Avocados are a favorite around here, how about at your house? Learn how to choose good avocados so you can try these over 50 recipes with avocados. You’ll find everything from appetizers with avocado to main dish recipes using avocados.
There are so many more ways to enjoy avocados than just guacamole. Not that there’s anything wrong with guac–we love that, too! Find out how to soften an avocado so it’s ready for your next recipe.
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How to choose avocados
When you go to the grocery store or farmers market to buy fruits, you expect to get the freshest ones that will last longer. Some fruits, like avocados, only ripen when harvested, so timing is crucial. Get firm and green ones if you want them to last a week.
Planning to eat avocado toast in the next one to two days? Find avocados that are dark green to dark brown in color and easily yield to gentle squeezing. They get darker as they ripen. An avocado with soft outer skin and bruises may be overripe but, most of the time, still safe to eat.
So how to choose good avocados? It depends on when you plan to use them! We like to buy both ripe and unripe, depending on the recipe.
How to cut avocado
Cut a ripe avocado lengthwise around the seed. Then, carefully twist and separate its two halves. Gently remove the seed using the knife. Next, you can scoop out the flesh or peel both halves from the top until the skin falls off. After peeling them off, cut the avocado into cubes or make thin slices.
How to ripen avocado quickly
Avocados soften as they go through the ripening process. Softness is just one of the indicators of ripeness, alongside firmness and color. You can use some hacks to quickly ripen the fruit, but it’s still best to just leave it on a tray on your kitchen counter and wait for it to ripen naturally.
How to soften an avocado
Avocados ripen and soften naturally, but there are hacks that you can do to speed up the process. First, the paper bag method! Place the fruit in a paper bag with a banana or apple. They should ripen in around two to three days because bananas, apples, and other fruits produce ethylene gas, a hormone that sets off the ripening process.
The foil method is another approach you can try. Wrap the avocado with aluminum foil and bake it at 200°F. Check every five minutes until you achieve desired softness.
How are avocados healthy?
Avocados are a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. In addition, it’s rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium, folate, potassium, magnesium, and many other nutrients. This American Heart Association study shows that this green fruit can help nurture the cardiovascular system, preventing lower blood pressure and heart diseases.
Avocados can also contribute to weight management, improving meal satisfaction and satiety. It’s a superfood that can nourish our bodies inside and out. Eating avocado can also improve skin firmness and elasticity, based on a study involving women who made avocado a part of their diet for a specific period.
Why make smoothies with avocado?
Smoothies are easy to make and filled with lots of flavor and nutrients. Make creamy avocado smoothies whenever you feel like you need an energy boost! There are so many fun ways to incorporate this superfruit into your regular diet. Add avocado to your smoothies if you want them to be extra healthy and creamy.
Smoothies can serve as a suitable meal replacement, depending on the ingredients. Avocados are protein- and fiber-packed fruits, the best ingredients for snack and breakfast smoothies. Feel free to adjust the sweetness and flavors according to your liking. If you want, you can make it completely dairy free.
What other ways can you eat avocado?
Most people are familiar with avocados as the base for guacamole, but you can eat them in so many ways. Avocados are often added to salads because of their health benefits along with their texture and good fats.
Avocados make a great first food for babies, too. Learn how to make baby food with avocado. My big kids (teens) love avocado so much that they’ll just eat it out of the shell with a spoon!
This big list of 50+ recipes with avocados has everything from avocado appetizers to dinner recipes using avocado. Most are recipes with ripe avocado, but plan ahead so you can buy a whole bag and enjoy them later in the week.
50+ Recipes with Avocado
You'll love these avocado recipes!
This tasty cucumber tuna avocado salad is great for a light, fresh lunch.
Mix mango and avocado for this easy homemade salsa. It's perfect for a snack with chips, topping chicken, fish, or even pork.
This summer garden salad is filled with fresh flavors and textures, including fresh avocado.
Making sushi rolls at home is way easier than you think! This avocado roll is simple yet scrumptious. Satisfy your sushi cravings for a fraction of the price at home.
