When it comes to healthy eating, fresh avocados are high up on the list because they are not just tasty, they’re also nutritious and offer a significant dose of potassium, almost as high as what bananas offer, and fibre which can help with reducing weight loss and blood sugar. However, the way one eats avocado shouldn’t be fixed to salads or guacamole (although we love them)!
Here are a few recipes that you can try to dress up your avocados and enjoy the creamy goodness to its max.
Taco Stuffed Avocados
As we mentioned before, avocado is the basis for the traditional guacamole sauce, which is usually seen more in Mexican cuisine. So it should come as no surprise that it would fit so perfectly as a substitute for one of the more familiar Mexican dishes you can find. Stuffing an avocado like a taco might sound unorthodox, but we can guarantee that it gives some delicious results.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Total Time 30 Minutes
Recipe:
For the avocado:
2 avocados, cut in half and pit removed
1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
1 lb ground beef (can be substituted with chicken/pork/turkey)
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
For a nice cilantro lime dressing:
2/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil as an alternative)
1 egg
½ tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
½ tsp fresh garlic, minced (or ¼ tsp powdered)
¾ tsp salt
3 tsp cilantro, minced
Instructions:
- Take the coconut oil and heat it in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions in it and then mix the garlic in once the onions turn translucent. Sauté until the garlic is golden brown.
- Add the meat in until it’s properly cooked before adding in the chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Now that we’ve got that done, it’s time to work on our dressing. Start by putting the oil, egg, mustard powder, 1 tsp of the lime juice, garlic and salt in a blender. Blend until everything is well mixed and smooth.
- Once that’s done it’s finally time for the avocado. Top it off with the taco meat, drizzle a little dressing and dig in!
Tex-Mex Stuffed Avocado
We move a little further away from Mexico and take a look at a recipe that mixes the taste of two worlds. Tex-Mex began as a mix between Mexican and Texan food, and it shows well in this dish. The recipe uses refried beans and enchilada sauce which you can find in stores or make on your own.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 5 Minutes | Total Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
16 ounce Old El Paso Refried Beans
10 ounce Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (use leftovers or a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions:
- Any good Tex-Mex dish needs a good grill, so start by preheating the grill to high heat. While that’s going on, you can go ahead and cut your avocados and remove the pits. Once the pits are taken out just lay them down on the grill cut-side down and cook them for two minutes.
- Once they’re cooked, take them off the grill and begin stuffing them with the chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese. Now, put them back on the rack (with the filling facing upwards) for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Now all you have to do is sprinkle the green onions on top and you’re good to go.
BLT Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados
Now we move on to something a bit more unorthodox. BLT is often linked to sandwiches and images of decadence between two slices of bread. However, this is a much healthier version which ensures that you’ll be licking your fingers by the time you finish this dish.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes | Total Time: 30 Minutes
Recipe:
12 slices of turkey bacon
1½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 Roma tomatoes
1½ cups cottage cheese (or more depending on the consistency you prefer)
1 cup finely chopped romaine lettuce
3 avocados
Instructions:
- Turn on the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heated, line up the bacon and put them in the oven so that they get a nice bake and become crisp. Bake for 10 minutes before flipping them over and repeating the process, then take them out and let them cool once they’re done. Crumble or cut the bacon into bits once done.
- While the bacon is baking, take the tomatoes and chop them up into small chunks while getting rid of the seeds. Do the same thing with the romaine.
- Combine the chicken, cottage cheese, romaine lettuce, tomatoes and crumbled turkey bacon and mix them together, making sure to add in salt and pepper as a seasoning while you’re at it.
- Now for the avocados. Cut them in half and remove the pits and then add some more salt and pepper.
- With that done, you just have to scoop your chicken salad and fill up the avocado half, put in as much as you can and then enjoy!
Healthy Thai Tuna Stuffed Avocado
The fresh tuna is not just healthy but goes well with the mixed vegetables and chilli sauce that’ll give it a needed spicy edge.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 5 Minutes | Total Time: 10 Minutes
Recipe:
1 (12 oz) can Tuna
2 avocados, halved and pitted
2 limes, juiced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Thai sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- For this recipe we’re not just cutting our avocados, we’ll also make sure to hollow them out a bit to give more space for the filling, leave enough at the bottom so that it acts as your plate.
- We’re not getting rid of what we took out, however. Grab it and put it into a mixing bowl and then mash it together. Now put it into a mixing bowl in conjunction with the tuna (make sure you’ve drained it beforehand) and add in the lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and red pepper flakes.
- Once mixed, put them inside of the avocado and add some of that chilli sauce (as much as you want) and dig in.
Salmon Stuffed Avocado
We round out our list with a tropical dish that’ll make you feel right at the beach. The combination of avocado and salmon doesn’t just taste good; it also gives a nice healthy boost.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Total Time: 30 Minutes
Recipes:
2 small-medium or 1 large avocado, seed removed (200 g / 7.1 oz)
2 small salmon fillets (220 g / 7.8 oz) – yields 175 g/ 6.2 oz cooked
1 small white onion, finely chopped (70 g / 2.5 oz)
¼ cup soured cream or crème fraîche or mayonnaise, try my home-made mayo (58 g / 2 oz)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (~ ½ lemon)
salt to taste (I used pink Himalayan)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1-2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place the salmon slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle some ghee or olive oil on the slices, season it with salt and some lemon juice. Once that’s done, put them in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Take the salmon out of the oven once it’s done and use a fork to shred them and take out the skin. Once shredded, mix in the chopped onions, sour cream and freshly chopped chilli. Feel free to add more lemon juice in it for an extra acidic taste.
- Now, grab your avocado, cut them in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out and chop it up into small pieces. Grab every piece of avocado and mix it in with the salmon and vegetables so that we can complete our filling.
- Lastly, feel each avocado half with salmon and top I top it off with half a lemon. It’ll be so good you can’t believe you made this!
Photo Credits: The Garlic Diaries, Browse Recipes, Keto Diet Blog, Living Loving Paleo, The Stay at Home Chef
Melissa Fann
