32 Ways to Savor Avocados

Why settle for one use of avocados when you can pickle, purée, and grill them, all in one satisfying dish?

Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Avocado Three Ways

Swap avocado for olive oil and you've got a fresh, creamy spin on pesto sauce.

Recipe: Avocado Pesto Pasta

Avocado and chocolate is the surprise pairing you never knew you needed until your first bite of this delicious dessert.

Recipe: Avocado and Dark Chocolate Tart

Kris Yenbamroong cooked for himself often as a kid while his parents were working at the family’s L.A. restaurant, Talésai. He made avocado toast a lot, in different ways. “Sometimes I’d use that Taco Night cheese you get at the supermarket and put the whole thing in the toaster oven,” he says.

Recipe: Kris’s Avocado Toast

Guac is a summertime staple, and this is our most favorite take on it to date. Feel free to double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd.

Recipe: Gabriel’s Guacamole

Crunchy on the outside, creamy and nutty inside, these fries are totally over the top. Chef Trey Foshee, at George’s at the Cove restaurant in La Jolla, California, serves them with grilled steak.

Recipe: Avocado Fries

This Southwestern-inspired soup hits all the right notes: solid protein from the beans, crunchiness from the cucumber, creaminess from the avocado, a sweet hit of acidity from the citrus, and a hint of spice.

Recipe: Black Bean Soup with Avocado, Orange, and Cucumber

It’s one of the oldest healthy food hacks in the book: Drink your greens. But Amanda Frederickson (@amandafrederickson), a professional cook and food stylist in L.A., and nutritionist friend Kelly LeVeque (bewellbykelly.com) have come up with an intriguingly delicious version of the classic green smoothie. It’s also packed with lots of protein and healthy fats—safeguarding you against unhealthy grazing later on. “It keeps me full for hours,” says Frederickson.

Recipe: Avocado and Spinach Smoothie

There might not be a more popular chicken recipe in the Sunset archives. This sweet and spicy dish from chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger was first published in 2009, and it remains a clear favorite among staff and readers alike.

Recipe: Grilled Cilantro Chicken with Pickled Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, and coriander give this Western classic an Eastern spin.

Recipe: Indian Guacamole

Puréed avocado makes the texture of this refreshing soup even creamier.

Recipe: Chilled Avocado and Yogurt Soup

Using both fresh and smoked jalapeños (chipotles) gives this version of chimichurri, the Argentinean steak sauce, lots of flavor without being wildly spicy.

Recipe: Grilled Steak and Vegetable Salad with Chipotle Chimichurri Dressing

This recipe is a fresh take on bibimbap, a Korean rice dish traditionally topped with meat, vegetables, egg, and chili paste. It’s fast, easy, and doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store.

Recipe: California-Style Bibimbap

Baking eggs is fast, easy, and delicious. You can cook them in ramekins, of course, but it’s especially fun to make them in edible containers. That twist makes them special enough for lunch or dinner, not only breakfast. All three recipes work for a crowd, too—just increase the amounts in direct proportion to people.

Recipes:

Eggs Baked in Avocados

Eggs Baked in Portobello Mushrooms

Eggs Baked in Sweet Potatoes

Crunchy bacon brings out the smokiness of a good Hass avocado, and the sharp vinaigrette helps cut its richness.

Recipe: Avocados with Warm Bacon Parsley Vinaigrette

Roasted chiles, crunchy jicama and radishes, silky avocado, crumbly cheese, and a spicy-sweet dressing make this salad an explosion of flavor and texture. Try it with pork chops or a juicy steak.

Recipe: Spicy Avocado Poblano Salad

This Asian-inspired guac is loosely based on a recipe from Hawaiian chef Alan Wong. Serve it with daikon sticks, radishes, or taro chips.

Recipe: Sake Soy Guacamole

We can never get enough of this salad; it’s one of our all-time summer favorites, as good with tacos as it is with anything grilled.

Recipe: Grilled Corn Poblano Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette

Baking prosciutto intensifies its flavor and gives it a crispy texture in these breakfast sandwiches. If you're eating them on the go, just wrap them in waxed paper.

Recipe: Egg, Avocado, and Crispy Prosciutto Pitas

These elegant bites make for a healthy party appetizer.

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Avocado Rice Triangles

In this balanced and nutritious salad, you get protein from two sources, the citrus brightens up the flavors, and the avocado adds a touch of richness.

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Oranges

You know bacon and avocado play well together from such sandwiches as the BLT. But this recipe amps up the delectable duo by adding extra protein and more complex flavor. Marinate and grill a slab of tofu and slide it into a ciabatta roll along with the vegetables and bacon. Sriracha and a drizzle of the ginger-soy marinade pack extra punch.

Recipe: Grilled Tofu, Bacon, and Avocado Sandwiches

This lightened version of chips and guac will impress your party guests.

Recipes: Veggie Sticks with Avocado-Lime Dip

If you like Mexican recipes and you like kimchi, then this quesadilla is for you. We prefer the super spicy kimchi, but use any brand that you like.

Recipe: Kimchi and Avocado Quesadillas

This dish, using canned hominy, takes a fraction of the time needed for regular posole. Serve with warm corn tortillas.

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Posole with Avocado and Lime

The warm anise flavor of shiso, encouraged by the licoricey fennel, comes through clearly in this pretty salad. You can use either red or green shiso (red is slightly stronger in flavor) or a combination.

Recipe: Avocado, Grapefruit, and Shiso Salad

Avocado adds a rich flavor while wasabi mayonnaise kicks up the heat in this easy-to-prepare dish. Pile on pieces of grilled salmon and stuff into a pita pocket for a quick meal that is sure to be a family favorite.

Recipe: Grilled Salmon Avocado Pitas

You can eat the steak, salad, and tortillas separately, or wrap them up fajita-style, maybe with a side of black beans.

Recipe: Grilled Steak with Avocado and Red Onion Salad

“You might think you can’t bring fresh thing backpacking,” says Aimee Trudeau of Dirty Gourmet. “But kale, lemon, and avocado keep a long time.” When we’re in town, we like to keep their kale salad sandwiches in mind for brown-bag lunches, too.

Recipe: Lemony Kale Avocado Sandwiches

These quesadillas are loaded with zucchini and shrimp and are freshened up even more with an avocado salad.

Recipe: Surf and Garden Quesadillas with Avocado Salad

Quick, delicious, and pretty, too, this salad is nice for a special warm-weather luncheon.

Recipe: Squash Blossom, Avocado, and Butter Lettuce Salad

Silky smooth, luscious, and surprisingly good with chocolate sauce.

Recipe: Coconut Avocado Ice Cream

1) Use it when it’s just ripe. How to tell? Squeeze it with your whole hand; it should have the same “give” as chilled butter.

2) Preserve the tastiest part, the dark green layer under the skin. First, remove the pit: Cut lengthwise around the middle to the center and twist halves apart. Thunk a chef’s knife into pit and twist to pull out. To get pit off, slide against inner rim of kitchen sink. If you’re mashing the avocado, scrape it out with a spoon. If you want beautiful, perfect slices and dice, score skin down center with a paring knife and carefully pull off peel.

Instead of sprouting an avocado pit like a preschool project ― the resulting harvest, if any, will take at least 5 years and may not taste very good in the end ― buy a young tree.

You can grow a Hass in Sunset climate zones 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 24; for zone explanations and complete growing instructions, see the Sunset Western Garden Book or sunset.com/climatezones.

Along with an appropriate climate, give your tree enough space (canopies can spread 30 feet); excellent drainage; and enough water so that soil is moist but not wet.