25 Recipes to Save for That Moment Your Avocados Are Perfectly Ripe

If fast food tacos had feelings, they’d be green with envy about these nicely spiced, beer-infused chicken tacos. While the meat and tortillas are great, the avocado side dish really steals the show. Lime juice and fresh cilantro brighten up the guac, and toasted cumin seeds lend a lovely hint of warmth.

This light 20-minute salad gets extra heartiness and nutrition when we add avocados. Serve it as a satisfying avocado side dish or a light dinner or lunch when topped with your favorite protein (we're thinking pork or salmon, but just about anything works). Don't skip the almonds; they add a crunchy texture to the dish.

Over avocado toast? Mix up your morning routine by topping an avocado with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Plus, we have four more avocado pairings to try. For serious fans of the fruit, this is one of our best avocado recipes, thanks to the high ratio of avocado to other ingredients.

Some days, making time for a healthy breakfast is tricky. Luckily, this sandwich is quick to put together and will get you out the door in no time. Much healthier and more satisfying than toast, egg, and asparagus alone, this is one of our favorite things to make with avocado in the a.m.

Upgrade the classic BLT sandwich with creamy, nutrient-packed avocado. (Turns out, bacon is one of the best avocado pairings around.) This sandwich also gets a hearty addition from a little turkey and ham, and still clocks in at just over 300 calories per sandwich.

Why eat plain ol' potato french fries when you can have avocado fries? These creamy avocado wedges are baked to perfection with a crispy, crunchy tortilla chip coating. Now all you need is dipping sauce like garlic or sriracha aioli for a perfect avocado pairing!

This better-for-you fried rice is healthier than its takeout competition, thanks to cauliflower rice and extra veggies. Yet it’s still full of the flavor you’re craving with chili powder, cumin, and lime juice in the mix. The chicken-avocado pairing disguises healthy ingredients so well that even picky eaters will clean their plates.

Put down the pickle relish. Mashed avocado is the topper your hot dog recipes have been missing. A lime juice-avocado pairing helps keep the fruit from turning brown. A sprinkle of chopped tomatoes and crushed potato chips on top completes this super-summery dog.

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That's right; you can even eat avocados for dessert! Adding cocoa powder probably wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind when you brainstorm things to do with avocado, but one bite will make any doubts float away. You'd never guess based on this pudding's rich and chocolaty flavor, but blending two ripe avocados into the healthy dessert recipe makes it extra creamy and rich.

Serve an avocado side-dish salad that banishes any misconceptions of salads being boring. The bright vinaigrette is punctuated with citrus, cilantro, and garlic. Smooth avocado balances the caramelized pineapple, fresh blackberries, and flavorful dressing.

A collection of recipes using avocado would not be complete without a guacamole recipe. Delicious guacamole always starts with perfectly ripe avocados. From there, mix in your favorite additions. We made this version extra fresh by stirring in chopped tomatoes and red onion.

True, a spaghetti dinner isn’t one of the most common things to make with avocado. But this 30-minute pasta recipe will convince you that it should be. With fiber-filled whole grain noodles, protein-packed Greek yogurt, and vitamin-rich bell peppers in the mix, it proves that a pasta party can be good for you.

Yes, there are even things to do with avocado that you can sip come happy hour. This new take on the classic margarita has a smooth, creamy texture thanks to avocado. Don't worry: We kept the tequila, lime juice, and triple sec, so it has all the margarita staples but tastes like a mash-up of an avocado smoothie recipe and a cocktail.

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Tired of the same old grilled cheese sandwiches? Try this variation for a unique and easy thing to make with avocado. A creamy spread of the green fruit is a perfect complement to tomato and cheese in this classic sandwich.

While it looks like a veggie smoothie, this green drink is all fruit! A splash of orange juice adds a touch of brightness to our creamy yogurt, banana, and avocado smoothie recipe. It's an easy breakfast to take on the go too.

Ten minutes is all you need to turn a simple serving of oatmeal into a whole meal. True, oats are not a typical avocado pairing, but think of it like a blank slate (just like a slice of toast). Simply top the hot cereal with a fried egg, avocado chunks, and Gruyère cheese for an easy one-dish breakfast recipe.

Avocados and new potatoes add a modern touch (and a dose of healthy fats) to this mash-up of potato and egg salads. To make this one of the most refreshing avocado pairings you've tasted, very briefly freeze the lettuce before adding the creamy components. You'll get a chilled, extra-crisp result.

An egg and some prosciutto may be what make this breakfast sandwich look elegant. The avocado pairing with those ingredients, though, makes the rich, creamy fruit the MVP that acts as the glue to hold it all together. Drive-through egg sandwiches have definitely met their match!

Buttery avocado is the perfect complement to the sweetness of mango and tomato in this fresh and healthy side dish salad. We like to serve the colorful fruits atop a bed of lettuce leaves or with chips as a chunky avocado dip recipe. Make it a meal by adding grilled shrimp, salmon, chicken, or steak.

Seeking ideas for things to do with avocado when it’s scorching hot out? Add avocado to your sherbet for a new take on a frozen dessert. Slightly sweet with hints of lemon flavor, this light sherbet recipe is a refreshing summer dessert.

Guacamole isn't just for summer. Our hearty fall twist on the quintessential avocado side dish features toasty pumpkin, jalapeños, and cilantro. The dip recipe comes together in just 25 minutes.

This zippy avocado dip gives the lime-marinated shrimp a jolt of bold flavor. For a fun party appetizer, serve grilled shrimp swimming in glasses of cocktail sauce. Make a double batch of the sauce to serve as a condiment or an avocado side dish of sorts for grilled steak or chicken.

Serve up lean mahi-mahi with our easy make-ahead relish. Avocado, black beans, and a cilantro-garlic dressing take this fish from mild to flavor-packed. Like most fish recipes, this avocado dinner recipe cooks up fast (only 4 to 6 minutes of grill time for a ½-inch-thick filet!), so you can get dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

“A friend brought this to a work potluck, and I couldn't stop thinking about it,” says BH&G home cook Tabitha, who added that the avocado pairing with the quinoa gives the vegetarian entrée “a creamy quality, and I just can't get enough of it.” This 30-minute Mediterranean salad features lots of avocado and protein-packed quinoa. Even better, the colorful salad comes in at under 400 calories and delivers more than a quarter of your daily fiber quota.

Serve this avocado salsa recipe as a nice way to break out of your guacamole rut. Salt, olive oil, and serrano pepper keep this fruit salsa from getting too sweet. For an irresistible avocado pairing, dip chips into it or serve it as a relish over chicken or fish.