Looking for a simple yet tasty meal? Try our crab stuffed avocado recipe. It’s a straightforward dish combining fresh crab meat with creamy avocado. Ideal for a light lunch or a light dinner recipe, this meal is easy to prepare and full of flavor. Enjoy a delightful blend of fresh ingredients in every bite. Let’s get started on this quick and delicious recipe!
Stuffed avocado became really popular a few years ago. We had a bunch of crab cracked so we decided to make a fresh crab stuffed avocado. If you love avocado and crab (or stuffed avocado recipes), you’ll love these!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
TASTE: Light and fresh. The ingredients and spices are subtle so the flavor of the crab and avocado stand out. If you love california rolls or crab avocado salad you’ll enjoy these.
TEXTURE: The avocado is creamy and the crab filling has a combination of soft and crunchy ingredients.
EASE: This is a super quick meal to make if you already have your lump crabmeat cracked.
PROS: Healthy, fresh and easy.
CONS: If you’re looking for tons of spice this isn’t the recipe for you. Consider adding a few drops of hot sauce to your mixing bowl of crab filling.
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Oh yes. This is an excellent way to use crab meat.
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS: This crab stuffed avocado is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and keto friendly. And you can’t beat the nutrition! Full of protein, vitamins and healthy fats.
Ingredients
Full ingredients list and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Avocado: For stuffed avocados, opt for medium-sized creamy avocados. They’re the perfect size for individual servings, ensuring a balance of filling and creamy avocado in every bite.
- Onion: Use red onion for the best flavor or substitute for green onions or shallots.
- Crab: When it comes to crab stuffed avocado recipes, the type of crab you choose can elevate the dish. Two popular choices are Dungeness crab and King crab. Crack your crab and use lump crab meat in this recipe for best results. You could also use imitation crab if you have no fresh crab.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice adds the acid necessary to bring this avocado recipe together. You may substitute for lemon juice if you have no limes.
- Cilantro: Chopped fresh cilantro can be substituted for chopped chives. Fresh herbs are preferred over dried herbs.
- Tomatoes: Dice cherry tomatoes or roma tomatoes.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil is preferred.
- Spices: Use sea salt and black pepper.
- Optional: Include diced red bell pepper
If you want to make this even quicker you can buy pico de gallo instead of making your own but fresh is so much better. However, I understand the need to have healthy foods more easily accessible. And sometimes the ones you buy from the store are pretty fresh.
If you don’t live somewhere crab is readily available, the imitation crab meat isn’t bad in this. I’m sure that’s not a glowing review but I love real crab so much it’s hard to substitute it. When we’ve made these it’s usually the day after a crab dinner with some extra crab meat leftover in the fridge.
How To Choose An Avocado
Choosing a ripe avocado is crucial for that perfect creamy texture in your dishes. Here’s how to pick the best ones:
- Color Check: Start by looking at the avocado’s skin. Ripe avocados typically have a dark green to nearly black color. Remember, color can vary among varieties.
- Gentle Squeeze: Give the avocado a gentle squeeze. A ripe avocado should yield to firm, gentle pressure but shouldn’t feel overly mushy or leave an indent.
- Stem Test: Flick off the dry stem at the top of the avocado. If it comes away easily and you see green underneath, it’s ripe. Brown under the stem indicates it’s overripe.
- Weight: A ripe avocado feels slightly heavy for its size, indicating the presence of that desirable creamy interior.
- Avoid Bruises: Check for any large indentations or bruised spots, which may signal overripeness or damaged flesh inside.
- Uniformity: The avocado should feel uniformly soft throughout. Hard spots indicate it’s not fully ripe.
Remember, if your avocados are not yet ripe, you can ripen them at home. Place them in a paper bag at room temperature for a few days. Picking the right ripe avocado is key to enjoying delicious, creamy avocados in your salads, sandwiches, or guacamole.
DIY: Learn how to grow an avocado from seed.
How To Cut Avocados
Crafting the perfect crab-stuffed avocados recipe begins with expertly preparing your medium ripe avocados. Here’s how to peel and prepare them for your delicious dish:
- Selecting Avocados: Opt for medium ripe avocados. They should yield to gentle pressure but not be overly soft.
- Cutting on the Board: Lay the avocado on a cutting board. Slice it lengthwise around the seed, creating two long halves.
- Twisting to Open: Gently twist the halves in opposite directions to separate them. One half will have the pit.
