Avocados are healthy on their own, but when combined, they become even more special. Below are avocados turned into healthy, luxe, and easy meals under 30 minutes.
1. Mediterranean Chickpea Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- Ripe Avocados, 2, halved, pitted
- Canned Chickpeas, 1 cup, drained, rinsed
- Diced Cucumber, 1/4 cup
- Cherry Tomatoes, 1/4 cup, quartered
- Crumbled Feta Cheese, 2 tablespoons
- Chopped Fresh Parsley, 2 tablespoons
- Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoon
- Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon
- Dried Oregano, 1/4 teaspoon
- Sea Salt, Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1
To create a cavity for the stuffing, scoop out a tablespoon of avocado from the halved and opened avocados and mash it up with a fork.
Set it aside in a bowl. The added space on the avocados will allow more of the filling to be added.
You’ll need to save the flesh for the filling.
Now, in the same bowl, mash some of the reserved avocado with a fork with the drained and rinsed chickpeas until combined.
The filling should be chunky and not smooth, so be careful not to over-mash.
In one bowl, combine diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, and chopped parsley with the chickpea mixture.
Make sure to finely chop the vegetables into small, bite-sized portions, as they need to fit into the avocado without falling out.
In this bowl, drizzle aceite de oliva and lemon juice (to taste), and add dry oregano, black pepper, and salt to taste.
Blend all ingredients to coat the chickpeas lightly.
Take the mixture and generously spoon it into each avocado half with a mound on top.
Make sure that the filling is packed in, but avoid over-stuffing the mixture.
To finish, drizzle any leftover dressing from the bowl over the top.
2. Caprese Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced into small cubes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Scoop out a small amount of avocado flesh from each half to make room for the Caprese filling, and place the scooped avocado into a mixing bowl.
This creates the perfect little bowl for all those fresh Italian flavors.
Dice the scooped avocado into small cubes and return it to the bowl.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and diced mozzarella.
Make sure the mozzarella pieces are small enough to mix well with the other ingredients.
Tear the fresh basil leaves into smaller pieces using your hands or chop them roughly with a knife.
Tearing basil by hand rather than with a knife helps to prevent the leaves from bruising and turning dark. Once done, add the basil to the bowl.
Pour the olive oil over the mixture and add the minced garlic.
Season everything with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then toss everything gently so that the tomatoes, mozzarella, and avocado get coated.
It’s important that the mixture not get broken up, so be gentle. The mixture should be colorful and fresh-looking.
I also fill the avocado halves with the Caprese mixture, allowing them to spill over for a beautiful presentation.
I add a drizzle of the balsamic glaze on the top in a decorative zigzag and, optionally, red pepper to add a bit of heat.
3. Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 1 can (5 ounces) tuna in water, drained
- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of diced celery
- 2 tablespoons of diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon of capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Paprika for garnish
Instructions
Spoon some avocado flesh from each of the halves to create a deeper pocket.
Place the fleshed avocado in a mixing bowl to use for tuna salad later.
The cavity should be deep enough so it can hold a generous portion of tuna salad without sliding off.
Very thoroughly drain the tuna and make sure it is very dry so no excess moisture gets absorbed into your filling.
To dry it, place the tuna into a fine-mesh strainer over the canned tuna.
Once the excess moisture is out, add it to the reserved avocado bowl.
Take out some Greek yogurt and dill mustard and add it to the bowl containing the drained tuna.
Use a fork to mash it all together until very creamy, and combine the avocado into the absolute tuna salad.
With a spoon, add the vegetables to the bowl: celery, red onion, and dill, and some more with the capers.
Squeeze out some lemon juice to make it a little softer.
Mix everything until combined and everything is distributed.
Grind sea salt and black pepper to make a final seasoning.
To make it aesthetically pleasing, add the salad filling to the avocado and get your container with a light cover of paprika to add a little more color.
4. Chicken Avocado Southwest Stuffed
Ingredients
- 2 avocados
- 1 cup chicken
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 1/4 cup corn
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos
Instructions
Use a tablespoon to remove some avocado on the inside so there is room for the filling.
