These easy smoky tofu tacos are packed with flavor and plant-based goodness! Whether you're planning taco night or just craving something satisfying and easy, this vegan taco recipe brings the flavor. Perfect for quick dinners, meal prep, or casual gatherings!
Jump to:
Tofu taco meat
Did you know that shredded tofu makes a great ground beef substitute?
Shredding tofu with a box grater creates lots of thin pieces that get nice and crispy on the edges while staying chewy on the inside.
It kind of has a pulled chicken texture and makes a great vegan taco meat.
The best type of tofu for tacos is extra firm tofu. Extra-firm tofu can be passed through a box grater without disintegrating and has the “meatiest” texture.
Extra-firm tofu is also the best for frying because it cooks up the crispiest. Softer types of tofu will fall apart in the pan. (If you’re wondering what the difference is between the different types of tofu, check out my post on tofu for beginners.)
The trick to making your tofu get crispy is to fry it over medium-high to high heat and make sure it’s well coated in oil.
For flavor, the best type of tofu for tacos is smoked tofu. Smoked tofu is exactly what it sounds like: tofu that has been smoked before packaging.
You can find smoked tofu in most supermarkets that have a fairly decent tofu selection. Check in the refrigerator with the other plant-based products.
Smoked tofu is super delicious and has so much flavor on its own that you don’t need to marinate the tofu before cooking. (In fact I just pan fry it and add it to my vegan ramen as-is.)
After its fried, you can use taco seasoning on tofu to give it that distinctive Mexican or Tex-Mex flavor.
Tofu tacos are super easy and quick to prepare and a much healthier alternative to meat-based tacos!
Ingredients
To make tofu tacos, you’ll need just 5 simple ingredients for the taco meat plus tortillas and your favorite vegan taco toppings!
Smoked tofu: Smoked tofu is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe so flavorful. It’s fairly widely available in large supermarkets nowadays. Check the refrigerated section with the Asian products or plant-based products.
Taco seasoning: For convenience I use prepared taco seasoning in those little packets. Be sure to check the ingredients as there is sometimes hidden dairy. You can also make you own taco seasoning, there are lots of recipes online.
Tomato sauce: Just plain, thick tomato sauce adds both flavor and “juiciness” to the taco meat.
Onion and garlic: About half and onion and a couple cloves of garlic form the flavor base.
Oil: One tablespoon of olive oil for frying the onion and garlic, and then you might need another tablespoon more when you add the tofu to help it brown.
Tortillas: Your favorite taco-size tortillas - wheat or corn tortillas. Be sure to read the ingredients because they can sometimes contain lard, especially the more authentic Mexican ones.
Taco toppings: I used shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, white onion, cilantro and green onion. But use your favorite taco fillings!
Sauce: Again, use your favorite: guacamole, salsa, avocado crema, chipotle mayo, salsa verde, Salsa Valentina, Cholula, lemongrass sauce, etc.
How to make tofu tacos
This vegan taco recipe is super easy and quick to make.
Just prepare the vegan taco meat in less that 15 minutes and chop up your preferred toppings!
Prep your toppings: I made a pseudo pico de gallo by finely dicing two tomatoes, a quarter of a white onion and a handful of cilantro.
I also shredded some iceberg lettuce and chopped a couple of scallions.
You can prep whatever you like on your tacos!
To bring out the flavor, it’s recommended to toast your tortillas by heating a dry skillet (no oil) over medium heat and toasting the tortilla on each side until they get some charred spots - about a minute each side.
Remove to a plate and put a kitchen towel on top to keep them warm.
Make the tofu: The “meaty” texture of the tofu comes from grating it. I don’t bother pressing my tofu since the excess water will evaporate off in the pan.
But I will give the block a strong squeeze between my hands just to make it less slippery.
Grate the tofu using the large holes on a box grater.
Dice half and onion and mince two cloves of garlic.
Fry: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Fry the onion until transparent then add the garlic and continue frying for another 30 seconds.
Add the grated tofu and another tablespoon of olive oil if the pan seems dry. Spread it out into an even layer.
Raise the heat to medium-high.
Fry the tofu, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy - about 5 to 7 minutes.
