Not All Fries are Created Equal
An element I love about cooking is that the flavors and aromas can help trigger memories and nostalgia. When I think of some of my favorite memories, it’s hard to beat the smell of freshly made French fries at the beach or state fairs. While I love their smell, I don’t crave regular fries often. And when I do, I’m picky about where I go. Potatoes are a bland starch and need added fat and seasoning to elevate the flavor. If you don’t get the seasoning blend right or fry too long, you’re left with a greasy side that lacks flavor. I wanted to reimagine a fry that didn’t need added fats or was mostly flavored by seasonings. I experimented with avocados, and after one bite, I was hooked. But why make fries out of avocados?
What Makes Avocado Fries Stand Out
Avocados are a perfect fruit (oh yes, a fruit!) for creating fries. The flavor and texture of avocados are excellent bases for various recipes, including guacamole, avocado truffles, and of course, fries! Avocado’s flavor is part of the umami category and is slightly nutty. It’s the perfect base to enhance with seasonings and add layers. Once baked, avocado fries are golden outside with an irresistible crunch and a creamy center. Even better, if you’ve made fried chicken at home, you’ll quickly master this recipe! Before you get started, let’s talk about the ingredients you’ll need.
Avocado Fries Ingredients
Avocados are the star of this recipe, providing a silky texture and core flavor. When selecting avocados, they should be slightly soft to the touch. If you can leave a mark when applying slight pressure or if the skin has flat areas, your avocados will be too ripe for this recipe. Once you’ve made your selection, you will also need the following:
Panko breadcrumbs are perfect for recipes that recreate a fried texture outside of oil. Panko is lighter and airier than plain breadcrumbs and absorbs less oil from foods which creates a crispier bake.
Parmesan Reggiano cheese adds layers of nutty and salty flavors. Because Parmesan Reggiano does contain salt, I don’t add additional salt to this recipe. If you’d like to, you’re welcome to sprinkle some in.
A blend of dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper adds layers of spices and subtle heat.
You will also need separate bowls of eggs and flour for the breading process.
The Breading Process
Like breaded and fried chicken, avocado fries are dipped in eggs, rolled in flour, and then coated in breadcrumbs before baking—the easiest way to coat, whether baking chicken or avocados, is to create an assembly line. Arrange the avocado wedges first in line. Place the eggs second, the flour third, and the bread crumb mixture fourth in separate bowls. Finally, set down the tray you will bake the avocado fries on last.
Working with one fry at a time, dip each avocado wedge into the egg mixture and shake off the excess. Next, dip the coated wedge in the flour, tossing to coat. Shake off any extra flour, and then dip it into the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat and shake off any excess. Once all the wedges have been coated, they are ready for baking.
Avocado Fries Can Be Oven Baked or Air Fried
One hack I love about avocado fries is that they can be made in an oven or an air fryer! They’re an excellent kitchen investment if you don’t already have an air fryer. Because air fryers are smaller than full-sized ovens, they take less time to preheat and cook. A shorter cooking time saves you time and can lead to lower energy usage!
Thanks to internal fans circulating hot air, food can cook to a gloriously crispy crunch without needing oil. It’s the same reason why convection baking in an oven shortens the cooking time. If you decide to air fry instead of baking in an oven, bake at 400° F for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. You can add more time if needed.
Ingredients
- 2 avocados slightly soft
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan Reggiano cheese freshly grated
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. black pepper freshly ground
- salt to taste
Dipping sauce
- ½ cup mayonaise
- 1 Tbsp. hot sauce
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F
- Wash and dry each avocado. Cut each avocado in half and discard the pits.
- Select an avocado half, and cut it in half stem to stem. Cut each quarter in half, stem to stem again. Peel away the avocado skin.
- Repeat step 3 with the remaining avocado halves. You should now have 16 avocado wedges in the shape of crescent moons. Set aside.
- Add the flour to a small bowl and set aside.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk. Set aside.
- In a medium shallow bowl, add the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt to taste. Stir to combine, and set aside.
- Create an assembly line starting with the avocado wedges first, then the flour, egg, bread crumb mix, and a baking tray last.
- Toss an avocado wedge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured wedge into to egg and allow the excess egg to drip off. Dip the flour and egg-coated wedge into the breadcrumb mixture, tossing to coat. Shake the excess breading off, and place the breaded wedge onto the baking tray.
- Repeat step 9 with the remaining wedges.
- Bake the breaded wedges at 400 °F for 17 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating Tips
Avocado fries can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to three days for the best flavor. However, for the best texture and crispiness, I recommend reheating in an air fryer or oven within 24 hours. The breading will adsorb moisture while refrigerated, and baking or air frying helps to dry and crisp your avocado fries. Microwaving will heat the fries, but now draw moisture out of the breading.
Freezing and Reheating Frozen Avocado Fries
It is possible to freeze avocado fries. This is a great way to take advantage of avocado sales without worrying about them over-ripening. Follow steps 1 through 10 in the recipe above. Once breaded, arrange the avocado fries on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the tray in your freezer. Once the avocados are frozen solid, transfer them to an air-tight freezer-safe container. Record the frozen-on date and use them within six months of freezing.
When cooking from frozen, preheat your oven or air fryer to 425° F. Bake avocado fries until golden brown, or about 22 to 25 minutes in an oven, or air fry for 12 to 15 minutes. Cooking times will vary based on the number of fries and your oven.
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