The Best Way to Cut an Avocado

Once it's ripe, an avocado is one of the greatest foods in existence, and so versatile that you can add it to many of your favorite dishes for a boost of healthy fats, fiber, potassium and more vitamins and minerals. Learn how to cut an avocado for salads, toast, guacamole and more. Plus, learn how to peel an avocado.

You don't need any special avocado tools to open an avocado. Though they seem effective, any single-tasking avocado tool won't work any better than what you already have in your kitchen. All you need is a cutting board and a sharp knife, preferably ceramic or even plastic. Why? A metal knife can react with the avocado to initiate the oxidation process, which turns the avocado flesh brown. Unlike metal, ceramic and plastic are nonreactive, so the oxidation process doesn't start as quickly—though the avocado will start to brown eventually.

Carefully slice into the avocado with a knife until the blade hits the pit in the center.

Run the knife lengthwise around the avocado. Twist the two halves of the avocado to separate and open the avocado. Once you have your avocado halves, check out these stuffed avocado recipes.

To remove with a knife, firmly smack the thick end of the knife blade into the pit until it sticks. Rotate the avocado so that the pit separates from the flesh and remains on the knife.

To remove the slippery avocado pit from the knife, smack the side of the pit against a cutting board or countertop to loosen it. Or if you would rather not use a knife, you can simply run the tip of a spoon around the pit and scoop it out.

With the pit removed and the avocado still in the peel, make vertical slices with the tip of the knife.

Run a spoon around the edge of the avocado to separate the peel and the flesh, then scoop out the slices. Try sliced avocado in this Avocado & Kale Omelet.

Start by slicing the avocado as described above, then make horizontal slices to create cubes.

Run a spoon around the edge of the avocado to separate the peel and the flesh, then scoop out the diced avocado. Use diced avocado in salads or as part of a fresh salsa like this Avocado Corn Salsa.

Whether you're dicing or slicing, it's easy to peel an avocado. Simply run a spoon around the edge of the avocado and it will release the flesh. However, if you don't plan to eat the entire avocado at once, be sure to leave the remaining flesh in the peel for storage purposes. Learn how to store cut avocados properly.