This recipe is LONG overdue. I meant to post it for Cinco de Mayo, but that didn’t happen. Then I  meant to post it when we got back from vacation…still didn’t happen. But this Taco Tuesday? It’s happening!

Today’s taco is my knock-off version of the fried avocado tacos from Torchy’s Tacos, a taco spot based in Austin, but we’re lucky to have locations in Dallas. Their queso alone…I could drink it. While they are not your traditional Mexican street tacos, as their slogan goes, they have some “damn good tacos.” Their fried avocado taco is one of my favorites, but my wallet and body can’t justify eating there multiple times a week, which is why I needed to recreate it at home.

 

These would be great as a Meatless Monday meal or for Taco Tuesday! They are easy to make and come together in about 30-40 minutes from start to finish. While Torchy’s fries their avocados, I like to bake mine for a couple reasons – they’re healthier sans oil and while they’re baking, you can take care of everything else!

Just a few notes:

• I find it better to use avocados that are jusssst ripe. They’re a little on the firmer side, which is okay because when you bake them they’ll soften a bit, but hold their own. Just halve, pit, remove the skin and slice. You can go about removing the skin 1 of 2 ways.
  Cut the ends off and peel, like in the image below.Or carefully use a big spoon to scoop it out – sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this execution, but it’s easy too!

• For your slices, keep them at about ½ inch in thickness so you can handle them pretty easily.
• Have your assembly line organized before getting into the coating. You want to go: avocado slices > milk/egg mixture > panko breadcrumb mixture > baking sheet.
• When coating the avocado slices, use one hand for handling the wet ingredients and the other for handling the dry ingredients. This helps prevent goopy hands!
• For the toppings, it’s super easy to make your own pico de gallo and chipotle crema! But feel free to use a pre-made pico de gallo and a chipotle flavored dressing (chipotle ranch would be pretty bomb if you can find it).
• Vegetarian, friends! You can easily sub vegetarian black refried beans. 🙂

Happy eating!

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[Baked] Fried Avocado Tacos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yields approx. 8 tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbl. oil
• 2-3 avocados
• 1 c. panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ c. cornstarch
• 1 c. milk
• 1 egg – scrambled
• Hot sauce
• Salt/pepper
• Pepper
• Chili powder
• Corn tortillas
• Toppings:
  • Black refried beans
  • Shredded cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Pico de Gallo – recipe below
  • Chipotle crema – recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to your baking sheet and coat entire baking sheet.
In a medium sized bowl, combine egg, milk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish (pie pan would be great), combine panko breadcrumbs and cornstarch. Season with salt/pepper/chili powder.
Halve, pit and remove skin of avocados, then cut into ½ inch slices – you should get about 4-5 slices per half.
Have an assembly line ready before coating: avocado slices > milk/egg mixture > breadcrumb mixture > baking sheet.
Dip the avocado slices in the milk, then add to the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing to ensure the coating sticks. Place onto the baking sheet.
Repeat until all slices are coated in panko mixture.
Place in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until their browned and crispy.
While the avocado slices are baking, make the pico de gallo and chipotle crema, if not using pre-made ones.
In a small pot, heat up the black refried beans on low heat.
When the avocado slices are done, remove the oven and set aside to slightly cool.
While they are cooling, warm up corn tortillas.
Assemble tacos in the following order:

• Tortilla
• Black refried beans
• Avocado slice
• Chipotle crema
• Pico de gallo
• Shredded cheese
• Shredded lettuce

Enjoy!

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Pico de Gallo

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 roma tomatoes – chopped
• ½ white onion – chopped
• 1 jalapeno – chopped
• handful of cilantro – chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.

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Chipotle Crema

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ½ Tablespoon of adobo sauce from can of ‘Chipotles in adobo sauce’ (add more if you like spicy! You can also chop up one of the peppers)
• Juice of ½ a lime
• Squeeze of honey

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Adjust seasoning to preferred taste.