Paleo Baked Avocado Fries are a deliciously different way to enjoy this healthy fat source in your diet.
This appetizer was inspired by a dish the hubs and I enjoyed at a local cafe. While their version was gluten-free, I’m pretty certain they used rice flour and deep fried them.
Convinced I could do better, I took some time off from shooting pics for The Performance Paleo Cookbook and developed these delectable little snacks. My first experiment worked! (These are also reminiscent of Fed and Fit’s brilliant guest post for Crispy Buffalo Chicken Fingers.)
How To Make Avocado Fries
Basically, you’ll coat the avocado “fries” with crushed pork rinds. They bake up brown and crisp! I like Epic’s pork rinds brand the best because it’s just pork, olive oil and salt already crushed up and ready to use.
You’ll coat the avocado in arrowroot (tapioca) flour, egg wash, and finally seasoned pork rinds, then bake and eat.
If you can’t eat eggs, I made a version without. Though I don’t have exact quantities, all I did was replace the egg with stone-ground mustard that I thinned with a little water. The result was just as tasty.
How to Pick the Perfect Avocado
Here’s a tip for finding the perfect avocados in the grocery store:
To pick avocados that aren’t overripe, flick off the stem. If it’s whitish- green underneath, you still have time before it’s mushy and brown. If it’s brown where the stem was, don’t choose that avocado.
I’d avoid buying the avocado on the left because it’s already very ripe. Making this recipe with extremely ripe avocados is messy.
Paleo Baked Avocado Fries Recipe
Make these paleo Baked Avocado Fries for a delicious gluten-free snack packed with healthy fats! They make the perfect game-day eats!
Ingredients
- 2 avocados ripe but not mushy, pits removed*
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp stone ground mustard
- 1-1/2 cups pork rinds crushed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Slice the avocados in half, and carefully remove the pit. (To do that, place the avocado on a cutting board, and gently but firmly thwack the pit with a knife, then twist.) Cut each half into three or four slices, and set them aside.
- You’ll need three small bowls for the dipping stations. In the first, combine the arrowroot and half the seasonings. In the second, combine the beaten egg, water and mustard. In the third, combine the pork rinds and the other half of the seasonings.
- Dip the avocado slices into the arrowroot, then the eggs, then the pork rinds. Lay them on the baking sheet. When they’re all dipped, bake the avocado fries for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip and bake another 2 to 4 minutes. They’re best enjoyed while they’re fresh!
Recipe Notes
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23 Responses
HOW did I not know about the stem-flicking?! I’ve been averaging 7 avocados/week for FIVE YEARS and have never heard or seen this little tidbit! I will say, my gentle squeeze test typically works alright….except around the time of the season when the skins are nearly diamond hard and make it feel like the inside is still rock hard. Most of the time those little effers end up being rotten inside by the time I figure it out. 😉
Thanks for the tip!
Any ideas for a sub for the pork dust? Can’t find that here on Vancouver Island Canada!
You could try almond flour! It won’t be as light but it’ll still work as a coating.
You should be able to find pork rinds in any grocery store. Just crush them yourself! Check the potato chip/snack aisles.
Hello Fellow Vancouver Islander, in case your travels take you anywhere between Duncan and Mill Bay, you should find pork rinds at the Old Farm Marker. 🙂
Do you have the nutritional information for this?
You can try typing in the ingredients on wolframalpha.com or something like fitday.com.
I made these without the pork rinds (can’t find them locally and they won’t ship them to AK!), and I just used an additional coating of tapioca flour that I seasoned with some salt and cayenne. In other words, plain tapioca – egg wash – seasoned tapioca. I fried them in a bit of coconut oil to set the coating, then put them in the oven on a baking rack for a few minutes. They were tasty when hot and crisp out of the skillet, but the oven finishing didn’t hurt one bit . . . delicious!
Hi Nik,
I’m glad you were able to find away to enjoy them. Sounds good. 🙂
Definitely going to try this! My mom and I love avocado, but my dad is sooo picky! Maybe he’ll try one. (Also, can I just say I feel spoiled how cheap avos are here in the States. I lived over 10 years in Korea where they’re ~3$ each!)
Oh my gosh that is really expensive!!
They tend to be about that price here in Australia as well. Sometimes they’re cheap and that’s when I tend to buy truckloads, but you’re *LUCKY* to get them for anything less than $2 an avo.
Yikes!
These were incredible, I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out amazing, can’t wait to try the Crispy Buffalo Fingers but I need you to please come up with a substitute for blue cheese dressing first!
I’m just starting going completely Paleo and your recipes are keeping me going….absolutely fabulous, thank you so much!
Being a vegan won’t spoil them (avocados) with pork ? or eggs. Don’t like to cook . What yummy substitute for Animals? would you suggest? Thank you, in advance.
Hi Fredi,
Breadcrumbs and some sort of non-dairy milk? I can’t really give you any suggestions for not liking to cook though 😉
I used dang onion chips instead of pork rinds and they were amazing! Dang is the brand and you can find them at earthfare
Everyone should know this avocado hack. When the avocado is at that perfect point of ripeness, here’s what you do: put it into boiling water for 10 -count them, exactly 10 – seconds, then immediately into a bowl of ice water. Not only will the avocado stay perfect for several days, any leftover can be refrigerated in an ordinary closed container, no shrink wrap required. The heat stops the enzyme that causes browning. It even seems to stop those nasty brown strings from forming in your leftover. You’ll have to steel yourself to drop that first one into boiling water, but you’ll see. It works.
Jane,
when you put the avocado in boiling water is the peel removed first
If I wanted to grill them instead of oven cooking what would you recommend the BBQ grill be?
Hi Becky,
Hmmmm I really don’t know. Feel free to give it a shot! You’d want to be sure the coating didn’t burn so if you do try it I might suggest a medium (or lower) heat.
Hi Steph
Thanks for the tip about how to pick the perfect avocado. It is tips like this that last a lifetime with us!
Keep doing the good work!
Thanks
Paul
Happy to help, Paul!