These Chipotle Chicken Avocado Stuffed Peppers capture all the delicious flavors of the popular Panera sandwich with fewer carbs and fat.
If you are a fan of creamy, herby salad dressings, this avocado goddess dressing is a must try! This salad dressing is the perfect balance of tangy, creamy goodness. With a hint of subtle onion flavour from scallions, this avocado green goddess dressing will turn your regular lunch salads up ten notches.
Do you love chips and guacamole? This substantial California Guacamole Salad loaded with black beans, tomatoes, and crushed tortilla chips is the perfect way to make it a meal.
Five-ingredient Asparagus Avocado Salad combines crisp asparagus and creamy avocado with lime and fresh mint in a delightful combination of flavors and textures. It's easy to make in 15 minutes and can be enjoyed as a starter or side dish.
Salsa de Aguacate (or Avocado Salsa) is a creamy, rich, and delicious addition to any of your favorite Mexican recipes. Or, eat with chips as a yummy afternoon snack.
Skinny Avocado Ranch Pasta Salad is a nice creamy flavorful summer side dish with loads of mix-ins like avocado, corn, and red onion.
The perfect salad does exist! It’s easier than you think to make a restaurant quality salad from home.
Avocado Mango Salsa is an easy and yummy recipe. It’s a real treat and perfect on top of tacos or alone with chips.
These sweet potato and black bean tacos are ready in only 25 minutes. Topped off with avocado, corn, salsa, and garnished with lime, everyone will love these tacos!
The best Authentic Guacamole Recipe! Fresh and delicious, only 6 whole food ingredients, this easy guacamole is naturally gluten-free, vegan, keto, and paleo! Cool and creamy mashed avocado with just the right amount of traditional Mexican flavors and spice! Grab your favorite tortilla chips for some delicious snacking or use it as a homemade spread for toast and sandwiches!
This avocado lime dressing is a healthier take on mayonnaise-based salad dressings. It’s ultra-creamy, tangy, herby and it’s so yummy drizzled over summer salads, grilled veggies, burrito bowls or perfect as a dip.
Rejuvenate your lunchtime sandwich habit with a veggie-loaded Beetroot Hummus Roasted Chickpea Avocado Sandwich. It’s a bright, tasty, wholesome and satisfying mouthful.
Breakfast Hash with Sweet Potatoes and Eggs is a savory gluten-free breakfast full of bright flavors. It features sweet potatoes, avocado, crispy bacon, vibrant vegetables, melted cheese, and yolky eggs. This easy one pan dish is perfect for a lazy weekend or to satisfy a weekday craving.
Use avocados for a healthier rocky road recipe. You will love this recipe.
No Churn Avocado Ice Cream is a creamy, delicious homemade ice cream without ice cream maker and with just 3 ingredients.
This tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad is a healthy Mexican side dish to serve alongside tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and more! With only five main ingredients, this side dish whips up in under 15 minutes.
This Cajun Chicken Mango Avocado Salad is loaded with fresh vegetables and topped with a spicy grilled chicken and creamy avocado that pairs perfectly with a honey cilantro lime dressing.
All the flavors of guacamole are present to make up this delicious Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad! Creamy avocado is a great substitute for mayo, which is the base in most chicken salads. The crunchy jalapeno and onion add great texture and flavor.
This avocado egg bake is super easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing. A perfect breakfast treat for the whole family.
Who could have known that mango and avocado go so well together? So easy, yummy to make, and refreshing.
This spicy southwest salad is what dreams are made of! With an easy spicy ranch dressing, perfectly seasoned chicken, and tons of vegetables, it’ll be your new go-to salad at home!
These healthy avocado brownies are so easy to make! With heart healthy ingredients, this simple vegan brownie recipe turns out so fudgy and delicious!
These Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are quick and easy to make. Plus, they’re so colorful you won't be able to stop taking photos!
This is the ultimate spicy guacamole recipe! Homemade with a kick of chili pepper and filled with loads of amazing flavors, it’s incredibly addictive! Make it mild or as spicy as your like! This homemade guacamole is a perfect snack or appetizer as a chip dip or as a topping to your favorite Mexican food.
