These wontons are stuffed with a tangy avocado mixture and then baked to a crispy perfection for a tasty appetizer or light meal!
Several years ago I used to travel three weeks out of the month for my job. I was what you'd call a road warrior - someone who is constantly on the go for their job. While it might sound fun, it gets a little taxing. One of the upsides of frequent business travel is you get the opportunity to try lots of different restaurants in lots of different places. One for the places I spent a lot of time was in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
One of the places I went for dinner frequently was the Kona Grill in Troy. It was close to where I often stayed and they have a pretty good menu with a great happy hour selection. In hindsight, I probably went there a bit TOO frequently as the bartenders knew what kind of wine I liked without having to ask!
One of my favorite appetizers on the Kona Grill menu is their avocado egg rolls. They are super yummy and perfect for a light dinner. Fried until super crispy and loaded with seasoned avocado it's hard not to love them. This recipe is inspired by those egg rolls!
I turned these into wontons instead of egg rolls, as wonton wrappers are a bit thinner and tend to produce better results when baked. I use wonton wrappers quite frequently in recipes like these Black Bean Taco Cups, as they crisp up really nice when you bake them.
In these wontons, fresh avocado is tossed with lime juice, red onion and cilantro to create a delicious filling that will remind you of a tangy guacamole. The dipping sauce provides the ideal balance to the crunch of the wontons.
Why Bake Instead of Fry
If you are like me, you love the crunch of fried food, especially deep fried food but we all know it's not too good for us. I also don't typically deep fry at home - it's just too messy! I'll leave that indulgence for when I'm dining out.
So if you still want that crunch, what's the answer? In many cases you can get a similar result from baking. The key is using pretty high heat and always spraying or brushing with oil before baking. Baking also saves you a lot of calories!
So I'm not gonna lie, these wontons can be a little addicting - I've definitely eaten the entire recipe in one sitting!
notes from the kitchen
- Spraying with oil before baking is a must. I used avocado oil because I like it and happen to have it in my kitchen. Olive oil will work well too though I'd recommend a high-quality olive oil spray.
- Working with wonton wrappers is pretty easy. I leave them in the package so they don't dry out while you are stuffing them. If you have leftover wrappers you can wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in a freezer-safe bag for use in another recipe.
- I'm a huge fan of the cilantro and lime combination, so the sauce for these is based on that flavor combo. They are also really good dipped in a sweet chili sauce, which you can get at most large grocery stores.
Things You May Want for this Recipe
Handheld Citrus Juicer – In my book this is a must-have kitchen tool. It allows you to quickly and easily juice limes and lemons (and maybe a very small orange) without worrying about getting seeds in juice.
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray – This spray is a great alternative to olive oil spray. You can use it to spray pans before cooking to prevent sticking or you can do as I've done in this recipe and spray ingredients before baking to get them extra crisp. It also works well to lightly coat a salad if you are trying to cut down on the dressing.
Baked Avocado Wontons
Ingredients
For the wontons:
- 14 wonton wrappers
- 3 ripe avocados
- ½ cup diced roma tomato
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the dipping sauce:
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- 1 ½ tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the filling. Scoop the avocado out of the skins, discard the pits, and place in a small mixing bol. Add the tomato, onion, lime juice, zest, cilantro and salt Mix until well combined, leaving small chunks of avocado in the mixture.
- Assemble the wontons. Add some cold water to a ramekin or small bowl. Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, scoop about a tablespoon of the avocado mixture into the center of the wonton wrapper. Using your finger, run water along the edge of the wrapper that's facing up. Fold the wrapper so the corners meet, making a triangle shape Press edges together. Place the wontons in a single layer on the baking sheet and continue to repeat the process until all of the avocado mixture has been used. You should end up wth 12 - 14 wontons.
- Spray the wontons with olive or avocado oil and bake for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes remove from the oven and carefully flip the wontons over. Bake for an additional 7-8 minutes until the edges are a dark golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- While the wontons are cooking mix the yogurt, zest, cilantro, cumin, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve the wontons warm or refrigerate until ready to eat. If refrigerating reheat for 5-10 minutes in a 250°F oven.
Kristina @ Love & Zest says
EVERYTHING about this looks amazing. And that dipping sauce. Oh my...
Joyce says
These look delicious!! Crispy with a buttery filling! Oh my gosh! I definitely will be making these! I am also a huge fan of cilantro and lime so this sauce sounds fantastic with it.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
I love avocado so these sound so good. Perfect appetizer for entertaining! Yum!
Tara says
Yum! Such wonderful flavors. I have some avocados that need to be used and now I am craving these.
Cindy Gordon says
Everything about this...YES I love avocados! I am always looking for new recipes to try! This is going on my list!
Marlee says
I need to make wontons more and these definitely need to be a flavor I make!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing and really tasty baked avocado wontons recipe! Will surely have this again, fam really loves it! Highly recommended!
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Sara LaFountain says
These wontons were fantastic! I served them at an outdoor graduation party and everyone loved them!
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
This wonton appetizer is bomb. I love, love, love everything about it. Perfect for parties or get-togethers.
Liz says
Any recipe with avocados is a keeper in my book!