Grilled avocado for a green & gold barbie

13th January 2022 | Eativity editors

Throw another avo on the barbie? This barbecue season, instead of opting for the traditional snags and steaks, try your hand at barbecuing the colours of Australia: green and gold. Australian Avocados has “officially unofficially” sponsored the great Aussie barbecue to celebrate the iconic fruit‘s role in Australian life. Want to try your hand at grilled avocado? We share expert tips and recipe ideas from celeb chef Hayden Quinn.

Grilled avocado with yuzu, soy and lemon
Try seasoning your avos with yuzu, soy and lemon before grilling to perfection.

The changing face of the Aussie barbecue

Australian Avocados has also released new research that shows our growing appetite for new barbecue tastes and textures. According to the research, the plant-based food trend is continuing to grow. This plant-based revolution is encouraging more fresh food-loving Aussies to try something new this summer; 60 percent of Aussies now say they would consider grilling an avo on the barbie. Meanwhile, four in 10 are looking to switch up their classic meat choices, instead experimenting with locally grown fruits and vegetables.

According to the research, 56 percent of Australians also say they want to switch up their traditional barbie choices. Keen grillers are now looking to add some cultural flair to their regular barbecue fare. Twenty-three percent are infusing their barbie with American flavours; Asian (22%) and European (17%) inspired foods and flavours are also on the rise.

Hayden Quinn
Quinn is encouraging Aussies to get grilling with “our green gold”.

Throw an avo on the barbie

Want to give your classic Aussie barbecue a “green gold” twist? While cooking meat on the barbecue is generally relatively simple, mastering the perfect grilled avocado requires some extra tender love and care. To make your grilled avo the star of your next barbie, follow the expert advice of cook, TV presenter and former MasterChef contestant Hayden Quinn.

“Australian avocados and barbecues are two of my favourite things,” Quinn says. “Grilling an avocado might seem a little daunting, especially if it’s your first time. But cooking avocados on the barbecue gives them a beautiful char and adds a subtle sweetness and a deliciously smoky flavour to the flesh. Grilled avocado is also really creamy.”

Grilled avocado
Choosing Aussie avos for your next barbie helps to support our growers, who’ve had a tough time lately.

How to make grilled avocado

1. Turn on your BBQ to high and allow to preheat with hood down (if you have a hood on your BBQ) for 15 minutes. You want the BBQ scorching hot for grilled avocado.

2. While the BBQ is preheating, prepare your avocados by cutting in half lengthways and removing the seed. To remove the seed once it’s on your knife, use a mug or cup to pop the seed off the knife safely without needing to touch the seed or the blade.

3. There’s no need to oil your avocado; the natural oils in the avocado will do this for you. But if you like, you can lightly season with sea salt before placing on the BBQ.

4. Keeping the skin on, place your avocado halves onto the grill, flesh-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until you get a nice char (this is why you need a smoking hot BBQ). If your BBQ has a hood, put the hood down during this cooking process.

5. Watch for a green “ring” around the contact side of the avocado. This will indicate that the grilled avocado is ready to be removed from the heat.

6. Allow to cool slightly. You can then add your grilled avocado to your favourite BBQ salad recipe. Or if you don’t want to make a salad, grilled avocado halves also work as “boats”.

Grilled avocado boats with crispy chilli oil

Grilled avocado boats with crispy chilli oil

“This is a play on a little dish I had at an izakaya in Japan,” Quinn says. “It’s perfect to serve as an individual portion or to share with the table at your next barbecue.”

Makes 4 avocado boats
Prep time 12 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes

You’ll need:

2 Hass avocados, halved, seed removed, skin on
4 tbsp crispy chilli oil*
½ bunch spring onions, whites cut in fine disks, green cut in fine strips and placed in iced water to curl
¼ cup coriander sprigs
1 lime, cut in wedges
Sea salt to taste

Method:

1. Preheat BBQ with grill bars to high heat. Once the BBQ is scorching hot, add avocado to grill, flesh-side down. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly charred and warmed through.

2. Remove from heat and place avocado halves onto a large serving plate. Drizzle generously with chilli oil and top with coriander springs and shallots. Serve with a wedge of lime and season with sea salt if needed. Add a little extra chilli oil for those that like it hot.

Tip:

*Crispy chilli oil is a chilli-infused condiment that contains crunchy bits of peppers, onions, garlic and spring onions. There’s an amazing range and variety of great crispy chilli oils available at the moment. Check your local grocer, Asian food store or online.

Avo-loving Aussies are encouraged to share photos and videos of their favourite avocado-inspired BBQ recipes by tagging @AustralianAvocados on Facebook or Instagram. You can also find more avocado recipes on the Australian Avocados website.