Crispy Instant Pot Avocado Fries with a spicy sauce makes a great appetizer.
This Black Bean Avocado Salad is a quick and easy recipe that tastes amazing! Using easy-to-find ingredients and ripe avocados, this is a sure winner in any crowd!
My BLT Bagel Sandwich takes the traditional bacon, lettuce and tomato combo and serves it on a hearty and filling bagel. In addition to crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes and lettuce, I've added a homemade avocado & green onion cream cheese.
This Roasted Beet Salad with fresh oranges and creamy avocado is topped with the best crispy goat cheese, tossed with a flavorful orange honey vinaigrette and crunchy pecans.
A Hawaiian classic but make it wild. Cubes of venison backstrap look and feel very similar to ahi tuna and makes a great substitution for poke bowls. Surrounded by fresh toppings and delicious sauces, every bite is full of flavor!
This vegan Snickers-inspired smoothie bowl is so delicious I could eat it every day! Made mostly with frozen bananas, avocados and cocoa powder. For all the chocolate PB flavor combo fans out there!
A quick and easy green sauce that includes something unique. It's not just sour cream and avocado that make this sauce super smooth and creamy. Add it to tacos, quesadillas or any other Mexican dish.
An update on this classic tailgate dish. Chips and dip are essential party food, but it doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious. Fresh, quality ingredients and plenty of flavor make for an easy appetizer or snack that everyone loves.
A creamy, nutty and buttery sesame guacamole made with toasted sesame seeds that goes fantastic as a dip with veggies or chips or on sandwiches or tacos!
Avocado on toast in the air fryer. Delicious wholemeal bread with avocado spread on toast. A delicious healthy breakfast, brunch or supper and so filling that you will not want to eat for hours.
Creamy, satisfying, and refreshing, this vegan avocado salad is divine but incredibly easy to make. Fresh and flavorful, this salad is an elevated yet approachable, family friendly, and comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Enjoy a healthy air fryer chicken burrito bowl for two tonight. Loaded with all your burrito bowl favourites including air fryer chicken breast, avocado, black beans, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sweetcorn, mixed peppers, cheese, and salsa.
This watermelon ice pop recipe uses coconut and avocado. This easy-to-make coconut ice pop recipe works great with your favorite ice pop molds.
These avocado deviled eggs are a delicious green party appetizer for St. Patrick's Day or other green-themed holiday parties.
Alaska Sushi Roll is a delicious American spin on sushi that comes together in minutes! The roll contains creamy imitation crab tossed in Kewpie mayo, cucumber, and avocado rolled in seasoned sushi rice, nori, and topped with raw salmon and ikura. This roll is perfect if you are looking for a decadent sushi that is still light and healthy.
Chilli Sweet Potato Cubes with Avocado Feta Dip is a relatively healthy yet fun snacking option. Serve them at your next party and delight your guests.
This Avocado Mexican Salad is fresh, filling, and the perfect side dish for any meal! The combination of vegetables, protein-packed beans, and spicey dressing makes this a wonderful addition to any gathering or party.
This is the best Avocado Toast you’ll ever make. No need for fancy, over-the-top toppings, all you need is toasted bread, smashed avocado, a little lemon juice, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
This mango and avocado salad with shrimp is the easiest holiday appetizers or starter! This salad is the perfect blend of salty and sweet and it’s a total showstopper.
This smoked chicken with avocado is a delicious starter. Only a few ingredients and easy to make.
This avocado blueberry banana smoothie is a one-of-a-kind healthy breakfast option with very few simple ingredients and none of the protein powder blends.
Calling all avocado lovers! Wake up your taste buds with this creamy avocado pasta recipe prepared with all vegan ingredients.
Once you learn how to make guacamole, you'll never want to buy it from the store again! Creamy Haas avocados, fresh limes, spicy jalapeños, and crunchy vegetables come together to create this unbelievably tasty, yet super easy recipe.
Inspired by Chick-fil-a's Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, this versatile, healthier copycat has delicious and fresh ingredients like ripe avocado, lime juice, and herbs and spices. Use it as a dip, dressing, or spread.
