Part gluten-free burger, part “stackable-salad” with no need to add guac, these gluten-free avocado buns will rock your tailgate tent, surprising friends and family.
The idea of avocados as “buns” first came into the world thanks to Dutch food photographer Colette Dike, who posted Instagram’s first avocado bun burger. Avocado buns will help you cut down on simple carbohydrates and sugars, and are an excellent replacement for folks who avoid gluten.
This recipe is fairly simple to make and is always camera-ready.
Slice a ripe (but not too soft) avocado down the middle length-wise. Carefully peel the skin away from each half. Take a thin slice off the very bottom of the half which will be the burger’s base, so it sits flat on the plate.
Put your bottom-toppings in the well where the pit was, then add your meat and other fillings. Add more toppings into the well of the top “bun” and set it on top of everything. For a “real” burger look, sprinkle the top avocado half with sesame seeds.
If you’ll be buying your ingredients ahead of time, use this handy video to figure out how to buy avocados that will be perfectly ripe just when you need them.
Need some other ideas? Here are four delicious fillers for your avo buns:
Place a beef (or portobello mushroom) burger and your choice of toppings between the avocado buns. Options include cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, and pickles or relish.
Squeeze a few meatballs and some tomato sauce, along with parmesan or mozzarella, between your avocado buns. Bring some napkins — this could get messy!
Avocado buns aren’t limited to lunch or dinner. A little bit of ketchup, some cheese, a couple slices of bacon, and a fried or scrambled egg go great on an avo bun for a hearty breakfast.
Breaded chicken, flattened, and fried goes great in an avocado bun when it’s slathered with some spicy mayo or honey mustard sauce with shredded lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
If you don’t want your avocados to get too ripe, or you want to try to preserve them just as they are before you whip up these burger buns, check out this how-to video for preserving your avocados and slowing down the ripening process.