Upgrade Your Burger With A Smoky Slice Of Grilled Avocado

When it comes to dressing burgers, there is no shortage of creative and even unconventional toppings at your disposal. Anything from a fried egg to pineapple slices to crispy fried onions can make your bun-bound meal taste unique and delicious. Whether you're simply making burgers for a weeknight dinner or serving them to guests, an upgrade in toppings can elevate an otherwise routine meal. For a hearty and unique addition, give grilled avocado a try. 

First and foremost, the grilling process gives the fruit a smoky flavor and charred exterior that amplifies similar aspects of the burger. This taste enhancement, combined with the avocado's creamy texture (which turns even more custard-like after taking on the intense heat of the grill), makes for a genuinely delectable burger topping. Plus, the process could hardly be more straightforward. When you have the grill fired up anyway for burgers, consider adding an avocado or two and discover the benefits of cooking this ingredient.

Grilling avocados is easier than you might think, despite the soft nature of this fruit. Start by cutting the avocado in half and removing the pit. As advised by Today, weather presenter Al Roker suggests choosing avocados that are ripe but not too squishy since they will soften up on the grill. There's no need to remove the skin beforehand. Brush the avocado with oil and season it to your liking — salt and pepper are a good idea, but other additions, such as lemon juice and red pepper flakes, can totally take it up a notch. Once your grill is ready, place the halves with the cut sides down to let them char and gain grill marks. After three minutes or so, carefully remove them and let them cool enough to handle.

Once cooked, the avocados should be soft and easy to scoop, making removing them from their skins a breeze. At this point, you can prepare them to your liking. They can be sliced and placed atop the burgers or mashed and spooned on in the desired portions. Mashing them also gives you the opportunity to add other ingredients, such as mustard, balsamic vinegar, or any other burger toppings you'd like to incorporate, like pickles for grilled avocado relish.

There's another way to enhance this smoky, creamy burger component further. It should be no surprise that grilled avocado makes the perfect base for guacamole; simply substitute the cooked fruit for the raw stuff when following your favorite recipe. The richly charred flavor will be accentuated by the fresher components like raw onion, tomatoes, and lime juice, lending a welcome brightness to your patty.

In addition, grilled avocados can make excellent avocado toast. After grilling them, mash them up as usual with your desired ingredients for a summery take on this brunch dish. They will be even easier to mash and serve than they typically would be, as they will have turned nice and soft from the cooking process.

Grilled avocados can replace uncooked in most avocado recipes. They're great in warm salads, grain bowls, dips, or any other instance when the addition of smoky avocado would take a meal or appetizer to the next level. The only recipes in which grilled avocados wouldn't be a good substitute for plain ones are in sweeter dishes, such as smoothies. Sweet foods may clash with their smoky flavor. In most cases, however (especially on burgers), grilling the fruit is a welcome enhancement that can quickly lend an extra kick of flavor.