Crispy Avocado Tacos with Mango Salsa
These Crispy Avocado Tacos are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Topped with fresh, homemade mango salsa and chipotle crema, these are the perfect addition to your Taco Tuesday table!
We’re Californians, so we’re always eating avocados (that stereotype is true)! This time, we paired them with tacos, another favorite food of ours. Instead of using a traditional protein option, these Crispy Avocado Tacos highlight avocados as the main ingredient.
Avocados are battered in beaten egg and crunchy, seasoned panko and then baked until the outsides are crispy and the insides are soft and buttery! They’re combined with a savory and sweet mango salsa, spicy chipotle crema, and wrapped in tortillas, making the perfect vegetarian and nutritious meal!
The Crispy Avocado Details
The avocados are the star of these tacos, so they deserve lots of attention here. While other avocado tacos use fried avocados, these ones are baked, making them easily accessible to many home cooks. The panko gives them a nice crispy texture, even baked, and the spices we use help amplify their naturally delicious flavor.
Here’s what you’ll need for the crispy avocados:
- Avocados – we suggest using medium to large sized Hass avocados in this recipe for best results.
- Eggs – dipping the avocado slices in beaten eggs first helps the panko stick to them better.
- Panko breadcrumbs – we like to use panko here instead of regular breadcrumbs because they make the exterior of the avocado extra crunchy.
- Spices – we flavor the panko with chili powder, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, salt
- Cooking spray – the cooking spray helps the avocado brown in the oven while it bakes.
The Best Mango Salsa You’ll Ever Have
We’re not usually big fans of sweeter salsas, but this mango salsa is RIDICULOUSLY good. It’s bright, fresh, tangy, savory, and just a little sweet and fruity from the mango. It’s super balanced and goes so well with the crispy avocados. You can of course use store bought, but we highly recommend making it yourself so that it’s extra fresh and delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Roma tomatoes – Roma tomatoes work best in salsas because they’re milder, sturdier, and less wet than other varieties.
- Onion – we suggest using yellow or white onion, but sweet or red onions would work too.
- Cilantro – cilantro adds a bright herby flavor to the salsa, but if you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it out.
- Mangos – we prefer using mangoes that are of medium ripeness (not too tart or too sweet), but use whatever you like.
- Jalapeño – this gives the salsa a nice mild spiciness. You could skip this and/or replace it with bell pepper if you don’t like spicy food.
- Lime – the lime gives this salsa a necessary tartness to balance out the sweetness of the mango.
- Salt – make sure to salt your salsa to taste according to your preferences.
A Delicious Chipotle Crema
Every great taco needs a sauce, and this one is creamy, a little spicy, and has just the right amount of tang. We love the simplicity of it and it really packs a flavor punch.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious sauce:
- Sour cream – use your favorite sour cream here. If you don’t like sour cream, you could also use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – not all brands are the same level of spicy, so you may want to start by adding less and then add more if you want it hotter.
- Lime juice – fresh lime juice adds a nice brightness and citrus flavor to the crema.
- Water – water helps to thin the sauce out so that you can drizzle it over the tacos. If you want it thicker, use less. Thinner? Use more.
- Salt – be sure to taste the sauce for seasoning and salt it according to your preferences.
Additional Taco Toppings
If you want to elevate these tacos even more, you’ll need a few other ingredients. We like adding these additional toppings for added crunch, brightness, and creaminess. Plus, you gotta have tortillas!
Here’s what you’ll need to complete these Crispy Avocado Tacos:
- Tortillas – you can use corn or flour tortillas.
- Green cabbage – we like the crunch of shredded green cabbage in these tacos.
- Cilantro – chopped fresh cilantro adds a nice herby flavor.
- Queso Fresco – we love adding crumbled queso fresco to these tacos for creamy, mild cheese flavor.
How to Make These Crispy Avocado Tacos
The crispy avocado slices are baked, not fried, in this recipe, so start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup later.
Add the eggs to a shallow dish or pie tin and whisk them together. In a second shallow dish or pie tin, mix panko with the spices.
Dip each wedge of avocado in the beaten egg, then coat it in panko mixture. Place each breaded avocado wedge on the baking sheet.
Spray the avocado slices with cooking spray and bake them for 20-25 minutes, flipping each slice over halfway. If they look dry at this point, spray the newly exposed side with cooking spray.
Mix the ingredients for the salsa together in a medium bowl. Season to taste and set aside.
Add the chipotle crema ingredients to a high sided container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you could use a regular blender or even a food processor, but the latter won’t get the sauce as smooth.
Crispy Avocado Tacos
Ingredients
Crispy Avocados
- 2 large Hass avocados, each cut into 8 wedges
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Cooking spray
Mango Salsa
- 1 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
- ¼ white or sweet onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 large or 2 small mangoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Chipotle Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- ½ tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp water, use more for a thinner sauce
- Salt to taste
Additional Taco Toppings
- 8 Tortillas, warmed or lightly toasted
- green cabbage, shredded
- Cilantro, chopped
- Queso Fresco, crumbled
Instructions
Crispy Avocados
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the eggs to a shallow dish or pie tin and whisk.
- In a second shallow dish or pie tin, mix panko with the spices.
- Dip each wedge of avocado in the egg, then coat in panko mixture.
- Place each breaded avocado wedge on the baking sheet.
- Spray with cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping avocados halfway. If they look dry at this point, you can spray them again.
Mango Salsa
- Mix the ingredients for the salsa together in a medium bowl. Season to taste.
Chipotle Crema
- Add the chipotle crema ingredients to a high sided container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also use a regular blender or a food processer, but a food processor won't get it as smooth.
Assembly
- Add a small handful of cabbage to a tortilla. Place 2 avocado wedges on top of the cabbage.
- Top with mango salsa and a generous drizzle of chipotle crema.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco.
