Crispy Baked Thick Cut Avocado Fries (So Healthy, So Tasty!)
Who doesn’t love French fries? I know I sure do! The only downside is that the overwhelming majority of fries out there are decidedly unhealthy. However, there’s an easy workaround for problems like that – simply make your own healthy fries from home. With that in mind, I’m delighted today to share this recipe for crispy baked thick cut avocado fries. They’re a fantastic healthy substitute for other varieties of unhealthy fries.
Speaking of which, so why exactly are most fries so unhealthy? There’s actually a couple of reasons.
Fries that are ordered from most (typically all) fast food restaurants are either fried in vats of oil that are full of unhealthy trans fat, or they end up containing chemicals like acrylamide (especially if the fries are overcooked), which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in animal studies. (1)
Those two reasons alone are enough for me to really steer clear of ordering fries from anywhere when I’m out and about. However, I can’t get enough of these homemade thick cut avocado fries – they’re just so healthy and so ridiculously tasty!
Baking the fries instead of frying them is the first reason this recipe is such a healthy alternative. Not only are you avoiding using unhealthy cooking oils that contain trans fatty acids, which are known to increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease (2), you actually end up replacing it with a far healthier type of fatty acid thanks to using avocado.
Avocado is an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of dietary fat that’s actually quite heart-healthy. Monounsaturated fats help to reduce levels of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, which helps to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. (3)
Along with its healthy fat content, avocado is also a great source of dietary fiber, folate, vitamins K, E, B6, and C, as well as a variety of essential minerals like potassium, copper, and magnesium. All in all, avocado can easily be described as a superfood, and it’s only natural that the fruit makes such a great choice for making healthy, homemade fries with.
Although using thick cut slices of avocado on its own makes for some wickedly tasty homemade fries, this recipe doesn’t stop there. You’re also going to be adding a few of my personal favorite ingredients to really up the flavor content in a big way.
Of course I’m referring to yummy ingredients like the ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, which adds that oh so addictive garlic flavoring to your fries. Better yet, garlic powder is also packed with some pretty awesome health benefits as well. Studies have found that garlic (and by extension garlic powder) is capable of boosting your immune system, relieving chronic inflammation, and it may even help to protect against heart disease and cancer. (4)
In addition to the garlic powder, you’ll also be using ½ teaspoon of chili powder as well. If you love spicy foods as much as I do, then you’ll really appreciate the spicy kick that chili powder adds to this fry recipe.
Beyond just bringing the heat, chili powder also helps to add a few more outstanding health benefits to the recipe too. It’s a surprisingly nutrient-rich spice to use, and it’s commonly used by patients with osteoarthritis thanks to its ability to relieve chronic inflammation. On top of that, studies have also found that chili powder can prevent acid reflux, kill the bacteria responsible for causing stomach ulcers, boost your immune system, and it may even help you to accomplish your weight loss goals thanks to its metabolism boosting properties. (5)
When you’re making this recipe, you’re going to want to combine both your garlic powder and your chili powder in a shallow dish along with your choice of either corn flour or garbanzo (also known as chickpea) flour. Whenever I make these fries, I prefer to use corn flour, solely because I always have some on hand. Both options work equally well however, so feel free to use whatever you prefer.
Meanwhile, in a separate shallow dish, you’re going to want to add ½ cup of your preferred type of milk. Once again, the choice is entirely up to you, although I highly recommend using unsweetened almond milk when you make this recipe. It’s low in both calories and carbs, provides a modest amount of essential vitamins and minerals, and it’s an ideal choice for anyone who may be lactose-intolerant. Plus, if you go with an option like unsweetened vanilla-flavored almond milk, it tastes fantastic.
The final step is to grab a third shallow dish for your cup of breadcrumbs. You’re going to want to dip each of your avocado slices into whatever type of milk you’re using before dredging them in your flour mixture. Finally, dip them in the milk one last time before dredging them in your breadcrumbs.
Before you bake your avocado fries, you’re going to want to take one last step and spray them with olive oil cooking spray. Toss them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until they’re golden brown).
