Grilled Avocado with Herbed Goat Cheese and Chimmichurri are a creamy, flavorful side dish that’s destined to become your new summertime grilling favorite!

Grilled Avocado with Herbed Goat Cheese & Chimichurri is a super easy summer side dish that you’ll be making over and over again throughout grill season! This dish also does double-duty as you can use the chimichurri sauce to marinate meat and grill up while cooking the avocado! #dinnermadeeasy

The key to this recipe is finding the perfect avocado — the Goldilocks avocado — not too firm, not too ripe, but jusssttt right!

Now, I know you’re not supposed to go squeezing all the avocados at the grocery store but for this recipe, it’s pertinent!

I prefer Haas avocados (specifically, Avocados from Mexico!) because they’re typically large and in my opinion, much more flavorful than the other tiny avocados grown from who knows where!

To determine the best avocado for Grilled Avocado with Herbed Goat Cheese & Chimichurri, start by looking for the largest avocados your store has available. Pick them up and begin squeezing.

You don’t want the avocado to be rock hard, where there’s no give when squeezed. Those avocados won’t soften enough once grilled.

You also don’t want the avocados to be too soft, like when you squeeze and your finger leaves a permanent indent in the avocado! Those avocados will be too ripe and not hold up well when put to the high heat of the grill.

My perfect avocado for this recipe is a palm-sized avocado that’s on the firmer side of the scale but has a gentle give that springs back into place when pressed lightly with your fingers. It’s the type of avocado that you’d want to set out for 1 day on the counter before cutting into to smash and smear on your sandwich.

While you’re at the store picking out your avocado, be sure to grab all the fresh herbs, limes and a head of garlic for my go-to chimichurri sauce, you’ll be making this to drizzle on the avocado after it comes off the grill. It’s also great for marinating chicken or drizzling on top of steak — if that’s your jam!

Lastly, before you check out at the grocery store and head home to whip up my Grilled Avocado with Herbed Goat Cheese & Chimichurri — make one last stop by the cheese department to pick yourself out a creamy, herbed goat cheese.

You can definitely make your own herbed goat cheese by choosing a traditional brick of Chevre and mixing in your own dried herbs but there are so many awesome pre-made choices out there that will make this side dish oh-so-easy. My preferred herbed goat cheese is Cypress Grove Herb of Humboldt. It’s flavorful, delicious and seriously spreadable.

When you’re ready to make my Grilled Avocado with Herbed Herbed Goat Cheese and Chimichurri, you’ll need to fire up the grill and preheat it to about 500*F. Slice the avocado in half, brush the inside with lime juice & olive oil, sprinkle it with some smoked paprika, salt & pepper and place it cut-side down on the grill and shut the lid.

Now, listen up! This is important! Leave the avocado and set a timer for 90 seconds! Don’t touch it! Don’t you dare take a peek at it.

After 90 seconds, pick it up with some tongs, rotate it 90 degrees and wait another 90 seconds. By letting the avocado and grill do their thang, you’ll get those beautiful, charred grill marks on your avocado that make it look restaurant-worthy.

As soon as the grilled avocado’s done, place it on a smear of goat cheese, drizzle it with the chimichurri sauce and grab a spoon to dig in to the most delicious, decadent summer side dish. It’s out of this world creamy, salty and flavorful and destined to become your new summertime grilling addiction.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Grilled Avocado with Herbed Goat Cheese & Chimichurri

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 large avocado
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2-3 tablespoons url:1]chimichurri sauce[/url] or store bought
1-2 ounces herbed goat cheese, softened like Cypress Grove

Instructions

Preheat the grill to ~500*F (or as high as you can get it).
Cut the avocado in half and remove its pit.
Lightly brush the cut side of the avocado with lime juice to prevent browning followed by a light brushing of olive oil.
Sprinkle the cut avocado with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Prep the serving plate by smearing the goat cheese across the center of the plate and set aside.
Using tongs place the avocado cut side down onto the hot grill and cook for 90 seconds with the grill lid down.
After 90 seconds, rotate the avocado 90 degrees and cook for another 90 seconds with the lid down.
Using tongs, remove the avocado from the grill and place cut side up on the prepared plate with goat cheese.
Drizzle with chimichurri sauce and serve immediately.

Taste the flavors of India with succulent Murgh Malai Tikka chicken kebabs paired with cool mint chutney, creamy peanut sauce, and toasted naan!

There are two foods I always look forward to eating on my trips to Indian. The first is Biryani and the second is this recipe, Murgh Malai Tikka.

Murgh Malai Tikka is a melt-in-your-mouth chicken kebab marinated in cream, yogurt and spices then cooked in a tandoor. It’s also a pretty healthy dish in comparison to the other, curry-heavy meals most associate with Indian food.

For my take on Murgh Malai Tikka, I’ve created a classic East Meets West pairing with two different dipping sauces to compliment my tandoori chicken kebab. To accompany the succulent kebabs, the first sauce is a mint-yogurt chutney, similar to the classic mint chutney you’d find in India, but cooled down a bit with creamy, Greek yogurt, and cilantro.

The second is a salty yet sweet, peanut sauce that works so well when paired with the charred kebabs and subtle Indian spices. Add in a toasty, warm naan and you’ve got yourself the perfect Indian-inspired meal!

