Everything
You Need to
Know about
Cooking with
Avocado Oil

There are lots of oils out there, but there’s only one that’s versatile enough to fit all your cooking needs. Meet your friendly neighborhood super oil: avocado oil! Unlike other cooking oils, avocado oil has an impressively high smoke point, making it a fantastic option for both grilling and baking. It’s also straight-up delicious while being neutral enough to be a base for just about anything, scoring points with salad-dressing and condiment enthusiasts.

 

Try out these methods for yourself to see just how versatile cooking with avocado oil can be. And the best part? You can even make your own oil at home! (More on that below.)

 

1. Cooking With Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has a uniquely high smoke point — higher than virtually any other plant oil at around 520°F. This means it’s perfect for cooking meat at high heat, like on a grill. Use it in your marinades, mixing avocado oil with some garlic or your favorite spice blend, before firing up the grill to cook a steak or rack of ribs.

 

2. Baking With Avocado Oil

Avocado oil pairs wonderfully with oven-baked vegetables as it adds healthy fat without an over-powering taste, allowing your favorite veggies’ flavor to have the spotlight. Drizzle the oil over green beans, celery, carrots, beets, and more before adding your desired spices and baking until tender.

Thanks to its rich qualities, avocado oil makes for a good butter substitute in many recipes, including desserts! Try replacing butter or olive oil with avocado oil in your next brownie batch or cupcake recipe for that same creamy taste but with added good fats, vitamins, and minerals.

 

 

3. Homemade Salad Dressing

Many people have a hard time getting enough veggies in their daily diet. If you’re one of them, try spicing up your salad routine by mixing up some homemade vinaigrettes that use avocado oil as a base. With the growing number of kinds of vinegar available at grocery stores — white wine vinegar, cider, balsamic, champagne, and an array of fruit-flavored and -infused vinegar — you can easily have a different dressing every day of the week! Start with the avocado oil, add a dash of vinegar of your choosing, whisk in some fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and you’ll have your very own salad dressing in no time.

 

4. Making Condiments With Avocado Oil

Compared to other popular oils like olive or coconut, avocado is exceptionally mild in flavor, making it versatile for use in a number of dishes. It’s a little bit nutty and a little bit buttery, allowing the flavors of other ingredients to shine through. Much like the fruit it comes from, avocado oil has a smooth, creamy taste and texture that’s incredible in homemade mayo and other oil-based sauces.

 

Making mayo in the kitchen can seem like an expert-level challenge, but don’t feel intimidated: it’s surprisingly easy and doesn’t require any fancy tools. Use a wooden spoon to slowly (very, very slowly) mix drizzled avocado oil into an egg yolk, thinning the blend with a touch of vinegar or lemon juice as needed until it becomes the glossy sandwich spread that you know and love.

 

If mayo seems a bit out of your league, you can still use avocado oil with your favorite herbs and spices to make hummus, bruschetta, or chimichurri.

 

5. Make Your Own Avocado Oil

Extracting your own avocado oil is easier than you’d think. One avocado makes about 12.5 mL of oil, so gather your number of avocados accordingly. Carefully cut the avocado in half around the pit, pulling each half away from the other. Then, remove the pit by lightly thwacking it with the sharp edge of a knife and twisting it up. Scoop out the flesh with a shallow spoon.

 

 

Then, it’s mashing time. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to mash the avocado smooth. Then, spread the mash on a baking pan in thin layers. Bake in the oven for five hours at 155°F to dry out the pulp. Remove the pan when the mash is an earthy brown. After the mixture cools to the touch, spoon it into a cheesecloth and wring over a bowl. You may have to strain the avocado oil several times to remove any avocado chunks in the mixture.

 

Give it a try! You may just find that after a few days of cooking with avocado oil, it will replace all your regular oils, condiments and dressings.

 

Avocado oil isn’t just an exceptional option for culinary explorations; it can also be used for clever beauty hacks and even as mosquito repellent! The number of ways to use avocado oil is incredible. For more inspiration, check out avo-infused oils for winter nail care.