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A square photo of tofu tacos with cilantro sauce on top.
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Vegan tofu tacos with cilantro sauce

Vegan tofu tacos recipe with crispy tofu and cilantro sauce! A mouthwatering, plant-based taco recipe you'll love. Perfect for taco night!
Course entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword dairy free, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 small tacos
Calories 219kcal

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces extra firm tofu Two 16 ounce blocks
  • 1 Tablespoon chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ Tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ½ medium fresh jalapeno. sliced lengthwise
  • 1 small handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
  • cup water
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 small tortillas
  • For serving: lime wedges, fresh cabbage, pepitas, sliced radish, cilantro, avocado, green onion

Instructions

  • Set aside 8oz of the tofu. This will probably be half of one of your 16 ounce blocks. Wrap the remaining 24oz in a paper towel and set on a plate. Put something heavy like a cast iron skillet on top to press the tofu. Let sit for 30 minutes. When pressed, pat dry and cut the tofu into ½" cubes.
    32 ounces extra firm tofu
  • (if not using super firm or extra firm tofu only) Wrap the remaining 24oz in a paper towel and set on a plate. Put something heavy like a cast iron skillet on top to press the tofu. Let sit for 30 minutes. When pressed, pat dry and cut the tofu into ½" cubes.
  • While the tofu is pressing, combine the chile powder, paprika, ancho, oregano, and 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the tofu and toss to evenly coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
    1 Tablespoon chile powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ Tablespoon ancho chile powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Meanwhile, make your sauce. In a high speed blender or smoothie maker, combine the remaining tofu, lime juice, jalapeno, cilantro, and water. Blend until fully pureed and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ medium fresh jalapeno. sliced lengthwise, 1 small handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, ⅓ cup water, salt and pepper
  • Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the tofu and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. You want to get some nice crispness on the tofu, but want to keep stirring to cook it evenly. When the tofu is nice and crispy, remove from heat and stir in ¾ teaspoon sea salt, or salt to taste.
  • Divide the tofu among 8 small tortillas and top with as much sauce as you'd like. Top with your favorite toppings like cabbage, pepitas, sliced radish, cilantro, avocado, and green onion. Squeeze some lime juice onto your taco and enjoy!
    8 small tortillas, For serving: lime wedges, fresh cabbage, pepitas, sliced radish, cilantro, avocado, green onion

Video

Notes

  • Super firm tofu is best, but firm tofu is great too. If using firm tofu, don't skip pressing the tofu.
  • If you have a favorite store bought taco seasoning, go ahead and use that. You'll need 4 ½ teaspoons of seasoning and 2 Tablespoons of oil.
  • The sauce is delicious, but if you're short on time or have a store bought cilantro sauce you love, go ahead and use that.
  • The recipe is written for 8 small tacos. You can adjust this to 4 larger tacos if you wish.
  • Don't stir the tofu too often while it's cooking. You want it to brown nicely on all sides.
  • If you're not into spicy sauces, omit the jalapeno seeds from the sauce or the omit the jalapeno completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2.7mg