Now, the key ingredient to making Murgh Malai Tikka is the cheese in its marinade. Marinating with cheese may sound a bit strange but once processed with the cream and yogurt the cheese creates a thick sauce that smothers the chicken, working to tenderize the pieces and adding flavor.

When choosing the cheese for this dish, it’s best to stick with a mild flavored cheese such as cream cheese, Havarti or muenster. For my version, I went with muenster for a few reasons —

Muenster is light in flavor so it wouldn’t over power any of the spices in the marinade
It has a creamy, smooth texture that when processed, would blend well when added to the cream & yogurt
In college, I remember my friend Mary eating muenster cheese on her sandwiches so using it reminded me of her (Hi Mary, if you’re reading this! <3)

Since Murgh Malai Tikka has a few different ways of preparation depending on where you eat it, I’ve added a few ‘choose your own adventure’ options to this recipe. If you so desire, you can complete your marinade with just the cheese, yogurt and ground spices or you can choose to add in all or some of the optional ingredients!

Some Murgh Malai Tikka recipes call for the addition of cilantro leaves (though in India, they refer to the leaves as coriander leaves) & green chilis, both of which I chose to add to this recipe and can cause the marinade to have a green tint to it. If cilantro or chilis aren’t your thing, feel free to leave one or both out — either way, I promise your Murgh Malai Tikka will turn out great!

In India, these kebabs would typically be cooked in a tandoor — clay ovens heated to extreme temperatures then kept constant during the cooking process. Since tandoors are a bit rare in the States, a super hot grill will work just fine!

To achieve a similar cooking environment on your grill as tandoor, simply turned all of the burners to high and preheat your grill until it reaches at least 500*F before placing the kebabs on to cook. Continue cooking at this high temperature throughout, turning the kebabs only after you see a bit of char forms.

To serve, I highly recommend pairing these kebabs with the dipping sauces. It makes meal time more fun to taste the different flavor combinations, and although these kebabs are seriously succulent and juicy, they’re even better with the mint-yogurt chutney and peanut sauce.

I also served these kebabs with a side of naan, mostly because I love naan but also because I found these super cute mini naans by Stonefire at the store while shopping for kebab ingredients! My favorite way of eating the Murgh Malai Tikka was making folded naan sandwiches smothered in one of the sauces!

Hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s definitely a great way to warm up your grill for the Spring & Summer seasons while getting a taste of India!

5.0 from 4 reviews

Murgh Malai Tikka - Tandoori Chicken Kebabs with Dipping Sauces

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Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1” chunks and patted dry with a paper towel
½ teaspoon kala salt**
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon raw cashews +1 tablespoon raw almonds, soaked in 1 cup hot water for 3-4 hours & drained
4 ounces muenster cheese (or other light, mild cheese), roughly chopped
½ cup greek yogurt (whole or 2%)
4 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
juice of ½ a lemon
¼ cup cilantro leaves — optional
½ green chili, seeded and roughly chopped — optional
lime wedges for serving — optional
8-10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30-60 minutes***
Peanut Sauce & Mint-Yogurt Chutney, recipes to follow
**If you don't have kala salt, simply substitute regular salt
**Soaking the skewers will help them stay intact when placed on the grill

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, season the chicken breast chunks with a ½ teaspoon kala salt (or regular salt), black pepper and crushed garlic, mixing well to ensure everything is coated.
Set aside for 30-60 minutes while you make the marinade.
For the marinade, add all the ingredients (drained nuts, cheese, yogurt, cream, ginger, garlic, salt, oil, spices, and lemon juice plus cilantro & chili, if using) to a large food processor and blend on high for 30-60 seconds until everything is creamy and smooth.
Pour marinade over the seasoned chicken chunks.
Cover and let marinate in your refrigerator 4-8 hours or overnight, should time allow.
When ready to cook, preheat your girl to 500*F and prepare your chicken kebabs.
To do so, shake some of the marinade from the chicken pieces and skewer the chicken onto the pre-soaked skewers, leaving an inch or so of room at each end of the skewer so you can easily grab them when on the grill.
Lightly grease your grill to avoid sticking then place the kebabs on the grill, turning every 2-3 minutes once char marks have formed until fully cooked (8-10 minutes).
Serve immediately with dipping sauces, naan, and lime wedges.

Notes

Mint Yogurt Chutney
2 cloves roughly chopped garlic, toasted (see recipe below)
1/2 cup packed mint leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon kala salt**
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons water
**If you don’t have kala salt, simply substitute regular salt in its place.

To toast the garlic, lightly spray a frying pan with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly until garlic begins to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will become bitter. Remove toasted garlic pan and place in a food processor.

Add all other ingredients except the water to the food processor with the garlic. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds to combine the ingredients. Drizzle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time until a sauce-like consistency is reached and herbs are well chopped. Place in a small bowl for serving.

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 small clove of garlic
2 tablespoons water
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons roughly chopped peanuts, optional for topping

Add all ingredients except the water to a food processor. Blend on high for 10 seconds to combine the ingredients. Drizzle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time until a sauce-like consistency is reached. Pour into a small bowl and top with chopped peanuts before serving.