These fried avocado tacos were a staple when I used to live in Texas. It has fried avocados, pinto beans, red onions, cilantro, and corn with a spicy poblano sauce!
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💭 Why you'll love this recipe
If you've ever been to Torchy's Tacos in Texas, you know you've had the best tacos in town. These fried avocado tacos are inspired by one of my favorites there - I've just veganized it.
- Simple, delicious and ready in 45 minutes: Make this for your next Taco Tuesday and you won't be disappointed!
- Super versatile and customizable: This recipe is versatile in what you put into the taco, but the ingredients themselves are versatile too. Have leftover fried avocado? Snack on them. Have extra refried beans? Use them as a dip!
- Vegan and gluten-free: I use a corn tortilla for the recipe and the avocados are gluten-free thanks to chickpea flour, so it's a winning combination all around!
📋 Ingredients & notes
This recipe comprises of three main components that need to be cooked, along with a couple of easy toppings. The recipe, as written, assumes you'll make everything from scratch but refer to substitutions for some store-bought swaps!
- Fried avocado: Avocados, chickpea flour, gluten free breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder and vegetable oil .
- Refried beans: Onion, jalapenos, garlic cloves, cumin, red chili powder, pinto beans, vegetable oil and salt. Check out detailed recipe for vegan refried beans!
- Poblano sauce: Poblano peppers, cashew, garlic cloves, salt and lime juice. Check out recipe for making this creamy poblano sauce!
- Toppings and tortilla: Corn tortilla - with optional toppings of red onions (or pickled onions!), cilantro, corn, and others as you see fit!
Notes and substitutions
- Vegetarian vs. vegan: The original version of this taco has cheddar jack cheese, which gives it a super nutty flavor. If you're vegetarian, you can add cheese - if you're vegan, you can also add vegan cheddar (Daiya has a good one!)
- Store-bought refried beans: The refried beans and fried avocado are made at the same time but you can substitute with any vegan refried beans (Amy's has a good one!)
- Pickled red onions: I'm super partial to this but I really think that pickling your red onions elevates this dish out of the world - check out my quick pickled onion recipe!
- Soaking cashews: If you don't have a super powerful blender (e.g. Vitamix or Blendtec) I suggest soaking cashews overnight or using a food processor. At the very least, soak them for an hour before blending if you're using a smaller or less powerful blender!
📖 Step-by-step instructions for the most amazing fried avocado tacos!
Roast your poblano peppers
Preheat oven to 425F. Place poblano peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat. Wrap a couple of cloves of garlic in aluminum foil and throw them on the sheet. Pop this in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes to roast the poblanos. If the peppers take more than 15 minutes, remove the garlic at the 15 minute mark.
Add cashews, water, lime juice, and salt to a powerful blender (like a Vitamix). Don't blend them yet, just let the cashews soak in the liquid.
Set up the dipping stations!
Next, prepare your dipping station. You'll need three bowls with the following in each bowl. I prefer keeping the chickpea batter closest to me, and the other two above to avoid dripping everywhere!
- Wet bowl: Combine half of your chickpea flour and equal parts water to make a batter that's the same consistency as pancake batter (i.e. fluid but not too thin or watery!)
- Dry bowl: Whisk the rest of the chickpea flour with some garlic powder and salt in another bowl for the dry flour station
- Breadcrumbs: Add breadcrumbs to the final bowl.
Prepare avocados and air fry or bake them
Cut your avocado in half, remove the pits, and then slice them into thin strips, typically about four slices per avocado half (so total of eight slices per avocado). If baking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat and set aside. If air-fryer, get your air fryer basket ready.
Take an avocado slice, drop it in the wet bowl and coat evenly (including the convex curvy part). Then, using the other hand, grab the avocado slice coated in batter, shake off excess, and drop it in the dry bowl. Use a fork to toss and coat the avocado evenly. Place avocado on the baking sheet or air fryer basket and repeat for all other slices.
If you're baking, pop the baking sheet into the oven and let them bake for about 15 minutes, then turn them around and let them bake another 15 minutes. Ideally, they should be golden brown when done, so this might take more than 15 minutes on each side based on your oven!
If you're air-frying, then arrange the avocado slices in the air fryer basket making sure to leave enough space between them (depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to do this in batches). You can air fry them for about 25 minutes in total. Again, this will depend on your air fryer as well.
Note: Make sure to check on your poblano peppers when you slide your avocados in. If the 15 minutes have already passed, or they look charred and done, remove and set them aside. If not, remove just the garlic, and let the peppers cook for another 5-10 minutes.
While the avocados are being baked or air-fried, start preparing the refried beans
Dice the onions and jalapenos as small as you can. Add vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and jalapenos and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until it's soft. If the onions aren't cooked properly, they can impart a very onion-y flavor to the pinto beans and that's not super ideal!
At this stage, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant (but not burnt!) Then, add red chili powder and cumin powder, give this all a good mix.
Then, stir in beans along with half a cup of water (or broth!) and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes (uncovered). Add more water as needed to get to the right consistency.
