Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe and 6 Cooking Tips

Fried avocado tacos are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly tacos featuring breaded and fried avocado tucked into a corn tortilla. Like avocado fries that get served as an appetizer at many restaurants, these crispy avocado bites are a fantastic vegetarian alternative to animal protein.

Tacos are endlessly customizable. Here are some ideas for making fried avocado tacos to suit any palate:

1. 1. Fried avocado taco salad: Skip the tortilla for a mess-free, lunch-friendly taco salad. Create a bed of iceberg or romaine lettuce mixed with red cabbage, and top it with the fried avocado, cheese, beans, and a cooling element like sour cream or guacamole.
2. 2. Fried avocado tostadas: If you’re going to fry the avocado, why not fry the tortilla? Create a tostada by frying the tortilla in oil, then frying the avocado, and topping the whole dish with the accouterments of your preference.
3. 3. Vegan fried avocado tacos: Most fried avocado recipes use egg to help the breading adhere to the avocado slices. For an easy vegan alternative, make a flax egg. Corn tortillas are naturally vegan, and many of the most delicious taco toppings are also plant-based.
4. 4. Gluten-free fried avocado tacos: To make gluten-free avocado tacos, stick to corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas. Replace the flour and breadcrumbs used for dredging with your favorite gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free breadcrumbs, or simply use coarse almond meal to replace both.

For the best flavor, season each element of the fried avocados: the flour, the egg mixture, the breadcrumbs, and the avocado itself. Here’s what else to know:

1. 1. Choose just-ripe avocados. Unripe avocado can taste bitter, but it might fall apart during the cooking process if it is too ripe. Here’s how to tell if an avocado is ripe.
2. 2. Make your own breadcrumbs. If you have any loaves about to go stale, use them to make homemade breadcrumbs. Just roughly chop the stale bread and pulse it in the food processor until you have coarse crumbs. Learn more about how to make breadcrumbs.
3. 3. Choose the best frying method. Most restaurants deep-fry their avocado, but shallow-frying (frying in just an inch or two of oil) is more accessible for home cooks. If you have an air fryer, that can be a great alternative.
4. 4. Cook in batches. Whichever cooking method you choose, it’s important to cook the avocado slices in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan or other cooking vessel. If you deep- or shallow-fry, crowding the pan can cause the oil temperature to drop, resulting in soggy, oily avocado. If you bake or air-fry your avocado, placing the slices too close together could lead them to steam rather than brown.
5. 5. Drain excess oil. The best way to keep fried foods crisp is to provide plenty of air circulation. Nestle a wire rack in a baking sheet, and transfer the fried avocado to the wire rack to drain. Season the fried avocado slices with salt immediately to help the seasoning adhere.
6. 6. Eat immediately. Leftovers won’t be nearly as terrific as when you first make the fried avocados since fried foods soften or become soggy as they sit in the fridge. Enjoy your fried avocado tacos right away.