliriously tasty way to eat your fave hand-held, and I promise everyone will love them. The combination of lush avocado and a crispy shell flecked with panko crumbs is just sooo good.
To make these plant based tacos into a real flavor powerhouse, I made a lightly spiced chickpea flour batter, then dipped the avocado slices in it. A coating of panko gives them the unparalleled crunch, when you shallow-fry them for a few minutes. Gluten-Free diners can used crushed GF cereal, like Rice Chex, to get a really crispy crumb. So far, I haven’t found a good GF panko, so I just go with the crunchy cereal for GFcrunchy coatings.
If you are avoiding oil, try placing the coated slices on a parchment-lined pan in a 425 F oven for 10 minutes or so.
Crunchy Avocado Tacos May Become Your Favorite
My love for tacos is deep and abiding, I’ve posted several delicious taco recipes, like these Spicy Walnut-Beet Tacos , Taco Rice, and these Taco Sweet Potatoes. Avocados are the sexy star of the plant based world, combining the creamy richness of cheese or mayonnaise with the high-fiber, nutrient density of a fruit.
As decadent as they seem, avocados are really nutritious, with more potassium than a banana. Their rich texture comes from healthful fats, the good monounsaturated kind. They have lots of oleic acid, a particular kind of fat that has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve heart health.
So, for fun, we will FRY them! I know, it sounds so un-virtuous, but hey, once in a while a little low-heat frying in some healthful avocado oil is a fine thing. Avocado oil is stable at high heat, so it’s not bad to fry with it.
Start the New Year off right with your new favorite taco. Crunchy Avocado Tacos will win you over, with one delicious bite!
Crunchy Avocado Taco with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas ( or use cauliflower, flour, whatever works)
SALSA
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 1 large jalapeno chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 pinch salt
BEANS
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 pinch salt
AVOCADOS
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 6-8 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or crushed GF cereal
- 2 large avocados, not too ripe
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves torn
- avocado oil for frying
- salt to taste
- lime slices for serving
- hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- For the tortillas, either wrap in a paper towel and prepare to microwave for about 45 seconds just before serving, or wrap in foil and warm in a 300 F oven for about 10 minutes, just before assembly. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels for draining the avocadoes.
- In a medium bowl, toss the pineapple, jalapeno, cumin, onion and salt. Reserve.In a medium bowl, mix the beans with chipotle and season with salt. Mash lightly, and reserve.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, oil, vinegar, chili powder and water. Put the panko in another bowl. Pour canola oil to a depth of about half an inch into a large skillet and place over medium heat.
- Working quickly, slice each avocado in half, remove the pit, and then use the tip of your paring knife to slice each half in quarters inside the shell. Use a spoon to scoop the slices out of the shell without breaking. Drop the slices into the chickpea batter and gently toss to coat. Coat each avocado slice in panko, then carefully place in the hot oil. Once all the slices are in the pan, and the oil has returned to a sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low. Turn each slice of avocado as it browns, until all the sides are golden brown and crispy.
- Heat the tortillas so they will be ready when the avocados are. Drain the avocado slices on the paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a little salt, if desired.On the serving platter or individual plates, place two tortillas per person and spread a couple of tablespoons of the bean mixture in each tortilla. Put two slices of avocado in each and then divide the salsa among the tacos. Sprinkle with a few leaves of cilantro. Serve immediately, with lime slices for garnish and hot sauce on the side.
