Grilled Avocado Tacos Recipe
This easy avocado tacos recipe is made with creamy grilled avocados, a little bit of queso fresco, pickled onions and a tangy lime crema. You’re going to love them!
Grilled Avocado tacos, an absolute must this summer! They may not look like much, but trust me before you know it you’ll be shoveling your 5th taco in your mouth.
Recommended Equipment
Before You Begin…
I like to make the crema before I start doing anything with the avocados or the grill. The flavors meld together if you let it set for a few minutes so the flavor is more bold and fabulous. Our favorite brand of crema is Cacique!
How This Recipe Came to Be
I once had a roommate who made avocado tacos. At first appearance it seemed almost too easy to me, but then she let me try one. And try it I did, over and over, and over again. They were delicious, light, easy and surprisingly flavorful. And then I got married, moved out and totally forgot about them for a few years.
And then enters my darling friend, Lisa. Lisa is a vegetarian and although I’m all about the meat I find myself frustrated for her when people or restaurants don’t have options for vegetarians. I actually think there is no excuse for a restaurant to not have at least a couple of vegetarian options unless it’s something like a place that specializes in just meat, like J Dawgs.
I’m constantly trying my hand at vegetarian recipes ever since meeting Lisa, kind of like this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, and then one day I remembered the avocado tacos. I’m not saying that these are the most over the top, crazy delicious dinner recipe you could make, but they really are super delicious, and perfect for both vegetarian and meat eaters at get-togethers or BBQ’s.
In fact, we eat them all the time, and if it’s lunch and we don’t want to heat up the grill we just cook the tortillas and skip grilling the avocados. It’s still delicious, I promise. And because Lisa started this new search in us, we’ve actually found that we prefer to not eat meat every single night. Our bodies seem to respond better to meat sparingly. Go figure. But I will say, meat and protein in the form of meat is still essential for us. And Lisa doesn’t mind.
Ingredients for Grilled Avocado Tacos
For the Tacos
- Corn Tortillas: We have become obsessed with this Vista Hermosa brand of corn tortillas. They have such great flavor and hold up well.
- Avocado: You want a ripe but firm avocado that can hold up to the grilling.
- Salt and Pepper: Adds flavor to the avocado as it grills.
- Olive Oil: Helps the avocado get a little crispy and not stick to the grill.
- Queso Fresco Cheese: This is commonly found at most grocery stores now. It is found in the cheese section or by the Mexican products by the lunch meat. Cotija cheese can also be used.
- Pickled Red Onions: Adds a great pop of flavor, color and tanginess.
- Lime: A quick squeeze of lime on top adds the best fresh citrusy flavor.
For the Crema
- Crema: If you can’t find crema, sour cream will work just fine. Crema can also be found in the refrigerated Mexican food section.
- Mayo: combines with the crema to create the base of the sauce
- Lime: adds brightness and acid to the crema
- Chili Powder: adds a little heat and delicious flavor
- Smoked Paprika: adds smokiness and flavor
Scroll down to the end of this post for all the details and measurements of each ingredient. You can also save or print the recipe from there.
Best Avocado Tips
How to Pick a Ripe Avocado
Gently squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand. If it indents slightly, but does not remain indented, it is ripe. If it remains indented or feels mushy, it is overripe. You can also gently push on the stem, if it slightly pushes into the avocado, it is ripe.
How Do You Keep A Cut Avocado From Turning Black?
You can tightly cover an avocado with plastic to slow down the darkening process. You can also sprinkle a little lemon or lime juice on the cut avocado and then cover. Leaving the pit in also helps a lot!
Are Avocados Fruit or Vegetable?
The avocado is technically a fruit. Avocados are high in antioxidants. These nutrients are very important for eye health and lower your risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
How to Cut an Avocado
We have a whole post on how to cut an avocado, so head there for all the details!
What is Queso Fresco Cheese?
Queso Fresco cheese is a creamy, soft, and mild unaged white cheese. It is often used in Latin American countries including Mexico. Queso Fresco cheese is similar to Feta cheese.
What is Crema?
Crema is a tangy Mexican sour cream that has some added flavor to it. It is a condiment frequently used with Mexican dishes. I’m pretty much obsessed with it and use it instead of regular sour cream in all my Mexican meals these days!
How to Grill Avocados
Grilling avocados couldn’t be easier! Heat the grill to medium heat. Then slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Leave them in the skin! Brush the insides with a little olive oil and then sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
Place them face down (skin side up) onto the grill. Close the lid and let them cook for just a few minutes. As soon as grill marks appear, pull them from the grill using tongs and let them rest for a minute. I like to slice the avocado inside the skin with a paring knife being careful to not slice through the skin and then scoop it out from the skin using a large spoon.
Does Grilling Avocados Soften Them?
Adding heat to an avocado actually does soften the fats so avocados can be slightly underripe before grilling and they will come out perfectly.
Light, fresh, healthy, and on the table in less than 10 minutes! This is one of my go-to summer meals and the whole family loves it! Serve grilled avocado tacos with a side of black beans, and some fresh pineapple, and you have a dinner worth singing about!!
More Vegetarian Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Vegetarian Chili
- Brown Butter Sage Gnocchi
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 25 Minute Vegetarian Butternut Squash Pasta
- Best Quesadilla
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Panini
- 20 Minute Cherry Tomato and Basil Angel Hair Pasta
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- All our Vegetarian Recipes!
Grilled Avocado Tacos
Description
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 5 Corn Tortillas
- 1 Avocado ripe but firm
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Queso Fresco Cheese crumbled (found in the cheese section or by the Mexican products by meat)
- 1 Lime cut in wedges
- Pickled Red Onions
For the Crema
- 1/3 Cup Crema or sour cream
- 1/4 Cup Mayo
- 1/2 Lime juiced
- 3/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Instructions
For the Crema
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Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.1/3 Cup Crema, 1/4 Cup Mayo, 1/2 Lime, 3/4 teaspoon Chili Powder, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
For the Avocado
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Heat a grill to medium high heat.
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Cut open the avocado and remove the pit. Do not remove from the peel yet.1 Avocado
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Brush each open face with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper
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Place inside down on the grill and cook for 2-5 minutes or until grill marks have appeared.
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Remove from the grill using tongs and allow to cool while you proceed.
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Place each tortilla on the grill and grill each side for a few seconds, flip, and cook again, until grill marks begin to form and the tortilla puffs slightly.5 Corn Tortillas
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Remove from the grill and set on a plate.
To Assemble
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Slice the avocado in 1/8 inch slices lengthwise, remove from the peel, and layer a few slices in each tortilla with a little cheese, some pickled onions, and some lime crema and a squirt or two of lime juice.Queso Fresco Cheese, 1 Lime, Pickled Red Onions
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Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
READ: Grilled Avocado Tacos Recipe
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