Crispy Avocado Tacos

These crunchy avocado tacos are destined to become your new favorite! With a crunchy breading, they have the vibe of a fish taco but are completely plant-based.

Meet Your Recipe Soulmate: Crispy Avocado Tacos. Could there be a tasty tortilla filling? We don’t think. They have avocado fries, breaded and baked in a hot oven until crisp, with a texture reminiscent of a fried fish taco. Then add seasoned black beans, pico de gallo and the refreshing crunch of romaine lettuce. Drizzle with a creamy lime and cilantro sauce and it’s heaven on a plate. It tastes like restaurant tacos but is easy to make in your kitchen. Let’s cook!

Start with baked avocado fries

The inspiration behind these vegan avocado tacos are these avocado fries. As we were going through a set, I casually mentioned to Alex, “Would be great in tacos.” We looked at each other. Yes! Avocado Tacos. The main part of the work in these tacos are the fries. Here are some pointers on how to make them:

• Get ripe but firm avocados. The most important part! You don’t want mushy avocados because they won’t stand up to the breading process.
• Cut avocados safely. See below for more!
• Set up an assembly line. There are three stations in the avocado breading process. Dip the slice in the flour and spices, then in the lime juice and olive oil, and finally in the panko.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. You don’t even have to go back!

How to Make Avocado Tacos: Basic Steps

These avocado tacos aren’t just avocado fries, they’re a cinch to make! We’ve tried to keep the other toppings quick and easy so you can make them while the fries are in the oven. Here is the basic process:

• Prepare the avocado fries. While they’re in the oven…
• Season black beans. This recipe has a quick and easy black bean flavoring. The main ingredient is the adobo sauce made from a can of chipotle peppers (see below).
• Prepare the sauce. This avocado taco recipe has a simple cilantro sauce that coats it with creamy, tangy goodness.
• Grill the tortillas. It’s optional, but we always reheat our tortillas by charring them over an open flame on the stovetop. It gives them great flavor and looks gorgeous too. Go to How to Reheat Tortillas.

Cilantro Taco Sauce (and a few other options)

The taco sauce for these vegan avocado tacos is also quick and easy…so you can get them ready while the avocados are cooking! However, you can also prepare other sauces if you prefer. Here’s a breakdown of the sauce options:

• Cilantro Taco Sauce: It contains mayonnaise, lime juice, coriander, garlic powder and cumin. All you have to do is mix! Done and done.
• Spicy Mayo: Even Easier! 2 ingredients (mayonnaise can also be replaced with sour cream).
• Shrimp Taco Sauce: Similar flavor to cilantro sauce, but also made with yogurt.
• Chipotle Sauce: A vegan tahini-based sauce with a spicy twist!

The safe way to cut an avocado

The most important thing when it comes to avocado tacos: Cut the avocado properly! If you get it wrong you could end up cutting yourself. Here’s how to do it safely (and watch the video below):

1. Cut around: Using a large chef’s knife, slice lengthwise around the avocado. Twist the two halves to separate them.
2. Pit holding a towel: Take a towel and put the avocado on it. In one gentle but quick motion, tap the knife into the pit of the avocado.
3. Use our safety tip: Don’t try to remove the pit from the avocado by hand! Instead, pull the cutting board close to your body, then place the core against the very edge of the cutting board and pull back to free it from the knife. (Check out the video below for this part!)
4. Remove and slice: Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the skin. Place the avocado cut-side down and slice. To dice the avocado, turn the slices and cut crosswise to get diced avocado.

Learn more about adobo sauce… and how to use up leftovers

The black beans in this avocado taco recipe have some adobo sauce on them. It’s optional, but it’s our favorite way to add flavor to Mexican dishes! Here’s more about it:

• Spanish spice and marinade mix is a tomato and chili sauce that provides a hearty, smoky flavor. It’s the sauce packed in a can of chipotle peppers! Chipotle in Adobo Sauce are sold in most grocery stores here in the United States and are available near Mexican produce.
• This recipe only calls for adobo sauce. Simply take 1 teaspoon of sauce from the box. The sauce is slightly spicy, but not as hot as the chipotle peppers! Each brand of box contains different amounts of adobo sauce, so you’ll need to experiment and find your favorite.
• Refrigerate or freeze the rest. You can use leftover adobo sauce and chipotle peppers in recipes! Try it in veggie enchiladas, veggie tortilla soup, or quinoa chili.

Side dishes to serve with avocado tacos

Once your vegan avocado tacos are ready, it’s time to serve! Here are some of our favorite ways to outfit this whole food recipe for a party (on a weekday we just go to town with the tacos);

This avocado taco recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.