Put the avocado into a mixing bowl to add to the filling.
For chicken, if left over, just shred into small bite-sized pieces.
If starting with a raw chicken breast, season it with some salt and pepper.
Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side to get an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Once good, let it rest for 5 minutes for the juices to redistribute, then you can cut and shred as well.
To the bowl with the avocado, add the chicken, corn, black beans, and diced red bell pepper.
If the corn is frozen, run it under some warm water first so it can defrost.
The mixture is going to look so pretty with the black, red, and yellow colors.
Get the mixture and drizzle some lime juice into it, then add in the cumin and chili powder.
These spices work so well with any avocado and give some warmth to the mixture with their Southwestern flavor.
Toss in some chopped cilantro, we then add some salt and pepper to it, as we do to the other spices.
The chicken should be well coated in the spices, and you can do that by mixing it all and then gently folding in the reserved avocado so that, with some mashing, it can help bind the mixture together.
Each half of the avocado should be stuffed with the Southwest chicken mixture, and it should be packed in tightly to stay in place.
Furthermore, some shredded cheese and sliced jalapenos would add some spiciness if that’s something you look forward to.
5. Greek Shrimp Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- Two ripe avocados. Cut in half and remove the pit.
- 8 ounces of shrimp. Make sure it is cooked and then chop it up.
- 1/4 cup of cucumber. This will need to be diced.
- Red Onion. You will need to have two tablespoons of diced red onion.
- Feta cheese. Get crumbled in two tablespoons.
- You will need two tablespoons of sun-dried. Let’s get some olives.
- 1 tbsp is for lemon juice. Get it fresh.
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- A teaspoon of dried oregano.
- 1 clove of garlic. This is minced.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
- You will then need some fresh dill for garnish.
Instructions
With the avocado that you have, scoop out a little of the sections that will get filled with the stuffing.
Put the scooped-out avocado to the side.
Once the shrimp has cooled off, chop the shrimp up.
In a separate, larger mixing bowl, you will pour the contents of the cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and the olives.
Make sure the olives you use are pitted.
Cut the reserved avocado into small pieces and add it to the bowl.
This makes the filling creamier and ensures the delicious avocado is fully utilized rather than going to waste.
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, minced garlic, and dried oregano together with lemon juice to make a quick and easy Greek dressing.
Pour the dressing over the shrimp mixture and season with black pepper and salt.
Lightly coat the dressing and feta over the shrimp and vegetables, looking bright with a color combination of green, red, and white.
Take a spoon to fill each avocado half with the Greek shrimp mixture, allowing it to spill over.
Top it with fresh dill for extra Mediterranean flavor and to make it look pretty.
6. Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup corn kernels
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: diced avocado from the centers, hot sauce
Instructions
Step 1
To begin, make space for the filling by removing about one tablespoon from the avocado halves’ centers.
If you’d like a creamier filling, you can mash the avocado you scoop and add it to the other filling ingredients.
Make sure your quinoa is completely cooled before mixing it with the other ingredients.
If the quinoa is warm, it will create a filling that is too soft, and the avocados will brown.
If you’re starting from scratch with cooking the quinoa, the ratio of quinoa to water is supposed to be 1:2, where you first bring the water to a boil.
After boiling, you should let it simmer on low with the lid for about 15 minutes.
The water will be absorbed when cooking is done. After cooking, let it cool and fluff with a fork.
In a big bowl, mix the cooled quinoa, black beans, corn, and diced red bell pepper.
You will know the quinoa is cooked and ready for use because it will be fluffy, and the grains will have small spiral tails that will become visible.
Once the above mixture has been made, add the chopped cilantro.
At this point, you can fold in the diced avocado, which will add a bit more creaminess.
In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and smoked paprika for the dressing, which brings a little bit more brightness and a slight smoky flavor, which works well with the beans and quinoa.
Step 2
Pour this dressing on top of the quinoa mixture and continue with the following steps.
Add salt and black pepper for taste, and then mix in together so that the beans and quinoa get coated in the dressing.
