This recipe was sponsored by Philips. I received an Airfryer and compensation for developing this recipe, but as usual, all opinions are my own.
I LOVE Mexican food, and I’ve been meaning to make some fried avocado tacos for quite some time. I held back though, because I hate deep frying.
I mean, I like deep-fried food on occasion, but the actual act of deep frying is a real pain. My kitchen always stinks afterward, the oil splatters everywhere, and I still haven’t solved the question of what to do with the used oil after I’m done. I don’t bother keeping it because I don’t deep fry all that often, and I always feel so guilty dumping the oil down the sink. Plus, my mother-in-law is always paranoid that the hot oil is going to spill on my kids as they run through the kitchen. It’s a valid concern, since my kids are like puppies who have little regard for danger (as most kids don’t), and a pot of boiling hot oil near rowdy children is scary.
When Philips sent me their new Next Generation Philips Digital Airfryer and gave me free reign to develop two recipes with it, I immediately thought of my dream avocado tacos. Finally I was going to be able to make them without all that oil, and without my mother-in-law getting anxious! SCORE.
I unpacked the Airfryer and set off to see how it worked. It fit perfectly on my countertop, and it was easy to set up – trust me, I’m like a two year old when it comes to figuring out appliances.
The first thing I made were some potato wedges. In 20 minutes flat, my nanny and I were wolfing down perfectly crisp, perfectly cooked wedges. Unlike an oven, I loved how the Airfryer didn’t even need to be preheated; I just prepared the food and dumped it into the fryer. Without an Airfryer, you could never make from-scratch fries in 20 minutes. And the grease? Non-existent. The potato wedges were browned and crispy, not that dry yuck that you get from oven baked fries. With only 1/2 tablespoon of oil? It was sorcery, I tell you. And the Airfryer doesn’t just make fried food, either. It bakes brownies, cooks pork chops and roasts vegetables. It also has an auto-shutoff (for those of you *ahem* forgetful people), and unlike when you’re cooking in oil, you can precisely control the temperature of the Airfryer. No more guessing if your pot of oil is hot enough!
On a roll to challenge this thing, I threw some spiralized potatoes in there. Afterwards, I did some sweet potato fries – which are notorious for turning out limp and greasy when cooked in the oven. Both turned out amazing! My yearly intake of potatoes was quickly reaching its maximum quota when I decided to do the avocado tacos and see how the fryer handled delicate avocado – and breading.
I dipped the avocado into egg, flour, egg, then panko, and carefully laid each piece into the fryer. This was the ultimate test. Was the avocado going to burn? Was the breading going to fall off (as it does sometimes in the pan)? Was the Airfryer not going to be able to handle such a task?
20 tense minutes later, what emerged from the Airfryer was nothing short of fantastic. It’s almost like the Airfryer takes a blowtorch to each piece of food and perfectly cooks and browns it. The breading was shatteringly crisp. The avocado was perfectly creamy and hot, but completely intact. It was a miracle. Actually, it wasn’t: It was the Philips Airfryer TurboStar technology, circulating hot air around the food so that every piece turns out perfect. I was so excited that I immediately emailed Philips’ PR and told them they were NOT getting their Airfryer back under any circumstances! Luckily, they were nice about it! Thanks, Philips!
The least I can do is share my delish avocado taco recipe with you. And if you don’t have an Airfryer, not a problem! Just fry the avocado the old-school way (instructions below)
Fast and delicious, these avocado tacos are the perfect plant-based meal!
- 2 large avocados
- 4 eggs
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1.5 cup panko
- 1/2 t chili powder
- 1/4 t salt
- Avocado or other neutral oil in a spray bottle, 1 tablespoon of oil in a small dish
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- Juice 1/2 lime
- Minced jalapeno to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
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In separate bowls, make the salsa and the chipotle mayonnaise by combining each of their ingredients together and stirring well. Set aside.
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Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork until combined.
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Place the flour with the chili powder, salt and the panko into separate dishes.
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Have a large plate ready to put the avocado on once it’s coated.
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Peel and seed the avocados and slice each one lengthwise into quarters, then into eighths.
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Dip each slice of avocado into the egg, dredge gently in the flour, dip again into the egg, then dredge gently in the panko. Spray or brush both sides with oil, then set on the plate.
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Once all avocado pieces are coated, place them in a single layer in the basket of the Airfryer, (ideally not touching each other. (you may need to do this in batches. Cook the coated avocado slices at 350F for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and shake the basket once at the 10 minute mark.
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If you don't have an Airfryer and you’re frying in oil on the stovetop, heat 1.5 inches of neutral oil like canola or grapeseed in a large skillet until it reaches 350F. Fry the avocado, turning once, until browned.
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Serve hot with the tortillas, salsa, chipotle mayonnaise and any other garnishes you want.