67 Avocado Recipes for Creamier Dip, More Satisfying Salads, Better Breakfasts, and More

Creamy, rich, and almost custard-like, the avocado is a delight unto itself—and it’s also a key player in many other dishes. We rounded up the best avocado recipes, including soups, salads, salsas, sandwiches, smoothies, and our favorite green cheesecake to help you make the best of this delightful ingredient. Before we jump straight into our favorite avocado recipes, though, here are three essential tips for working with avocados.

Avocados ripen best at room temperature. Green avocados usually take four to five days to ripen. If you want to speed up the process, you can put them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. The California Avocado Commission’s Jan DeLyser explains that bananas and apples release ethylene gas, which will speed up the avocado’s ripening process. Typically, a ripe avocado will go from green to nearly black when it’s ripe, but color isn’t the only indicator—a ripe avocado will also give slightly when you put gentle pressure on its skin. Feel free to refrigerate your ripe avocados to help them last a little longer.

To remove an avocado pit, cut the fruit lengthwise all the way around, then twist the two halves to separate them. Hold the half with the pit in your hand (protecting your palm and fingers with a dish towel or oven mitt). Then very carefully use the blade of a sharp chef’s knife to strike the large pit. The pit should attach to the blade and come right out when you wiggle the knife.

To prevent an avocado from turning brown, sprinkle the flesh with lemon or lime juice. If you’re too late, just scrape off the discolored parts and eat the rest.

Now, onto the recipes! Read on to get inspired and start using the perfectly ripe avocados that are sitting on your counter right now.