81 Delicious Ways to Use Avocado (That Aren't Just On Toast)

By MyRecipes and MyRecipes
Updated July 25, 2018
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Credit: Jennifer Causey

The all-powerful avocado is truly one of the most versatile and widely beloved fruits on the produce aisle. This nutrient-dense superfood is luscious and creamy, ultra satiating, and comes with a beautiful pastel green color that pops within any dish you add it to. Whether you smash it, smear it, chop it, pickle it, blend it, bake it, or fry it, the avocado remains a fan-favorite ingredient we collectively can't get enough of. With such immense flexibility and strength, avocados are easily an MVP of the kitchen.

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Coconut-Avocado Pops

Credit: Sara Tane

Coconut-Avocado Pops Recipe

Who knew that a ripe avocado could add such a rich flavor and silky smooth texture to a batch of homemade popsicles? With a pop of fresh citrus juice and sweetened with a little agave nectar, these fun, kid-approved frozen desserts are the perfect summer treat.

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Pomegranate, Avocado, and Citrus Brussels Sprouts Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Pomegranate, Avocado, and Citrus Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

Be sure to toss the salad gently so the pieces of orange and avocado keep their shape. Pair with a fall chili or tacos.

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Herbed Avocado-Tahini Dressing

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Rishon Hanners

Herbed Avocado-Tahini Dressing Recipe

This simple dressing is brightly herbaceous, lusciously rich, and almost too easy to whip up. Incredibly versatile, the creamy avocado dressing can be drizzled over anything from a summery tomato salad to grilled steak. And if you leave out the water, creating a thicker mixture, you have a delicious dip for crudité.

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El Completo

Credit:  Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

El Completo Recipe

A completo is a very popular Chilean signature on the concept of a “loaded” hot dog. Served by street vendors and other casual restaurants, this dish consists of your basic hot dog on a bun topped with sauerkraut, diced tomatoes, mashed avocado, and a generous drizzle of mayonnaise. Use your favorite brand of hot dogs (and hot dog cooking method) and hearty buns to make this easy and festive completo. These loaded dogs make for a hearty entree we’d recommend serving with plenty of napkins. 

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Steak and Fried Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri

Credit: Sara Tane

Steak and Fried Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri Recipe

Who says you can't make yourself a fancy, classy brunch all at home in the comfort of your own kitchen? For an ultra-hearty start to your morning, fry up some frizzled, sunnyside up eggs and serve them in a warm corn tortilla with grilled flank steak and the works. We topped ours with fresh avocado, queso fresco, radishes, and a flavor-packed chimichurri sauce that melts right into the runny yolks. 

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Summer Garden Chili Bowls

Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Summer Garden Chili Bowls Recipe

While the summer heat often makes us go for lighter foods, that doesn’t mean we don’t still want chili—so we made a lighter, brighter version. Equally perfect for a casual summer supper at home as it is for fueling a cookout or tailgate, these chili bowls are loaded up with vibrant veggies. To keep this tasty entree quick and simple, we use canned chili as a base, then dress it up with grilled corn and zucchini, black beans, fresh avocado slices, cilantro, queso fresco, and a handful of corn chips for good measure. Serve with lime wedges and you have a summer hit on your hands. While this recipes is especially convenient for when you want a tasty bowl chili, but don’t necessarily want to eat off of a huge batch of it for days, the recipe is easily multiplied to accommodate larger crowds.  

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Edamame-Avocado Hummus

Credit: Greg Dupree

Edamame-Avocado Hummus Recipe

The combination of avocado and shelled edamame makes a gorgeous green hummus with a twist. It's loaded with savory and bitter sesame flavors from the tahini sauce and sesame oil to the white and black sesame seeds used as a garnish. Serve it with a platter of fresh vegetables to make this dish the perfect show-stopping display at your next gathering.

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Chicken-Avocado Soft Tacos

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Chicken-Avocado Soft Tacos Recipe

Amp up your taco Tuesday by adding freshly diced avocado to your gently charred soft tacos. This easy-to-assemble lunch or dinner can be prepared on the grill by cooking a few chicken breasts until they are perfectly juicy and tender. The lime juice and ginger create an aromatic vinaigrette when it's mixed with extra-virgin olive oil for a classic acidic finish.

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Grilled Avocado Salad

Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Grilled Avocado Salad Recipe

When you are stuck with firm, not-so-ripe avocados, the best way to still enjoy them is by tossing the creamy fruit (yes, it's a fruit) on the grill. The avocados soften up quickly under the intense heat leaving you with a wonderfully smooth and smoky dish.

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Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema

Credit: Steven DeVries; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema Recipe

Beef flautas are even more addicting with you have a cooling buttermilk-avocado crema to dip them in. The crema adds a creamy finishing touch that no flautas dish is complete without. Simply blend avocado, sour cream and buttermilk together to get this smooth and tangy condiment.

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Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Recipe

Serve up indulgent Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream for rich and creamy flavor.

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Fried Egg and Avocado Toasts

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Fried Egg and Avocado Toasts Recipe

Sunny-side-up eggs, fresh sprouts, and salsa amp up avocado toast for a fast, no-fuss meal. It's a sure winner at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Open-Faced Shrimp-and-Avocado Sandwiches

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Open-Faced Shrimp-and-Avocado Sandwiches Recipe

These open-faced sandwiches are topped with tons of tasty ingredients: shrimp, avocado, bacon, and mayonnaise. For a sturdy sandwich base, use a thicker cut of bread.

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Avocado, Sprout, and Cashew Spread Sandwich

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Avocado, Sprout, and Cashew Spread Sandwich Recipe

Top bread with a cashew spread, sprouts, radishes, avocado, arugula, and more to make this fresh and flavorful sandwich.

