Crispy Avocado Tacos

These crispy avocado tacos are destined to be your new favorite! With crunchy breading, they’ve got the vibe of a fish taco but are totally plant based.

Meet your recipe soulmate: Crispy Avocado Tacos. Could there be a taster tortilla filling? We think not. You’ve got avocado fries, breaded and baked in a hot oven until crispy, with a texture of fried avocado. Then top that with spiced black beans, pico de gallo, and the refreshing crunch of romaine lettuce. Drizzle on a creamy lime and cilantro sauce, and it’s heaven on a plate. It tastes like restaurant tacos, but it’s easy to whip up in your kitchen. Let’s get cooking!

Start with baked avocado fries

The inspiration behind these vegan avocado tacos are these avocado fries. As we crunched our way through a platter, I mentioned offhandedly to Alex, “These would be great in tacos.” We looked at each other. Yes! Avocado tacos. The main part of the work in these tacos is the fries. Here are a few notes about how to make them:

Get ripe but firm avocados. The most important part! You don’t want mushy avocados, because they don’t hold up to the breading process.
Slice the avocados the safe way. See below for more!
Set up an assembly line. There are three stops to the avocado breading process. Dredge the slice in flour and spices, then into lime juice and olive oil, then finally into panko.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. You don’t even need to flip!

How to make avocado tacos: basic steps

Other than making avocado fries, these avocado tacos are a breeze! We tried to keep the other toppings fast and easy so that you can whip them up while the fries are in the oven. Here’s the basic process:

Make the avocado fries. While they’re in the oven…
Season the black beans. This recipe has a quick and simple flavoring for the black beans. The star ingredient is adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilis (see below).
Make the sauce. This avocado tacos recipe has a simple cilantro sauce that covers it in creamy, tangy goodness.
Char the tortillas. It’s optional, but we always warm our tortillas by charring them on an open flame on the stove. It gives them great flavor and looks beautiful too. Go to How to Warm Tortillas.

Cilantro taco sauce (and a few other options)

The taco sauce for these vegan avocado tacos is also quick and simple…so you can finish it while the avocados bake! But you can also make some other sauces if you prefer. Here’s a breakdown on sauce options:

Cilantro taco sauce: It’s got mayo, lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder and cumin. All you have to do is stir together! Done and done.
Spicy Mayo: Even easier! 2 ingredients (you can also substitute sour cream for the mayo).
Shrimp Taco Sauce: Similar vibe to the cilantro sauce, but with yogurt too.
Chipotle Sauce: A vegan tahini-based sauce with a spicy kick!

The safe way to slice an avocado

The most important part about avocado tacos: cutting the avocado the right way! Do it wrong and you could end up cutting yourself. Here’s how to do it the safe way (and see the video below):

Slice around: Using a large chef’s knife, cut lengthwise around the avocado. Twist the two halves to separate them.
Pit holding a towel: Place a towel in your hand and put the avocado on top. With a gentle but quick motion, tap the knife into the avocado pit.
Use our safety trick: Do not attempt to remove the avocado pit with your hand! Instead, pull the cutting board close to your body, then place the pit against the far edge of the cutting board and pull back to release it from the knife. (Watch the video below for this part!)
Scoop out and slice: Use a large spoon to scoop out the avocado from the peel. Place the avocado with the cut side down, then cut it into slices. To dice the avocado, turn the slices and cut crosswise to make diced avocado.

More about adobo sauce…and how to use leftovers

The black beans in this avocado tacos recipe have a bit of adobo sauce. It’s optional but it’s our favorite way to add flavor to Mexican dishes! Here’s more about it:

Adobo sauce is a tomato-chili sauce that brings savory, smoky flavor. It’s the sauce that’s packaged inside a can of chipotle chilis! Chipotles in adobo sauce are sold in most grocery stores here in the US, available near the Mexican products.
This recipe calls for adobo sauce only. Pull out just 1 teaspoon of the sauce from the can. The sauce is lightly spicy, but not nearly as spicy as the chipotle peppers! Each brand of can has different amounts of adobo sauce, so you’ll have to experiment and find your favorite.
Refrigerate or freeze the remainder. You can use the remaining adobo sauce and chipotle peppers in recipes! Try it in Vegan Enchiladas, Vegetarian Tortilla Soup, or Quinoa Chili.

Sides to serve with avocado tacos

Once your vegan avocado tacos are complete, it’s time to serve! Here are a few of our favorite ways to accessorize them for a party (on a weeknight we just go to town on the tacos);

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) or Grilled Corn Salad Full of smoky, spicy and tangy flavor.
Easy Mexican Salad The perfect simple side for Mexican-inspired meals.
Mexican Coleslaw Recipe Another great veggie-based accessory.
Homemade Refried Beans Simple and full of big flavor.
Easy Refried Bean Dip You can make it with canned refried beans in a flash.
15 Best Margarita Recipes Make them all!

This avocado tacos recipe is…

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