While the beans are cooking, make the poblano sauce
By now, your poblano peppers should be done roasting. Remove them from the oven. Remove the seeds and the skins from the peppers and slice the stems off. Add this to the blender along with the garlic and blend on high speed. You want this to be super smooth so blend until there are no grains left (especially the cashew nuts!)
Switch back to the beans and mash them up!
By now, most of the water should have evaporated from the beans, so start mashing them (I prefer using a potato masher, but you can use the back of a spatula or even a large fork).
Remove the beans from the heat, add lime juice and give it a good mix and mash again to desired consistency. Your pinto beans are ready too!
Assemble the tacos
By now, your avocados should be done whether you're baking (30 minutes!) or if you're air-frying (25 minutes).
Start by adding a generous dollop of the refried beans to the base of the taco, followed by a couple of slices of fried avocado. Top this with sliced red onion (or pickled red onion!) as well as some poblano sauce. Enjoy the most delicious tacos.
🍴Serving Suggestions & Storage
If you have leftover avocado fries, place them in a row (i.e. not on top of each other) in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, preheat your oven to 350F, place the fries on a baking sheet, and pop them in for about 15 minutes to eat them.
Likewise, refried beans store well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
If you like this recipe, don't forget to try out my other avocado recipes:
You can also check out another fan-favorite gochujang cauliflower taco recipe!
If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a star rating. Don't forget to tag #urbanfarmie on Instagram or @urbanfarmie on Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Fried Avocado Tacos (Air Fryer, Oven Versions)
Ingredients
Avocado Fries
- 3 avocados
- 1 cup chickpea flour, divided
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, gluten-free
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
Refried Beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 can pinto beans, 14.5 oz
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ red onion, medium, diced
- 1 jalapeno, medium, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder, I use Kashmiri red chili, adjust to spice tolerance!
- 1 teaspoon salt
Poblano Sauce
- 3 poblano peppers, also called pasilla peppers
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- 1 cup water
Other Toppings
- ½ red onion, medium
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place three poblano peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat. Wrap a couple of cloves of garlic in aluminum foil and place them on the sheet as well. Pop this in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes to roast the poblanos. If the peppers take more than 15 minutes, remove the garlic at the 15 minute mark.
- In the meantime, add a cup of cashews, a cup of water water, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and a teaspoon of salt to a powerful blender (like a Vitamix). Don't blend them yet, just let the cashews soak in the liquid while your Poblano peppers are roasting.
- Combine ¼ cup of chickpea flour and half a cup of water to make a batter that's the same consistency as pancake batter (i.e. fluid but not too thin or watery!) Whisk ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder and salt with ¾ cup of chickpea flour in another bowl. Finally, add breadcrumbs to a third bowl. These are your dipping stations.
- Cut three avocados in half, remove the pits, and slice them into thin strips, typically about four slices per avocado half (so total of eight slices per avocado). If baking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat and set aside. If using an air-fryer, get your air fryer basket ready.
- Next, take an avocado slice, drop it in the chickpea flour, then into the chickpea flour batter, and then shake off excess, and drop it in the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Use a fork to toss and coat the avocado evenly. Place avocado on the baking sheet or air fryer basket and repeat for all other slices.
- Baking: Your oven should already be at 425°F. Pop the sheet into the oven and let the avocados bake for 15 minutes, then turn them around and let them bake another 15 minutes. Ideally, they should be golden brown when done, so this might take more than 15 minutes on each side based on your oven! Air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 425°F and then arrange the avocado slices neatly in an air fryer basket making sure to leave enough space between them (depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to do this in batches). You can air fry them for about 25 minutes in total. Check and make sure to increase time in case they're not done - this will depend on the type and size of your air fryer to a large extent!
- While the avocados are being baked or air-fried, prepare the refried beans. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Then, add the diced onions and jalapenos and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until they're soft. Then, add three garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant (but not burnt!) Then, add red chili powder and cumin powder, give this all a good mix.
- Finally, stir in a 14.5oz can of pinto beans along with half a cup of water (or broth!) and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of salt, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes (uncovered). Add more water as needed for the right consistency.
- While the beans are simmering, remove your poblano peppers from the oven. They should be roasted. Remove the seeds and skin from the peppers, slice the stems off and add this, along with the roasted garlic, to the cashews, lemon juice, water in your blender. Blend on high speed or smoothie setting until you get a nice smooth creamy sauce!
- Check to make sure most of the water has evaporated from the beans and then mash using a masher or the back of a spatula or a large fork. Remove the beans from the heat, add lime juice and give it a good mix and mash again to desired consistency. Your pinto beans are ready too!
- Remove your avocado fries once they're done baking typically 25 to 30 minutes from when you put them in.
- Assemble the tacos by adding a generous dollop of the refried beans to the base, followed by a couple of slices of fried avocado. Top this with sliced red onion (or pickled red onion!), some poblano sauce and chopped cilantro. Enjoy the most delicious tacos!
Notes
- You can buy refried beans if you wish - Amy's has a good one!
- For the optional garnishes, I've used pickled red onions, cilantro and corn - but to be honest, I've had this recipe many times without any of those and it tastes amazing just by itself!
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