Cooking with Avocado Oil: 3 Recipes to Try
Oil is a staple in our everyday diet. While most of our food is almost incomplete without the addition of at least a small amount of oil, oil, especially in high quantities, can be harmful to our health. In literal terms, oils are just liquid fat, which makes them super unhealthy for our cholesterol levels, cardiovascular health and overall body.
But this does not mean we can or should cut down oil from our diets completely. In fact, people who try to do this only end up failing for a short while. That is because not only is this potentially impossible, it is also another unhealthy step you might be taking. Oil is an essential component of our diet as it provides us with vital nutrients so we need to add oil in some amount to our diet. So how can you use oil without ditching it completely? Well, the key here is to choose the right oil to add to your diet.
When it comes to cooking oil, there is a wide range of oils available in the market to choose from. While vegetable oils and canola oils are the most popular options, given their market value, we know they are not the healthiest option to pick from. If you prioritize your health and want to ensure you remain healthy without cutting essential nutrients from your diet, then there are only two things you must keep in mind: the type of oil you choose and the quantity of oil you consume.
The quantity of oil you consume can be easily managed, but the important aspect here is to choose the right type of oil for cooking and eating purposes to ensure you get the right nutrients without posing a risk to your health. One such option we have in mind is avocado oil.
Today, we will talk about avocado oil and how to use it for cooking by learning three delicious recipes! So without further ad, let’s go.
All About Avocado Oil
Evident from its name, avocado oil is an edible oil that is extracted from the fat present in the pulp of the avocado fruit – Persea Americana by pressing the pulp. It is a unique plant-based oil that has numerous health benefits and is a popular choice for consumption and cooking,
How is Avocado Oil Suitable for Cooking?
As mentioned above, avocado is one of the oils that is edible, both raw and cooked. Other than the fact that oil has several health benefits, there is one more reason that makes it a suitable as well as a popular choice for cooking its smoke point. The smoke point for oil is the maximum temperature, after which it can turn rancid and unsuitable for cooking. The smoke point is one reason why most oils are not preferred for cooking or cooking at high temperatures.
Thankfully, avocado oil has a high smoke point of 480 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees Celsius), which is higher than extra virgin olive oil. This means that avocado oil can sustain higher temperatures and is suitable for high-heat cooking, storage frying, sautéing, and even garnishing.
Furthermore, avocado oil has a mild flavor with a smooth taste that falls between grassy and nutty. The fact that it doesn’t have an overwhelming flavor makes it suitable for cooking as it would not interfere with the flavor of your food – in fact, sometimes, avocado oil is used for its own mild flavors.
3 Recipes to Try Using Avocado Oil
Now that we have established that avocado oil is 100% suitable for cooking, let’s learn a few recipes that call for avocado oil – the reason is simple, it’s tastier, healthier and easy to cook with! So let’s learn some new unique recipes that entail the use of avocado oil.
Carne Asada al Cilantro
Who doesn’t love the famous Carne Asada, a Mexican dish with marinated steak with a perfect sauce and a side of tortilla chips and beans? But we bet you have never tried this dish cooked with avocado oil, so today, let’s learn to make this dish using healthy avocado oil!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak (remove excess fat)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 2 tbsp of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- About 1/4 cup of juice (1 orange is enough)
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for grilling
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
How to Make it:
- Step 1: Take a medium-sized bowl and add all the ingredients (except for the steak) into the bowl. Whisk everything together.
- Step 2: Now take a gallon size zip lock bag (if you don’t have it, you can also use a large baking dish) and place the piece of steak inside it. Then, pour the mixture into the bowl on the top and turn the stake multiple times to make sure it is completely coated – this is a lot easier if you are using a ziplock bag as you can close the bag and move it around a few times.
- Step 3: Once the steak is well covered in the mixture, place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 4 hours. Remember, you should not leave the meat to marinate for more than 8 hours, or it will start to break down and get soft and mushy.
- Step 4: Remove the steak from the marinade and place it on a clean surface for a few hours. You can discard the excess marinade. Pat the steak dry using paper towels and then drizzle it using a touch of avocado oil on each side to make sure it’s well coated. Once this is done, take salt and black pepper and coarse the steak lightly on both sides.
