This awesome Asian avocado recipe is the best, fast Korean avocado recipe I've ever eaten! It starts with a simple soy marinade and ends as a tasty mayak avocado salad or rice topper. And who doesn't love big yummy chunks of luscious avocado?! (Vegan, GF)
You may have heard of mayak eggs before. They recently went viral on social media, probably because they are so easy and delicious.
Mayak eggs need to be marinated overnight but this Korean avocado only needs 20 minutes (though you can leave it in the marinade for up to 4 hours). Read on for a couple of tips to make this awesome recipe.
This was inspired by my other simple Asian recipes like Chirashi Sushi Bowl and Miso Baked Oysters-A Quick And Easy West Coast Appetizer and Oh Dehlicious’ Korean egg drop sandwich. I love vegan recipes that are satisfying. If you do to, you might also like Wild Mushroom Lentil Stew that is a complete meal on it's own or Easy Vegan Parsley Pesto for topping pasta.
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Ingredients
With the exception of Thai chilis, these ingredients are easy to find at most grocery stores. If you don't want to buy Thai chilis just for this, I offer some substitutions for them down below.
- Avocados - The star ingredient, choose avocado that is ripe but still firm. Unripe avocados will not taste good. If you have to choose between over ripe and under ripe, choose the ripe fruits. They may not look as pretty but it will taste fantastic!
- Sesame Seeds - Technically these are optional but I highly recommend them for taste, texture and a boost of protein. Buy toasted sesame seeds or quickly toast them in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes before using. (You can find a tutorial for them in my goma (sesame seed) dressing recipe or see the note in the recipe card.)
- Soy Sauce - Choose your favorite high quality brand, making sure it is gluten free if you have a gluten intolerance.
- Maple Syrup - A little sweetness to counter the salty, maple syrup adds a lovely natural sweetness that isn't overwhelming. This is my favorite vegan sweetener 🙂
- Onions - 2 kinds of onions add lovely texture and extra flavor. Crunchy sweet onions and light flavored green or spring onions (aka scallions) round out this avocado salad perfectly.
See recipe card for quantities.
What Does Korean Avocado Taste Like?
This Korean or mayak avocado is similar in taste to a teriyaki sauce but a little less sweet. Korean avocado also has lovely texture from the sweet onion, green onion (scallion) and sesame seeds. It coats and soaks into creamy, mild avocado quickly, making it look like it has been glazed.
The Korean word 'mayak' loosely translates to drug in English. It is called mayak avocado because it is addicting to eat. Try it and let me know, I bet you can't eat just one bite!
Mayak avocado makes an excellent vegan main course or a welcome side dish to almost every meal.
Instructions
Add the half cup soy sauce, garlic and ginger to a mixing bowl.
Next, add green onions, sweet onions, maple syrup, chilis, sesame seeds and vinegar to a medium bowl. Stir until syrup is well blended in then add water and stir again.
Add chopped avocados (and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes if using).
Stir gently so you don't break up or mash the avocado.
Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Garnish with what you like. I've used thin slices of nori sheets and chive flowers from my garden.
Serve over rice, spoon over grilled fish, scoop it onto toast, on top of salad or enjoy it on it's own as a side dish.
Hint: Add soft boiled and peeled eggs to the leftover mayak sauce and store them in the fridge overnight. The next day, enjoy mayak eggs!
Substitutions
- Chilis- Thai chilis are (very) spicy and can be hard to find. If you don't have them, use any finely chopped hot pepper or a ½-1 teaspoon chili paste like sambal oelek.
- Vegetables - Instead of cucumber, you can use sliced or diced summer squash, cherry tomatoes or omit altogether.
- Tamari - While not identical, tamari is an excellent gluten free substitute for soy sauce. It has a little less salt and is a little thicker. I think it steps in perfectly but if you like, you can add a little water to thin the sauce a little. (Some soy sauces are gf, make sure to read the labels if needed.)
- Syrup - Maple is my favorite but if you prefer honey or agave syrup, you can sub an equal amount of either for the maple syrup.
Variations
Besides just on rice or green salad, try these easy ideas! And if you're serving kids, go ahead and make it mild.
- Mild - For a family or kid-friendly version, you can sub minced, sweet red bell pepper or omit the chilis altogether. This Korean avocado is equally delicious with or without heat.
- Mayak Royale - Make it a party in a bowl by adding sliced cherry tomatoes and cucumber to the mayak sauce with the avocado. Spoon it over blanched and cooled spinach or kale to serve for a big veggie feast. Fresh herbs like cilantro or basil make a perfect garnish.
- Korean Avocado Toast - Top a thick and buttered slice of toast with drained scoops of Korean avocado for a tasty snack any time of day.
Storage
It is best to make Korean avocado the day you plan to eat it though you can make the mayak sauce up to 5 days ahead. Store the mayak sauce in a covered container in your fridge until ready to use.
Leftover Korean avocado with mayak sauce will keep fairly well overnight but the avocado will continue to soak up the sauce and get saltier. Keep this in mind, you may want to serve extra plain rice with your leftovers. I don't recommend leaving your leftovers longer because the avocado will get very mushy.
This recipe does not freeze well.
Top tip
Using a sharp knife will help you get nice, neat chunks of avocado. It will also help dice your sweet onion nice and small giving the best texture. If you are not comfortable sharpening your own knives, there are knife sharpening companies that can do it for you. Many only charge $5-$10 per knife.
Cheers Friends, I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know if you love it as much as I do.
ox Sabrina
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Korean Avocado (Mayak Avocado)
Ingredients
- ½ c Soy Sauce
- ½ c Water
- ¼ c Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon White or Rice Vinegar
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced (2 teaspoon garlic)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, minced (if using dry ginger, only use ½ teaspoon or omit)
- ½ c Green Onions, finely sliced aka spring onions or scallions
- ¼ c Sweet White Onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoon Sesame Seeds, toasted
- 1-3 Thai Chilis, sliced These are extremely spicy, beware and reduce amount as needed.
- 2 Avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into ½" chunks Choose ripe but firm avocados for this.
- *Optional: Sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chive flowers, shredded nori (dry seaweed) or sesame oil. For garnish
Instructions
- Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, green onions, sweet onions, syrup, chilis, sesame seeds and vinegar to a medium bowl. Stir well to incorporate the syrup. Add water and stir again.
- Add chopped avocados (and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes if using) and stir gently so you don't break up or mash the avocado.
- Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Serve over rice, spoon it over grilled fish, scoop it onto toast, on top of salad or enjoy it on it's own as a side dish.
Notes
Nutrition
BERNADETTE
An unusual way to eat avocado. Thanks for the idea.