Fried avocado bites are crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside, they make a great starter to almost any meal, especially if you are making burgers. Enjoy crispy fried avocado bites the way you would mozzarella sticks, onion rings, or any other kind of breaded fried food.
There is nothing like a good fried appetizer, especially bite-sized appetizers covered in crispy breading. You can fry up just about anything and there have been plenty of state fairs to test that theory. There was even a chip shop in New York that would deep-fry whatever you brought in. It’s not the healthiest, but it’s tasty and sometimes it hits the spot like nothing else. Among the things you can fry, one of my favorites is bits of avocado. Especially with the right seasoning in the batter.
This post will help you learn how to pick your avocados and even help ripen them for the big event. This is an easy recipe with one of the best foods you can eat. Find out about the health benefits of avocados and more before we start making these crispy fried avocado bites.
The Nutritional Value of Avocados
Avocados are a delicious yet tricky fruit. Yes, it is a fruit. Although it is a highly unusual fruit that is the category where it belongs. As such, avocados contain a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of vitamins K, C, and E. You will also get a significant amount of folate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and copper.
How to Ripen Avocados
Buying an avocado at just the right time is difficult. Finding the avocados that are perfect for immediate use can be an exercise in futility. You may wind up with overripe or spoiled avocados if you aren’t careful. I have a good track record with picking ripe avocados, but I don’t for a second get complacent about it. I’m always on my game. If you worry about picking wrong, it’s always best to buy under ripe avocados.
You can always ripen avocados at home or even speed up the process. You can use the naturally occurring ethylene gas that the avocados give off to accelerate their progression. The best way to do that is to trap them in a paper bag, preferably with another fruit like an apple. Seal the bag and poke holes in it to help facilitate the process. It could take one to three days for this to work depending on how far along the avocado in question is.
There are also hacks for quickly ripening avocados that require more meddling. These were found on the Reader’s Digest website. You can use a microwave and plastic wrap for avocados that aren’t too hard. Just halve the avocado and remove the pit before wrapping the pieces in microwave-safe plastic. Microwave the avocado for 2 minutes and then run it under cool water to stop the cooking. Hard avocados ripen best in the oven when wrapped in foil. Start at ten minutes and 200 degrees.
How to Tell an Avocado is Ripe
If you want to brave the market and pick out a nice, ripe ready to use avocado, avoid avocados that are too rough or too smooth. You want an avocado that you can lightly squeeze. It should have some give, but not too much. Try gripping the avocado with your whole palm and applying light pressure. Aside from the squeeze, look at that little nub at the top. You should be able to flick it off with your thumb if it’s ready. If it stays on, it isn’t ripe yet. If you find any avocados without the nub, leave them and find another.
How Many Calories in an Avocado?
Oddly enough a serving of avocado is only 1/5 of the whole thing. It’s my personal belief that a serving of any fruit should be the whole fruit. I don’t know how they come up with this stuff. Maybe it’s pressure from the avocado board to keep the calorie count per serving down. Calories are often dreaded and viewed as the culprits of weight gain. That’s not exactly true. a high-calorie count just reflects the amount of work your body has to do to burn off whatever you put inside it. Calories are units of heat. In the right circumstances, calories are what leave you feeling satisfied and sustained for a longer period of time.
Avocados contain 50 calories per serving. If you do the math that comes out to 250 calories for a whole avocado. They also have 23 grams of fat. That seems like a lot, but it’s actually why avocados make such a great fruit to keep in your arsenal. They are very satisfying and they have the right kind of fatty acids that are actually good for your cholesterol levels.
Why Fry Avocado?
Why fry anything? Fried avocado tastes better! In all seriousness, fried avocado is just as great a treat as fried pickles, fried zucchini, or fried mushrooms. It’s very different in texture, more like a sweet potato, but fried avocado bites are nothing like sweet potato fries. You may have experienced fried avocado if you like sushi. But this recipe takes the flavors and consistency to the next level.
How to Put the Crispy in Crispy Fried Avocado Bites
The secret to the success of these fried avocados is the crunch that coats the soft creamy avocado insides. Frying up these tasty avocados is a lot like my stuffed jalapeno poppers recipe. It calls for the same three-stage dredging process that includes flour, egg and buttermilk, and bread crumbs in separate dishes. Those breadcrumbs and tempura mix with a variety of delicious seasonings that give an added kick to the avocado and make the whole dish a winner. The seasoning is a bit spicy and includes a variety of pepper, including my favorite Cajun seasoning blend.
The result is a light, crispy and spicy shell over a soft creamy center with lots of nutrients inside. It’s probably the best thing you can fry because the avocado is so heart-healthy, to begin with.
Ingredients Needed To Make Crispy Fried Avocado Bites
- Large avocados
- All purpose flour
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Panko bread crumbs
- Tempura
- Garlic salt
- Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- Black pepper
- Crushed red peppers
- Vegetable oil
(Actual measurements are in the recipe card below.)
How To Make Crispy Fried Avocado Bites
- Heat oil to 375° using an electric skillet or over medium high heat if using a frying pan.
- Using 3 shallow bowl or containers: add flour to the first container, whisk buttermilk and egg together in the second, and whisk bread crumbs, tempura and remaining ingredients, except oil, in the third. Set aside.
- Add a small amount of avocados to the flour to coat, then into the buttermilk mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, and lastly, carefully into the hot oil.
- Fry until browned on all sides.
- Remove fried avocados from skillet, or pan, with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Salt lightly, if desired. Repeat until all avocados have been fried.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Try These Delicious Avocado Bites Today
Here are a few more delicious appetizer recipes that can be found on the blog:
Crispy Fried Avocado Bites
Ingredients
- 3-4 large avocados, seed removed, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups Panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup tempura
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red peppers
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat oil to 375° using an electric skillet or over medium high heat if using a frying pan.
- Using 3 shallow bowl or containers: add flour to the first container, whisk buttermilk and egg together in the second, and whisk bread crumbs, tempura and remaining ingredients, except oil, in the third. Set aside.
- Add a small amount of avocados into the flour to coat, then into the buttermilk mixture, next into the bread crumb mixture, and lastly, carefully into the hot oil.
- Fry until browned on all sides, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Remove fried avocados from skillet, or pan, with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Lightly salt if desired. Repeat until all avocados have been fried.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
Enjoy, Terri
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Which Slap Ya Momma do you use for your breading recipe? There are several levels of heat.
Hi Jane, I use the original blend. :)
Would love to try these, they look yummy! Could you make them in an air fryer?
Thanks!
Hi Trish,
I haven’t made them in the air fryer yet. I’m sure you can. Let me know how they turn out if you end up making them. :)