Crispy beer battered avocado slices combine with creamy slaw and crunchy fresh radishes for a dreamy taco that dares you to confine it to Taco Tuesdays.
After my recent trip to LA Vegan Beer Fest, I was inspired to cook something with beer. But what oh what should it be?
It took very little brainstorming for me to settle on my new favorite Southern California treat. I’ve seen them making appearances at some of my favorite casual restaurants – Seabirds Kitchen in Costa Mesa, Golden Road Pub in Glendale and Sage Vegan Bistro in Culver City and Echo Park – and so I thought I’d give them a spin at home. And if I may say so myself – YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
WATCH the video above to LEARN how to make this deliciously simple meal at home.
Oh, and if you tend to shy away from deep frying at home for fear of having to throw out a bunch of oil, check out our video on How to Not Waste Oil When You Deep Fry.
- ***For the Slaw:
- 6 cups shredded cabbage
- ½ a red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- ***For the batter:
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup white AP flour
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ a bottle of beer
- ***Other Ingredients:
- A bottle of high heat oil (such as vegetable, sunflower, safflower or canola)
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 ripe avocado, cut into 6 wedges
- 2 radishes, sliced
- lime wedges to serve
- To make the slaw, combine vegan mayo, lemon juice, rice vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until a smooth dressing is formed. Add in shredded cabbage, diced red onion and chopped cilantro, and mix to combine. Set aside so that the cabbage can marinate a bit while you prep your other stuff.
- To make the batter, whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add in beer and mix until a thick, smooth batter is formed. You can top it off with more beer to thin it out if you need to.
- To heat oil, pour enough oil into a heavy bottomed pot to submerge the tip of a candy or fry thermometer. Heat until oil reaches a temperature between 350 and 375 degrees (Fahrenheit).
- To fry, dip avocado wedges into batter, then dunk them into the oil. Keep an eye on the temperature to make sure it stays between 350 and 375, adjusting the flame if necessary. When the avocado wedges are browned (about two minutes), remove using a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain excess oil.
- To heat tortillas, place each tortilla directly over your stove top flame for about 30 seconds on each side, flipping to make sure you get a char on each side. (If you have an electric stovetop, you can wrap tortillas in a towel and place in a 200 degree oven until they’re warm, about five minutes - this method will warm tortillas, but won’t char them).
- To arrange tacos, place a scoop of slaw onto each tortilla, followed by one crispy avocado wedge and a few slices of radish. Finish with a squeeze of lime and enjoy!
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