Beer Battered Avocado Tacos

Yep. You read that right… beer battered avocado tacos. Sounds strange, yet invigorating all at the same time. Lent begins soon, and I love a good meatless recipe that I can add to my liturgical cooking repertoire. These tacos are easy, delicious, and even come with a bonus recipe for homemade seasoned taco shells. Don’t do yourself a disservice and buy the store bought ones- give mine a try. I hope you love it!

Beer Battered Avocado Tacos

You will need:

For the batter and avocados:

2 medium to large avocados (you’re aiming for 8-10 slices)
1 c ap flour
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 c light beer of your choice, or club soda if you do not want to use beer
2 limes, 1 juiced & 1 sliced into wedges for serving
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1/4 c tomatoes, chopped
Mexican crema, sour cream, or Greek yogurt for topping or drizzling
canola oil for frying (you’re going to want 2-3 inches of oil in the pot you choose to fry in)

For the taco shells:

8-10 white corn tortillas
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
spray olive oil or canola oil

To prep the avocados:

Peel and slice the avocados. You are trying to get 8-10 slices out of each one. Brush or squeeze lime juice over each avocado, and sprinkle each one with chili powder and salt. Roll them in panko, and put them on a sheet of parchment paper or a nonstick surface. Pop them in the freezer while you get everything else ready. This will help them to firm up and be able to hold on to the batter.

Set a dutch oven or frying pan of your choice over med-high heat, and start to bring your oil up to temperature. You want the oil to be at 325-350 before the avocados go in. Go ahead and start the taco shells now while the avocados firm up and your oil starts to come to temperature.

For the taco shells:

Preheat your oven to 375. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds until steamed and pliable. Spray each tortilla with olive oil or canola oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and chili powder. Lay each tortilla directly on your oven rack over the bars (I put my tortilla over two of the bars. The sides will fold in as they cook- don’t worry if they look a little wide). Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and crispy. Keep an eye on them or they will burn. If they are a little more brown in some places, don’t worry- they will still taste delicious! You can also keep the tortillas flat and make flat shells. Either way- they are great! Once they are done cooking- remove them from the rack with a pair of tongs and set aside.

For the beer batter:

In a bowl, add in 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 c ap flour, and 1 c light beer of your choice (or club soda). Mix the batter around until it is about as thick as pancake batter. Take the avocados out of the freezer, and dip them one by one into the batter. Once they are thoroughly coated, gently drop them in the oil. They should puff up and start to cook immediately. Once they are golden brown (about 4-6 minutes), remove them and let them drain on a wire rack with paper towels under neath. Repeat this process until all slices are cooked.

When you are ready to eat, load one or two slices of the avocado into a shell, top with cilantro, tomatoes, a generous squeeze of fresh lime, and crema (or topping of your choice). Eat, and enjoy!