Welcome to another episode of OMG Air Fryers Are So Fun! I’m super late to the party; would you believe I held off on getting one all through quarantine?! I have been putting it through its paces the last few months though. And these Avocado Fries are one of my favorite creations. Crispy on the outside, creamy and buttery on the inside, with a zingy dipping sauce to bring them to another level. These are perfect for game day and also make a terrific starter, so let’s get into it.
First Make the Avocado Fries Sauce
This is such a delicious dipping sauce. It’s herby from the cilantro, a little spicy from fresh chilis, zingy from lime juice, and fish sauce balances it out with a pop of funk. (I adore cilantro, but if you absolutely hate it you can sub basil, dill, or flat leaf parsley.) If you have any extra sauce leftover, you can use it to dip chips, veggies, or wings. It’s also great with hearty salads, slathered on a burger, or as a condiment for simple grilled foods.
Make the Avocado Fries
I start making my avocado fries by quickly crisping up the panko bread crumbs. If you do a lot of oven frying or air frying, this trick will take your food to the next level. Because both cooking techniques rely on hot air, neither will get you the exact richness and evenly browned crust like oil frying. Sorry but it’s true. Air frying is awesome but it’s not the same. However, this trick will get you closer.
I find that it’s very difficult to get raw crumbs evenly browned in the air fryer. No amount of oil spray is quite enough. And no matter how long you cook the food, some parts will look delicious but others a little pale and pasty. By browning the crumbs in a little oil, you get a head start on the flavor and texture that will more closely mimic oil frying. Plus, you get an even toasty color in just a couple of minutes. And if you don’t have an air fryer, this is an excellent way to get all of your oven fried food extra delicious. So don’t just save it for these avocado fries, use it for chicken tenders, eggplant parmesan, or anywhere you need a golden crumb crust.
Once the crumbs are a nice golden color, transfer them to a bowl and season the crumbs. Now that the panko coating is ready, I prep the avocado fries. Large Florida avocados are great for this recipe; they make beautiful wedge fries. Try and get the largest avocados you can find at the market. It’s important that you use just soft avocados for this recipe. They will hold their shape and not fall apart as you dredge and cook the pieces. Save any mushy over ripe ones for guacamole or smoothies.
To avoid being disappointed, buy your avocados hard and let them ripen at home. Often the soft avocados at the store are over ripe or have brown spots. Like everything else at the store, they’re more expensive than they were before the pandemic, so you don’t want to have to throw out bad ones.
Cut the avocado into wedges and put them on a baking sheet. A little bit of trial and error led me to this version of dredging the fries. Avocados are delicate and too much handling will bruise and break them into bits. They like to be handled like babies! So putting them on a baking sheet and coating them this way keeps them intact. Once you finish one side, flip the wedges gently and repeat on the other side.
Spread the Kewpie mayonnaise thinly and gently press down on the panko mixture to make sure each wedge is completely covered. I like to use kewpie mayo because it has more flavor than American mayonnaise. Plus, it comes with a convenient squeeze tip. However, you can use whatever mayo you prefer. Spread it on as a thin layer, just enough to get the crumbs to adhere.
Now it’s time to fry these babies up! One of the reasons that avocados are not often cooked is because they can turn bitter with extended cooking. We try to ensure success by getting a head start on browning the crumbs. Then cook these avocado fries at a very high temperature for a short amount of time. The avocados only need to be heated. Nothing needs to be “cooked” since all of the parts are technically ready to eat.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also oven fry the avocado or just pan fry them in some oil. No matter how you cook them, in about 5 minutes these will be crispy flavor bombs, ready to wow your guests. Be careful when flipping them midway through the cooking so they don’t break.
As soon as they are golden brown, take them out and serve with the sauce.
These are perfect served as a starter for:
Or do what I’ve been doing lately and just make a batch for snacking. They won’t last long! Let me know what you think, take a second to comment on the recipe below, and tag us in our pics @funkyasiankitchen; we love hearing from you.
Avocado Fries
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: small plates
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
- 1 Florida or 2 Hass Avocados
- ⅓ cup kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Oil Spray
Sauce:
- 1 cup cilantro
- 3 scallions
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1–2 thai bird chiles minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce (use soy sauce for vegetarians)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put the breadcrumbs and the oil in a small skillet.
- Heat the pan over medium heat, moving the crumbs around the pan regularly with a spatula until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Put the panko in a bowl to cool.
- Add the granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt, and ground black pepper to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Cut the avocado(s) in half and remove the seed. Cut each half into thin wedges about ⅓ inch thick. Set the avocado wedges on a rimmed baking sheet
- Squeeze a line (about ¼ teaspoon) of kewpie mayonnaise onto the wedges. Use a spatula to spread the mayonnaise evenly.
- Pour a little of the breadcrumbs onto each wedge and use your fingers to press gently on the wedges to adhere the breadcrumbs.
- Flip the avocado and repeat with the mayonnaise and the breadcrumbs, making sure you have completely covered the wedges with the breadcrumb coating.
- Set the wedges into the air fryer, spray lightly with some oil, and cook on 400 degrees heat for 5-6 minutes. Gently flip the avocado halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve the avocado fries immediately with the sauce on the side.
Make the sauce:
- Roughly chop the cilantro and scallions and add it to a tall cup.
- Add the lime juice, thai bird chiles, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, mayonnaise, oil, and ground black pepper.
- Blend with an immersion blender stick until you have a thick pureed sauce.
- Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
*If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also oven fry or pan fry the avocado in a skillet. For oven frying, set the oven to 425 and move the shelf to the middle of the oven. Put the avocado fries on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Spray lightly with oil, place the baking sheet in the oven, and cook for 5-6 minutes. If you plan on pan-frying, heat a skillet oven medium heat for several minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of oil and cook the fries for a couple minutes on each side, making sure to flip gently to keep the avocado from breaking.
Keywords: avocado, air fryer, snacks, fried, cilantro, dipping sauce, panko, japanese, game night
