I am about to change your life with two simple words that I frequently say separately, but never before together– Grilled Avocados. That’s right, I discovered avocados can and should be grilled! Tossing this creamy green fruit on the grates for a few minutes creates a smoky, simply marvelous flavor profile that plain ole avocados just can’t deliver. 

With grilling season firing up and Cinco de May moments away, you’re definitely going to want to toss on a few avocados to go along with your barbecue. Or, if you’re vegetarian, vegan or just taking a plant-based day for variety, you’ll love my recipe for Grilled Avocado Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dressing

Grilling the avocado is amazingly simple. You’ll want to choose large avocados that are ripe, but still have some firmness. Don’t pick avocados that are super soft or yield a lot when pressed with a thumb. Pick the ones that feel ever-so-slightly soft (not like a rock) and have a dried stem nub that easily pops off.

You can grill avocados simply by slicing in half, leaving the peel on but removing, the pit and brushing with olive oil before setting face-down on hot grates for about 4 minutes. But for this recipe, I like to use avocado slices that have the char marks on both sides, so slices it is. Because slices can be a little more fragile than halves, you want to make sure you’ve selected a firmer ripe avocado – like the type you’d say “this one is perfect for guacamole in one day.” If the weather is not in your favor, avocados can also be done inside with the grill pan.

The beautify of grilling avocados is they can be saved for several days in the fridge without turning brown. That’s because olive oil liberally coated on all exposed areas of the flesh creates a barrier to prevent oxidation. You can use your leftover grilled avocado in salads, on sandwiches or even mash up as “grilled” guacamole.

Tomatoes and corn grilled next to my avocados gave my veggie tacos a subtle sweetness that pairs nicely with the smooth avocado and zip of the creamy jalapeno dressing.

Have you fired up your grill for the season yet? What is your favorite fruit or vegetable for grilling? Please share in the comments — XOXO, Jennifer 

Print

Grilled Avocado Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Greek Yogurt Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Up your taco game with smoky grilled avocado slices! A quick & easy vegetarian taco dish spiced up with creamy jalapeno dressing perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For grilled avocado tacos:

• 2 large avocados, ripe but still with some firmness
• 2 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
• 1 pint cherry tomatos
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Tajin chili and lime seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

For dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 to 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minuced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• to taste: salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat grill to approximate 400 F degrees.
2. Liberally coat avocado, corn and skewered tomatoes with olive oil. Season with Tajin and pepper.
3. Grill avocado slices for approximately 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side. Grill tomatoes for about 4 to 5 minutes until softening but not popped, turning skewer once and moving to indirect heat if cooking t quickly. Grill corn for approximately 12 minutes rotating several times on the grill and removing when starting to turn golden brown in places with bits of char.
4. Transfer vegetables to platter and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from skewer and shear corn from cob. Toss tomatoes and corn together with fresh cilantro.
5. Add all dressing ingredients to blender jar and blend for 60 to 90 seconds, or until smooth, chill until serving time.
6. To serve, lay several slices of avocado in the middle of a tortilla warmed on the grill and top with tomato-corn mixture. Drizzle with dressing. Repeat for remaining tacos.