How to Cook Avocados: Roasting, Grilling, Frying & More

While the image of a fresh avocado might immediately bring to mind a delicious bowl of guacamole, avocado can also be fantastic when it’s hot and fresh from the oven. Cooking them up is a great way to turn an under-ripe avocado into something soft and full of flavor. In this article, we'll show you how to roast, grill, or fry avocados to make the perfect, heart-healthy side dish or snack. Let's get cookin'!

Things You Should Know

To roast: Drizzle a quartered avocado in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 °F (204 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
To grill: Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices of your choice over a halved avocado. Grill the halves facedown on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
To fry: Slice an avocado into ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick strips and coat them in egg, flour, and breadcrumbs. Fry in oil for 2-3 minutes per side.

Ingredients

Roasting Avocado

1 avocado
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Other seasonings of your choice

Grilling Avocado

1 avocado
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil

Frying Avocado

1 avocado
2 cups (500ml) of vegetable or canola oil
1/3 cup (40g) of flour
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cup (60g) of panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Roasting Avocados

1
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and prepare a baking tray. Turn your oven onto a bake setting and begin preheating it at 400 °F (204 °C). As the oven preheats, grease a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or a little olive oil to prevent the roasted avocado from sticking.^{[1]
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- Using such a high heat will give your avocados a slightly toasty outside while keeping the inside creamy and flavorful.
2
Cut your avocado in half and remove the stone. Use a sharp knife to cut into the center of the avocado, until it hits the stone in the center. Rotate the avocado around the stone so that the knife cuts around the entire edge. Pull the two halves apart and remove the stone from the center.^{[2]
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- Hit the center of the stone with the blade of the knife so that it sticks in slightly. Rotate the blade to spin and loosen the stone before lifting it out.
- You can also use a spoon pressed in between the flesh and the stone to scoop the stone out.
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3
Divide the avocado into quarters and remove the skin. Use your knife to cut the two avocado halves in half again, leaving you with four wedges. Use a spoon or the blade of a knife to cut the flesh of the avocado wedges away from the skin.^{[3]
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- Skinning the avocados isn’t necessary for roasting them, but you will need to eat around the skin if you leave it on.
4
Drizzle the avocado with olive oil and season it. Place your avocado wedges on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over each of the avocado slices, and generously sprinkle over some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add any other herbs and spices you want to flavor your avocado as well.^{[4]
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- Add a little paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder to give your roasted avocado a spicy kick.
- Sprinkle over a little cilantro and add a squeeze of lemon for a hint of freshness.
- Use a little basil, rosemary, thyme, or oregano to give your avocado an Italian flavor.
5
Roast the avocado for 15 to 20 minutes and serve immediately. Transfer your seasoned and oiled avocado wedges to the oven and let them cook. After around 15 to 20 minutes, they will develop a toasty brown color around the edges and begin to crisp up slightly. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.^{[5]
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- You can eat your roasted avocado by itself fresh from the oven, or add it to a simple salad to turn it into a meal.^{[6]
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- If you want your avocado wedges to be a little crispier, you can let them cook for up to 25 minutes before taking them out. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Grilling Avocados

1
Grease your grill and set it to a medium-high heat. Dip a paper towel in oil and use it to rub down the surface of your grill. Turn the grill on to medium-high and allow it to begin heating up while you prepare your avocado.^{[7]
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- If you don’t have a grill or barbecue, you can grill your avocado over a stovetop with the use of a grill pan or skillet.
- If you turn your grill on before greasing it, hold the oiled paper towel with a pair of barbecue tongs to wipe the grill down and grease it.
2
Halve your avocado and take out the stone. Use a sharp knife to cut through your avocado, rotating it until you can easily split it in half. Hit the stone with the blade of the knife and lift it out of the center of the avocado.^{[8]
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- You can also use a spoon to lift the stone out of the avocado by running it around the stone and scooping it out.
3
Brush the avocado with olive oil and season it. Use a pastry brush or something similar to cover the inside of your avocado half with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, as well as any other spices or flavors you’d like.^{[9]
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- For some extra flavor and sweetness, you can also brush your avocado with some liquid honey. You’ll need to keep a close eye on this as it cooks to stop the honey from burning.
- You should only need to lightly brush the avocado to cover it with oil. If you are too harsh you may begin scooping avocado out rather than coating it.
4
Place your avocado face down directly on the grill for 4 to 5 minutes. Once they are placed on the grill, you should avoid touching or moving the avocados. After 4 to 5 minutes, flip the avocado over to check it before removing it from the grill to rest.^{[10]
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- Leaving the avocado undisturbed as it cooks will let the seasoning infuse into the avocado and allow the caramelization process to begin, giving you a better tasting grilled avocado.
5
Serve your grilled avocado while still warm. Let your avocado sit for 1 to 2 minutes to firm up before serving. Eat your grilled avocado straight from the skin with a spoon, mash it and spread it on toast, or fill the center with some fresh salsa or salad for a quick and easy snack. No matter how you eat it, it’s bound to be delicious.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Frying Avocado

1
Heat up around 2 cups (470 ml) of oil in a Dutch oven or skillet. Pour enough vegetable or canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven so that there is roughly 2 inches (5.1 cm) in the bottom of the pan. Place it over a medium heat and begin bringing it up to a temperature of 350 °F (177 °C).^{[12]
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- Use a cooking thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature of your oil. It should be around 350 to 365 °F (177 to 185 °C) in order to crisp up the outside of the avocado and warm the inside through.
- A deep-fryer set at 350 °F (177 °C) would also work excellently when frying avocados.
2
Cut your avocado into strips roughly ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Cut your avocado in half, remove the stone, and run a spoon around the edge of the flesh to separate it from the skin. Use a sharp knife to cut your avocado halves into long strips, roughly ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) in thickness and set them aside.^{[13]
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- You could also cut your avocado into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces to make fried avocado bites, rather than longer avocado fries.
3
Cover your avocado slices in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Pour around 1/3 cup (40g) of flour, 2 beaten eggs, and 2/3 cup (60g) of panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls. Dredge one of your avocado slices through the flour, making sure to cover it completely. Repeat with the egg, before finally covering your avocado in breadcrumbs. Continue this process one slice at a time until all are breaded.^{[14]
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- Keep one hand for working with the flour and breadcrumbs, and one hand for working with the eggs. This will stop the breadcrumbs from sticking to your fingers as your work.
- Add some herbs and spices to the flour before using it to coat the avocado for some extra flavor. Try mixing in 1 tablespoon (4g) of chili powder for an extra spicy kick to your fried avocado.
4
Fry the avocado in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Carefully lower the avocado slices into the oil, making sure to drop them away from yourself to prevent dangerous splashing. Let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping over to cook the other side. When they are golden brown in color, remove the avocado slices from the oil and drain them on a few paper towels.^{[15]
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- Keep the avocado slices moving for the first 30 seconds of frying to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of your pan when they first go in.
5
Sprinkle the avocado slices with salt and serve. As soon as you take your fried avocado out of the oil, season them with a little salt. Let the avocado drain and cool slightly before serving with a dipping sauce of your choice.^{[16]
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- You can make a simple ranch-style dipping sauce by combining 1/2 cup (125ml) each of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup (65ml) of buttermilk, and ½ teaspoon (5g) each of garlic powder, dried dill, and dried chives. This will go great with your fried avocado.