- Step 5: Now preheat your grill to around 450 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for direct heating. Once the grill has been set and heated, place the steaks on it. Allow the steaks to grill with the lids closed for around 4 to 8 minutes on each side. This depends on the thickness because flank steak will take up to 6 to 8 minutes while skirt steak should be done within 4 minutes. Make sure to check on the color of the steak to determine the time.
- Step 6: Once properly grilled, remove the steak from it and let it rest for 5-8 minutes. As it cools down, use a knife to thinly slice the steak pieces, so they are ready to serve.
- Step 7: Lastly, for serving, take some crispy tortilla chips, street corns and refried beans to place as the sides. You can also add guacamole salsa and chimichurri sauce to go with the steak!
Pork Chops and Gravy – Instant Pot
This recipe is super simple and takes very less time. For a proper dish like pork chops that make a good fancy dinner, this recipe is so easy you will have fun making it!
Ingredients
- 5 bone-in pork chops (trim the fat)
- 1 to 2 tbs avocado oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 large clove of garlic (chop it finely)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 10.75 ounce (1 can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 and 1/4 cups of water
- 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
How to Make it
- Step 1: Take an electric pressure cooker (you can use an instant pot) and heat the avocado oil in it. If you can see the sauté function on your cooker, make sure to set the pot on it.
- Step 2: Take the 5 in-bone pork chops and season them with black pepper. Once they are well coated in the pepper, take 2 chops at a time and place them in the hot oil. Keep flipping them halfway to make sure you don’t burn them and once browned, remove them from the oil and place it on a clean plate. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes, after which you can add the remaining chops to the oil and repeat the procedure.
- Step 3: Once all the chops are fried and out of the pot, take the minced garlic and add them to the pot; let them cook until it’s fragrant – this is usually done within 30 seconds. Now de-glaze the bottom of the pot using wine and scrape up the brown bits. Let this simmer till the sauce is reduced in amount by half – this can be up to 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 4: Now take the cream of mushroom soup and 1 and 1/4 cups of water and pour them into the pot along with the sauce. Simmer all the ingredients together until they are smooth (this can take up to 3 minutes).
- Step 5: Once the sauce is smooth, add the seared pork chops you placed in the pot earlier. Turn them around in the pot to allow them properly coat. Once the chops are well-coated, close and lock the lid of your instant pot.
- Step 6: Check the manufacturer’s instructions and set your pot at high pressure according to it. Set the timer for 18 minutes and allow the pressure to build for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 7: After 18 minutes, release the pressure from the pot as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to use the natural-release method in about 10 minutes. Remove the chops from the pot.
- Step 8: Now, take a separate bowl and add flour and 1/4 cup of water to make a flurry. Mix it well and add this slurry to the pot. Put your pot to the sauté function and cook this gravy till it is thickened – this usually takes up to 3 minutes. Now add your soy sauce and stir the whole mixture well.
- Step 9: Return the chops back to the pot and turn them around the mixture to coat them well. Once they are well coated, and you have a thick gravy on the side – it is time to serve!
Creamy Avocado Vinaigrette
This was an experimental recipe that turned out super amazing! If you love salads and keep looking for newer and tastier salad dressings, then you will love this creamy avocado vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 peeled, pitted and well-chopped avocado
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil (or per taste)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice (or per taste)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- Salt (per taste)
- Ground black pepper (per taste)
How to Make it
- Step 1: Take a blender and pour olive oil, avocado oil, white vinegar, sesame oil and lemon juice into it. Cover it properly and blend it together until all the ingredients are emulsified and smooth. This can take up to 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Now take the avocado and blend it well with the previous mixture for up to 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Next, add the garlic and cumin and blend it together till all the flavors of the vinaigrette are combined (will take about a minute). Lastly, season it with salt and black pepper.
- Step 4: Lastly, transfer the vinaigrette into a container and place it in the refrigerator for about an hour. This is ready to use; make sure to shake it well before every use.
Avocado Oil – Perfect for Cooking!
We hope you had fun learning about these amazing, unique and simple recipes incorporating the ever-so-tasty and beneficial avocado oil. The use of avocado oil is becoming increasingly popular, and rightly so, as it is extremely heart-healthy and a much better alternative to canola oils used so commonly. Hence, if you want to make a healthy decision for yourself, switch to avocado oil!