Season: Sprinkle over the taco seasoning, mix well and allow to cook for about 30 seconds while stirring, to bring out the flavors of the spices.
Finally, stir in the tomato sauce. Give it another 30 seconds or so to heat though and you vegan taco meat is ready to use.
Note that I don’t add salt. This is because my taco seasoning is salty already.
At this point you can taste it and decide if you need to add a pinch of salt.
Variations and substitutions
Tofu: I strongly recommend using smoked tofu for this recipe but if you’ve searched everywhere and you can’t find it, you can substitute plain extra-firm tofu. Try stirring a few drops of liquid smoke into the tomato sauce before adding it to the tofu for that smoky flavor.
Vegan taco meat: Besides tacos, this vegan taco meat is also great in a vegan taco bowl, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowl, sprinkled over a salad, enchiladas, taquitos, or on top of nachos.
Seasoning: For convenience, I use a packet of prepared taco seasoning.
If you prefer, you can mix up your own taco seasoning from a selection of spices. There are many recipes online.
Typical taco seasoning spices are: cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and/or crushed red chili flakes.
This recipe is not spicy and does not call for any chili powder or chili peppers.
In my opinion, taco meat isn’t usually spicy and the spice is added to tacos with a variety of hot sauces.
However, you can easily make this vegan taco meat spicy by adding a diced jalapeño, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes or chili powder.
Assemble: Make your tacos with the warmed tortillas, tofu mixture and your choice of taco toppings and sauces.
FAQs
No, tofu does not need to be soaked before cooking.
No, I usually don’t bother pressing tofu, especially if I’m not marinating it. Just remove it from it’s packaging and drain off the water. Then give it a few good squeezes between your hands to get out most of the water. Grated tofu has a small surface area so the excess water quickly evaporates off in the pan.
Vegan taco toppings and sauces
You can use any of your usual favorite toppings for these tofu tacos. Here are some ideas:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Diced white or red onion, or chopped green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Corn
- Black olives
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Vegan cheese
- Black beans or refried beans
- Pickled red onions
- Grilled or roasted bell or poblano peppers
- Tomato salsa or salsa verde
- Guacamole or avocado crema
- Vegan sour cream
- Chipotle mayo
- Lime juice
Make ahead and storage tips
You can prep all the elements of these tofu tacos and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to serve.
Store the more watery ingredients like tomatoes separate from the drier ingredients like lettuce.
The vegan taco meat can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This tofu taco meat can be frozen in an airtight container for 3 months.
How to serve tofu tacos
Serve tofu tacos in your choice of soft shell or hard shell tortillas with your choice of taco toppings (see above for taco filling ideas).
You can also make a deconstructed vegan taco bowl or a taco salad with the tortilla as a bowl.
Tofu Tacos
Ingredients
For the vegan taco meat
- 1 block (180 grams / 6.3 oz) smoked tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, in a packet or homemade
- ¼ cup (60 ml) tomato sauce
For the tacos
- 6 corn or flour tortillas
- ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- ¼ white or red onion, diced
- A handful of cilantro, chopped
- Your favorite salsa or guacamole
- Optional: any of your favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from its package and give it a good squeeze between your hands to remove excess water.
- With the largest holes on a box grater, grate the block of tofu.
- In a large pan, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Fry the onion until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds or so.
- Add the tofu and the second tablespoon of oil. Stir to combine and spread it out in a single layer. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Allow to fry for a minute or two, then stir and toss to fry on another side. Continue frying, stirring from time to time, until the tofu is golden brown and has lots of crispy bits - about 5 - 7 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the taco seasoning and allow to cook while stirring continuously for about 30 seconds to bring out the flavors.
- Add the tomato sauce, stir and heat through for about another 30 seconds.
- Note: I don’t add additional salt because my taco seasoning is already salty. You can taste your taco meat and add salt if necessary.
- Optional: Toast your tortillas in a dry pan over medium-low heat until hot and some charred spots appear. Remove to a plate and keep covered with a kitchen towel.
- Serve your tacos with the vegan taco meat and your choice of toppings and sauce.
Leave a Reply