Grilled Avocado
Grilled Avocado – Creamy goodness meets smoky perfection with a beautiful char for a sizzling summer treat. Enjoy it on its own or in a delectable salad of refreshing tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Prepare yourself for a grilling sensation for an unforgettable cookout.

And you thought grilling was just for meat! But wait until you taste these exquisite grilled avocados. And if you’ve only had avocados raw, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
So fire up your grill and elevate burgers, salads, and guacamole with the grilled avo’s creamy, smoky deliciousness. Oh, and they’re amazing stuffed with shrimp salad. The creaminess intensifies as the heat sears its surface, creating an irresistibly versatile ingredient.

How to Choose the Right Avocado for Grilling
Do you have a hard time choosing the perfect avocado? I know I do. From rock-hard to mushy overripe, it can be a challenge to find. Here are some tips in choosing your avos for grilling.
- It should be ripe but firm to the touch, not too soft or hard. Save the softer avocados for guac.
- Avocados should be dark green or black, without blemishes, bruises, and overly soft spots.
- My favorite tip is to look at the stem. If the stem is missing, put it back because it may or may not be what you want. And if the spot where the stem used to be is black or brown, then it’s overripe. It may turn mushy when grilled.
Recipe Ingredients

The Salad
- Avocados – Ripe avocados that are still firm to the touch to hold their shape better while grilling.
- Olive Oil – Brush your avocados with oil to keep the surface from darkening and sticking to the grill.
- Corn – Fresh, frozen, and canned works fine. If you have time, take advantage of having the grill going for grilled corn on the cob, then cut enough off for the salad.
- Salad – Cucumber, tomato, onion, and cilantro make a delicious, fresh, colorful salad. Grape tomatoes and red onion add a mild and sweet flavor but use whatever you have.

The Dressing
- Acidity – Lemon and balsamic vinegar deliver the right tartness to balance the avocado’s creamy richness.
- Honey – A healthier sweetener that will thicken the dressing too.
- Dijon Mustard – For more tangy spice, an emulsifier, and a natural preservative for dressing with a longer shelf life.
- Seasoning – Minced or powdered garlic and red pepper flakes add a nice kick to your dressing.
How to Grill Avocados

Make the Dressing
- Combine – In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, stone ground mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic or garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside. (Photo 1)
Grill the Avocados
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, 375-400°F (190-204°C )
- Cut – Use a sharp knife and carefully cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Starting from the stem towards the bottom. Try to cut through the avocado until you hit the seed, then rotate the avocado around the knife to make a complete cut all the way around. (Photo 2)
- Deseed – Hold the avocado and twist it in half using both hands in opposite directions to separate them. To remove the seed, carefully strike the pit with the blade of your knife and twist it slightly to loosen it. Then, lift it out with the tip of the knife. (Photo 3)
- Season – Brush with olive oil, and then lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Grill – Place the avocado directly on the grill cut-side down and cook for 2-3 minutes until charred. Flip the avocado quarters and cook for another 1-2 minutes until lightly charred. (Photos 4-5)
- Cool – Remove from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes.

Make the Salad
- Combine – In a large bowl, combine the grilled or boiled corn, sliced cucumber, halved or chopped tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion. Then add cilantro, salt, pepper, and about ¼ cup dressing. Toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired, and reserve the rest for serving. (Photos 6-7)
- Top with Salad – Place the grilled avocado on a serving platter and spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the top. (Photo 8)
- Add Dressing – Drizzle with extra dressing, if desired.
- Serve and Enjoy – Serve immediately and enjoy your grilled avocado with grilled bread or crusty bread.

Recipe Variations
- Salad Swaps – Feel free to stuff avocado with other salads or anything you want! Tuna, shrimp, and crab salad are all heavenly.
- Dressing Subs – If you’re into creamy salad dressing, try this homemade ranch dressing, or keep it simple with yogurt, feta, or cottage cheese.
- Plain Grilled Avocado – You can eat the grilled avocados without any stuffing or dressing. Oil, salt, and pepper will do. Or you can add it to your sandwich or salad.
- Bacony Goodness – Add bacon bits to your avocado or the salad for more salty, smoky goodness.
Tips and Tricks
- Avocados that are firm to the touch to keep them from falling apart when grilling are best.
- Brush with oil: Brush the avocado halves with a little oil before grilling to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Don’t walk away when grilling avocados, as they cook pretty quickly, regardless of ripeness.
- You can use olive, vegetable, or any other neutral-flavored oil.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The dressing is a great make-ahead ingredient. In fact, I love this dressing so much that I usually have it in the fridge already. However, the avocados turn dark when prepared ahead, so it’s better to cut and deseed them right before they go on the grill.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Enjoy your grilled avocado right off the grill, stuffed and dressed. Oh, yeah!
If you happen to have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. And if you don’t mind them being a little mushier, you can freeze them for 3 months.
FAQs
Yes, it does. Avocados are high fat, and when heated, they soften. Grilling tenderizes even avocados that are a bit hard.
That is a personal choice because they’re good both ways. I had never thought of cooking them before, but they’re outstanding grilled.
That depends on how fast you want them to soften. Bananas and apples release ethylene gas that makes other fruits ripen faster. So putting them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana and folding over the top to seal in the gasses will help them ripen faster.
If you want them soft now, cut them in half, remove the pit, and wrap them in microwave-safe plastic. Then zap them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
What to Serve With Grilled Avocados
The sky’s the limit! While your grill is hot, grilled ribeye and potato wedges are ideal. Or you can ramp up your chicken Caesar salad with avocado. And don’t forget some smoked pineapple with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
More Delicious Veggie Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Grilling avocados never fails to provide a significant wow factor. Have you tried it yet? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Grilled Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 avocados, pitted and quartered lengthwise (skin on)
- 1-1½ cups corn, grilled, boiled, canned, or frozen (about 2 medium cobs of corn)
- ½ medium cucumber, sliced into half-moons
- 8 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or chopped
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons cilantro
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
- ½ lemon, juiced and zested
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons mustard stone ground or Dijon
- 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic or garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
The Avocados
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, 375-400°F (190-204°C).
- Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed, starting from the stem towards the bottom. Try to cut through the avocado until you hit the seed, then rotate the avocado around the knife to make a complete cut all the way around.
- Hold the avocado and twist it in half using both hands in opposite directions to separate them. To remove the seed, carefully strike it with the blade of your knife and turn it slightly to loosen it. Then, lift the pit out with the tip of the knife.
- Drizzle or brush them with olive oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the avocados directly on the grill, cut side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes until charred. Flip the avocado quarters and cook for another 1-2 minutes until lightly charred.
- Remove from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes.
The Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the grilled or boiled corn, sliced cucumber, halved or chopped tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion. Add the cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste. Add about ¼ cup dressing over the salad, and toss to thoroughly combine. Add more if desired. Reserve the rest for serving.
- Place the grilled avocados on a serving platter and spoon the corn and tomato mixture over the top.
- Drizzle with extra dressing, if desired.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy your grilled avocado with grilled bread or crusty bread.
Notes
- Avocados that are firm to the touch to keep them from falling apart when grilling are best.
- Brush with oil: Brush the avocado halves with a little oil before grilling to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Don’t walk away when grilling avocados, as they cook pretty quickly, regardless of ripeness.
- You can use olive, vegetable, or any other neutral-flavored oil.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I tried this recipe as soon as I saw it, because I had a lot of Avocados. This was a huge hit with my family. And it looked so pretty too! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Thanks! I’m happy to hear that you tried the grilled avocado recipe and it was a hit with your family. It’s great when a dish turns out both delicious and visually appealing.