- Removing the Pit: Strike the pit with your knife’s blade and twist to lift it out, or gently scoop it with a spoon.
- Peeling for Perfection: Instead of scooping, peel the skin off for creamy avocado halves. Start from the narrower end and gently peel back the skin. This method preserves the avocado’s shape and gives a smoother surface for stuffing.
- Stabilizing for Stuffing: Slice a small piece from the bottom of each half to create a stable base. This prevents your stuffed avocados from tipping over.
With your avocados perfectly peeled and prepared, they’re ready to be filled with the scrumptious crab mixture. This careful preparation ensures your crab-stuffed avocados recipe not only tastes fantastic but also looks elegant on the plate.
Never cut an avocado before? Real Simple has a great little pictorial.
Recipe is 2 servings. It’s easy to make more! If you want to save some for later I’d make the crab salad mixture and refrigerate but don’t cut the avocado until you’re ready to eat them. They start to look bad pretty quickly once they’re cut.
Preventing Avocados From Browning
Preventing halved avocados from turning brown is easy with a splash of fresh lime juice. Here’s how:
- After cutting the avocado, immediately brush fresh lime juice on the exposed flesh.
- The citric acid in lime acts as a natural barrier against oxidation, the main cause of browning.
- Lime juice not only keeps avocados green longer but also adds a subtle, tangy flavor.
This quick tip ensures your halved avocados stay fresh and appetizing, perfect for salads, sandwiches, or as a garnish. Give it a try next time you’re dealing with avocados!
More Easy Healthy Recipes
Health Benefits Of Avocados
Avocados, a cornerstone of healthy eating, pack a punch with numerous health benefits. This creamy fruit is not just for guacamole; it’s a versatile addition to any avocado recipe. Here’s why you should consider avocados in your diet:
- Nutrient-Rich: Avocados are a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. They’re loaded with potassium, beating bananas in the race for this heart-healthy mineral. Vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, along with riboflavin, niacin, folate, and magnesium, are all nestled in its green flesh.
- Heart Helper: These green gems are full of monounsaturated fats, the good kind that helps keep your heart in top shape. They work to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Fiber-Filled: A single avocado contains a significant portion of your daily fiber needs. Fiber aids in digestion and can help you feel full longer, an ally in weight management.
- Eye Health: Avocados contain antioxidants, essential for eye health, protecting against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
- Low-Carb Friendly: For those on a low carb diet, avocados are an excellent choice. They’re low in carbs but high in fiber and healthy fats.
So, whether it’s smashed on toast, blended into a smoothie, or sliced in a salad, adding avocados to your meals is a tasty way to boost your health. Let’s not forget, they’re incredibly delicious, making healthy eating not just good for you, but also a delight for your taste buds! Learn more about the health benefits of avocados.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Grilled Pizza
- Greek Salad
- The Best Thick Crust Pizza Dough
- BBQ Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast
- Red Lentil Dal
Crab Stuffed Avocados Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium avocado
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 3 ounces crab meat
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 cherry tomatoes diced
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the onion, lime juice, cilantro, tomato, olive oil, crab meat and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Peel the skin off the avocado.
- Season the avocado with a pinch of salt and pepper
- Fill the avocado halves with the crab mixture.
- Eat right away.
Notes
- Cut Avocado: Slice around the pit and twist to open. Remove the pit with a spoon or knife.
- To keep the slices from browning, use fresh lime juice.
- Brush or sprinkle fresh lime juice over the cut surfaces. The acidity slows down oxidation, which causes browning.
- Store the cut avocado in an airtight container if not using immediately.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Larry says
This was good. I like that it wasn’t full of sauces!
[smash karts](https://smashkartsio.com) says
Meal with crab ingredient is never a bad choice. I like it.
Jessoun says
Avocado is my favorite fruit and crab is my favorite too.
alina says
OMG. I’ve been eating these for the past 2 days with some fresh crabmeat we had. I can’t get enough!
Ophelia D says
I made this with 5 avocados. The family gobbled them up. We did add some hot sauce and tajin because we love those flavors.
Rowan Collin says
I used imitation crab and it was pretty good!
Anna says
Can you make this with a sauce in the crab mixture? What type of sauce would you recommend?
Andrea says
Hi Anna. Yes, you could add a sauce. Try a spicy Mexican crema or a chipotle mayo for a little extra kick.
Rodger says
These were not spicy enough for me. I’ll add spice next time. Maybe some paprika and chili powder.