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Avocado Gazpacho with Sourdough Croutons

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Avocado Gazpacho with Sourdough Croutons Recipe

For a cool summer soup, try this avocado-flavored gazpacho made with cucumbers, sweet onion, Greek yogurt, and more. 

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Crostini with Avocado, Crab, and Flake Salt

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Rachael Burrow

Crostini with Avocado, Crab, and Flake Salt Recipe

Top baked bread slices with mashed avocado and crab to make this tasty appetizer.  

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Spaghetti with Spinach-Avocado Sauce

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Spaghetti with Spinach-Avocado Sauce Recipe

Move over, pesto: You're not the only sauce worth going green for. Pureed avocado makes this dish positively irresistible. Garnish with extra basil leaves, if desired.

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Grilled Scallop Tacos with Smashed Avocado and Charred Corn Pico

Credit: Greg Dupree Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

Grilled Scallop Tacos with Smashed Avocado and Charred Corn Pico Recipe

This quick taco filling is perfect for weeknight dinners. Smashed avocado and charred Corn pico brings a rich, earthy flavor to these seafood scallop tacos.

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Pan-Seared Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Mango Salsa

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Pan-Seared Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Mango Salsa Recipe

These simple, vibrant tacos rely largely on superfresh ingredients for the fullest flavor potential. Opt for just-ripe avocados and tuna from a source you trust.

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Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados Recipe

The tiniest bit of sugar helps the avocado halves char in the pan, adding robust toasty flavor.

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Tuna Poke with Mango and Avocado

Credit: Greg DuPree

Tuna Poke with Mango and Avocado Recipe

Find fresh or frozen wakame seaweed at Asian markets. You can also use fresh or frozen premixed seaweed salad. The tuna and avocado make this dish a potassium powerhouse. Serve atop brown rice, if you like.

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Dark Chocolate Avocado Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Dark Chocolate Avocado Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting Recipe

This vegan cake (no eggs or butter!) is so delicious that our kids begged for more. The frosting is silky smooth, and the cake is light and loaded with chocolate flavor, and healthy fats.

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Crab-Stuffed Avocados

Crab-Stuffed Avocados Recipe

We couldn't resist stuffing cup-shaped avocado halves, here gently seared until lightly caramelized. Sweet crabmeat dressed with zingy lemon and tarragon is a nice complement to the buttery avocado; chopped cooked shrimp or shredded chicken breast would also work. You could also fill the halves with a fresh summer squash salad or black bean salsa.

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Mexican Hot Dog

Credit: Tru Studio

Mexican Hot Dog Recipe

This isn’t your average hot dog. Adding avocado, red cabbage, and green onion slices adds the crunchiness, creaminess, and zing you didn’t know your frank was missing. Best of all, these Mexican hot dogs feel special, but only take 20 minutes to come together, making them perfect for a hectic weeknight dinner.

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Avocado-Sprout Toast

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Avocado-Sprout Toast Recipe

Avocado toast is the perfect breakfast or snack to assemble within a few minutes tops. This version includes the addition of alfalfa sprouts and sunflower seeds that will give you a bit of crunch and added texture to your finished toast.

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Chilled Shrimp with Avocado-Lime Cream

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Chilled Shrimp with Avocado-Lime Cream Recipe

Simple and satisfying, cooked and chilled fresh shrimp need little more than a vibrant, flavorful dipping sauce to make for a wow-worthy appetizer. And in terms of flavorful vibrancy, this creamy avocado lime dip is grade-A. Rich avocado is processed with tangy sour cream and fresh lime for a luscious, and almost too-easy, dip that would be equally well-suited for tortilla chips or even for dolloping on top of a bowl of white chili. Be sure to pick a just-ripe avocado for this recipe. 

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Avocado and Almond Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Avocado and Almond Salad Recipe

Adding fresh avocado slices to a salad is a no-brainer. This beautiful salad proves that to be true as it features the superfood paring of avocados and almonds together.

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Black Bean Soup with Avocado, Orange, and Cucumber

Credit:  Iain Bagwell

Black Bean Soup with Avocado, Orange, and Cucumber Recipe

We left the soup chunky with a clear broth, but you could easily purée it to create a smooth soup. Just don't skip the avocado mixture, as it makes a refreshing contrast to the beans and spice.

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Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad

Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr and Lindsey Lower

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad Recipe

All the fresh flavors of summer come together in Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad. The homemade buttermilk dressing balances the heat of the chicken and completes the meal.

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Avocado-Egg Salad Sandwiches with Pickled Celery

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Avocado-Egg Salad Sandwiches with Pickled Celery Recipe

To prevent avocado from browning in leftover egg salad, place any remaining salad in a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Then cover the entire bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

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Avocado-Cilantro Sauce

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Avocado-Cilantro Sauce Recipe

Be sure to include the cilantro stems when blending the sauce; they have even more flavor than the leaves. Spoon this cool, creamy sauce over pan-grilled chicken or tacos. You can also thin with a little water and use as a salad dressing, or thicken it with a little more yogurt or avocado for a vegetable dip.

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Avocado Matcha Banana Bread

Credit: Photo by Daniel Agee

Avocado Matcha Banana Bread Recipe

The power of avocado and matcha powder bring their green forces together to create an ultra-moist and decadent banana bread. It's safe to say that this isn't your average run-of-the-mill banana bread.

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Tuna, Egg, and Avocado Toast

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Tuna, Egg, and Avocado Toast Recipe

Don’t toss all that excess oil—it contains a lot of the vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids from the fish. We use this nutrient-dense oil rather than mayo to dress the salad, then pile it on a smear of avocados, which are packed with monounsaturated fats that encourage blood flow and boost brain activity. We love this combination on whole-grain toast but you can also toss it over pasta, greens, or grains.

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