You want the mixture to be pretty, bright, and fresh, and for the quinoa to be a little bit sticky because of the dressing.
Take the halves of avocado and fill them on top with a generous portion of the quinoa mixture, holding it down gently as you want to secure the mixture in.
If you want to add a little bit of heat to the recipe, feel free to add some hot sauce on top.
7. Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Paprika for garnish
- Optional: crispy bacon bits
Instructions
For each avocado half, scoop out a spoonful with a spoon to give more room for your egg salad.
This way, you can use the avocado to make the egg salad more creamy.
To hard-boil your eggs, place them in a pot and submerge them in an inch of cold water.
Turn on the burner to high until the water boils.
Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and remove the pot from the heat.
Let the eggs sit for 10-12 minutes to finish cooking, then place the eggs into an ice water bath.
This is the best way to get perfectly hard-boiled eggs that have no green or chalky yolks.
When the eggs have cooled, you can peel the eggs and cut them into small pieces.
Add the chopped, hard-boiled eggs to the bowl with the reserved avocado and mash the avocado a little with a fork.
After mashing the avocado, add the Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard.
Avocado gets better with eggs, and they also add creaminess to the egg salad, without the strong mayo flavor.
Add chopped chives and dill, which lighten the heaviness with a burst of flavor.
Then, add the lemon juice and garlic powder, mixing until everything is well incorporated.
Taste the salad and add the salt and black pepper.
The mixture should still contain egg white and egg yolk bits, but it should also be creamy.
Generously, add the egg salad to the avocado halves, mounding it up so it appears abundant.
For a little smokiness, top with paprika. For extra crunch and savory flavor, add crumbled crispy bacon just before serving.
Ingredient Substitute
Most recipes that use Greek yogurt can be made using an equal amount of sour cream, or, for a richer taste, mayonnaise can be substituted, too.
Mashed silken tofu mixed with a little lemon juice is a light alternative.
For other proteins, like chicken, shrimp, or tuna, you can use canned salmon or leftover turkey.
Another vegetarian alternative is using firm tofu.
Fresh herbs can be substituted with dried herbs, using about a third of the amount, although fresh herbs will always be a better option for a bright flavor.
If there is no balsamic glaze, you can simmer balsamic vinegar on low heat, letting it reduce and thicken into a syrup over the course of 10-15 minutes.
If you do not have the specific type of canned beans, any regular canned beans will do.
Frozen veggies can be used instead of fresh for most recipes, just make sure to thaw and drain them first.
How To Store Healthy Stuffed Avocado Recipes
To enjoy the fullest flavor and taste experience, we recommend eating the stuffed avocados right after they have been prepared, as the avocado can oxidize and become brown and unappetizing when exposed to oxygen.
Preparing the avocado filling the day before is fine and can be stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours
The softened avocado can be made into a filling and pressed into the vessel when it is ready to be served.
Stuffed avocados can be stored for up to 1 day, although the avocado surface will turn brown and oxidize.
Clearing up and enclosing the prepared filler pocket in air-tight containers will help preserve the fullness of the flavors.
Leftover filling can be incorporated in a variety of foods for up to 3 days and is particularly good sandwiched and drizzled with a salad dressing over bed leaves of salad.
Recipe Notes
This recipe depends on the gentle squeeze test for ripeness. Avocados that are ever-so-slightly spongy feel are perfect.
If your fruit is too firm, speed the ripening process by placing the avocado in a paper bag on top of a banana or with an apple.
Next, safely cut the avocado with a knife on the top-seam of the fruit, rotate, and separate the two halves.
To release the pit, place your knife in the center of the seed and gently twist to release the pit.
If your avocado halves tip, slice a thin, horizontal piece of the creamy fruit from the bottom to create a flat surface, being careful to cut only the top layer of skin.
Conclusion
These 7 healthy stuffed avocado recipes are one of a kind.
Stuffed and decorated, these colorful, healthy bowls of goodness are perfect for brunch, make-ahead lunch meal prep, or entertaining.