Once they come out of the oven, prepare to have your mind blown by just how good these avocado fries really are. The fries are phenomenal on their own, but if you really want to enjoy a tasty treat, I would recommend serving them along with one of the following homemade sauce recipes:
- 5 Minute Honey Mustard Sauce (Pinch of Yum)
- Keto Low Carb Sugar-Free Ketchup (Wholesome Yum)
- Easy Garlic Aioli (Bon Appetit)
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce (Add a Pinch)
- Easy Homemade Cheese Sauce (Baking Mischief)
I’m pretty partial to the easy garlic aioli dip recipe myself – it goes perfectly with these avocado fries. On a final note, as much as I enjoy making these thick cut avocado fries, I also love making healthy fries with a variety of other foods as well. I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my favorite French fry alternatives, along with a few other tips and pointers geared towards this particular recipe:
What Else Can You Use to Make Healthy, Homemade Fries?
There’s no denying the fact that avocado fries are a far healthier substitute for traditional French fries. However, they’re far from the only option you have when it comes to healthy fry substitutes. Here are a few more of my favorite options to use for making healthy, homemade fries:
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries (Cookie and Kate)
- Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary (Bon Appetit)
- Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries with Parmesan (Wholesome Yum)
- Baked Asparagus Fries (Damn Delicious)
- Oven Baked Carrot Fries (Garden in the Kitchen)
5 Great Chili Powder Benefits
I briefly mentioned how good chili powder is earlier in the recipe, but since I love spicy foods so much, I thought it would be worthwhile to go a little bit more in depth with just how good chili powder actually is for you.
With that in mind, here are five great health benefits that you’ll be getting from adding chili powder to your avocado fries:
- It can help increase your cognitive functioning thanks to its high iron content. The iron increases hemoglobin production while also promoting an increased blood flow. By extension, this can also help to reduce your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- It can help to keep your blood pressure under control. Chili powder has an excellent ratio of potassium to sodium, with a single tablespoon containing 144 mg of potassium, with only 75.8 mg of sodium, helping to relax the blood vessels and keep blood pressure levels low.
- It can give your immune system a boost and help to protect against diseases… This is because chili peppers are a great source of vitamin C, which works wonders for helping your body to scavenge harmful disease-causing free radicals.
- It can help to support your digestive system. Chili powder contains a considerable amount of dietary fiber, which is essential for keeping your bowel movements regular, easing digestion, and even helps to protect the body against colorectal cancer.
- It works wonders for relieving inflammation within the body. Chronic inflammation is the culprit for many types of diseases. Chili powder contains anti-inflammatory compounds that can help ease the pain caused by conditions like arthritis, while also helping to protect against the development of other types of inflammatory diseases.
What Should You Serve Along With Your Avocado Fries?
As tasty as these avocado fries turn out, fries alone do not make for much of a meal. Appetizer, sure; but you’ll need more than just fries to make a satisfying dinner. With that in mind, here are a couple quick recommendations for options to serve along with your avocado fries so that you can end up with a truly balanced meal:
- Grilled chicken or steak
- Hamburgers
- Hot dogs
Basically anything that you would typically serve along with regular French fries will go amazingly well with avocado fries. A good rule of thumb to follow is to just pick your favorite protein-rich option since the avocado fries are already such a great source of healthy fats. When you serve them along with something like a juicy grilled chicken breast, you end up with one truly delicious meal indeed.
Crispy Baked Thick Cut Avocado Fries (So Healthy, So Tasty!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced into thick slices
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ cup corn or garbanzo flour
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- olive oil cooking spray
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Season the avocado slices with salt.
- In a shallow dish place the milk.
- In another shallow dish place the corn flour, garlic powder and chili powder and mix to combine.
- Place the breadcrumbs in third shallow dish.
- Dip each avocado slice in the milk then dredge in the flour mixture.
- Dip again in the milk then dredge in the breadcrumbs.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spray the avocado slices with cooking oil spray.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
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