If you've never tried grilled avocado, break out the grill ASAP! Tart veggie ceviche over lightly charred, creamy avocado is a delicious grilling side.
Grilling week continues! For the 3 recipes I’m sharing this week (the first was a grilled asparagus recipe if you missed it), I really wanted to choose produce that’s less commonly grilled. We’ll have all summer to grill my favorite staples like peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. I’ve never grilled avocado, so I thought “ooh, that’ll be fun!” It was fun, we loved it, and so will you:
How to Make This Grilled Avocado Recipe
Start by making the veggie ceviche filling with hearts of palm (they have a fish-like texture), tomato, serrano pepper, cilantro, and diced red onion for crunch. Toss the veggies with lots of lime juice, zest, and a splash of coconut milk.
I usually like my ceviche with avocado chunks in it… in this case, I did things backwards by stuffing the ceviche into the grilled avocado. On its own, the ceviche is a bit on the tart side, but those flavors balance once nestled in the creamy avocado.
Once you’ve made your filling and you’re ready to eat, slice and season the avocado halves with olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Don’t slice them any earlier, or they’ll start to brown.
(Sidebar – drain any liquid that’s fallen into the hole of the avocado before placing them on the grill. When oil drips into the grill, the flame gets bigger, and you don’t want your hands to be nearby).
Grill the avocados on medium-high heat, cut side down, for 3-4 minutes. Mine (pictured) came out a tiny bit too charred at 5 minutes, but they were still soft, creamy, tangy, and delicious!
If you love this grilled avocado recipe…
Try grilling asparagus, corn on the cob, portobello burgers, or veggie burgers next! Then, check out this post for more vegetarian grilling ideas.
Grilled Avocado with Veggie Ceviche
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- Zest and juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ garlic clove, minced
- 1 can hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and diced
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup diced cilantro
- ½ diced jalapeño or serrano, more if desired
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ripe yet firm avocados
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- In a medium-small bowl, combine the coconut milk, lime zest and juice, red onion, and garlic. Stir, then add the hearts of palm, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat. When the grill is preheated, slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, and drizzle each half with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Grill the avocado halves cut side down for 3 to 4 minutes or until char marks form.
- Remove from the grill, place on a platter and fill each avocado half with the filling. Serve with a pinch of salt, if desired, and lime wedges.
This sounds delish and I love all the ingredients, but I absolutely love hearts of palm, but only eat them with alone. I’m just entering into cooking and trying more complex recipes. What can I do if I do not have a BBQ for the avocados?
Thank you!
Hi,
Your recipes are amazing but could you put the calories that are in the recipe as well? Thank you.
My name is Roberto, from Italy. I’ve just decided to become veg as I don’t accept any further intensive farming. Your recipes are amazing, my wife and myself like them so much. Thanks for helping me to cook my new dishes !!
Hi Roberto, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
I am so excited to have found this site. The recipes all feel so manageable and look delicious. Thank you!
Hi Elishia, welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Do you use canned coconut milk (thick) or fresh, refrigerated?
Hi Brad, full fat coconut milk from a can.
This is the BEST veggie ceviche I have ever tasted!! I have made it with cauliflower, which is good, but this knocks it out of the casa!!
I didn’t grill the avocados, could not find good ones, but added the ones I had to the ceviche.
Thank you!!
Just made this and it is amazing!! I used only 1 avocado because I made it for just myself, so I have a lot of left over ceviche! I was wondering how long I can store the ceviche for? Thank you and loved the recipe! ☺️
I’m so glad you loved it! I’d keep it for 3 to 4 days.
Wonderful recipe – love love love it! Have you calculated the calories per serving?
Hi Denise, thanks! I personally don’t count calories because it’s let to unhealthy eating patterns for me in the past.
Made these yesterday and they were a huge hit and had such eye-appeal – I would not substitute any of the ingredients as the texture was perfect.
Thanks Maureen – I’m so glad these were a huge hit!
Could this be made with mushrooms since they have the similar texture to squid?
Without trying, I can’t say that it would be a 1:1 substitution. I’d give the hearts of palm a try, they’re delicious!
Delicious way to eat advocados!
I usually grill them and then fill the hole with a kind of “pico de gallo” mix tha is very similar to your recipe.
Great recipe!
Made this for a BBQ yesterday and it was a huge hit! I quartered the avocados after grilling which stretched the dish a bit further and made for perfect serving sizes for a side dish. Looked so pretty too. Also, didn’t have cilantro so I used parsley instead which worked fine. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Yay, I’m SO happy to hear that these were a hit! Thanks for coming back to let me know!!
Those chard avocados are calling my name! So good
What a gorgeous grilled recipe! Love these flavors!
I love your grilled avocados – they look so amazing! Unfortunately, I find it quite hard to find the perfectly ripe avocado. 🙁 They are either too hard or already quite squishy.
I hear you! When that’s the case, I usually get the hard ones and wait a few days.
Love finding new ways to eat more avocados!
Thanks Jeanine, good to know I can use the outdoor charcoal grill.
yep, it’ll be great!
So sorry if you’re looking for less vegetarian recipes here. Definitely didn’t mean to offend, I’m simply trying to offer fresh, healthy vegetable recipes.
Hey Jocelyn,
Another reader of this blog here. If you google “vegetable ceviche” there are many pages of recipes using the word ceviche to describe a marinated vegetable dish using lemon or lime juice. I made one awhile ago using a Brazilian site for Plantain Ceviche …delicious and big hit for our dinner circle btw.
Jeanine these look quite lovely, char and all. But I’m wondering what are you using for grilling?
Thanks Liese!
And Jeanine, do you have a suggestion for swapping the peppers? I love the heat but hate the taste. Thanks!
Hi Mari, you could use diced jalapeño instead, or finely diced red bell pepper if you prefer less heat. Hope that helps!
Hi Jocelyn, I totally understand and I’m not trying to offend anyone – definitely just trying to offer interesting colorful recipes 🙂
Hi Liese, thank you! I have an outdoor weber grill. I also like to grill on a cast iron grill pan over the stove.