The idea for these tofu tacos was 1) My dad’s, and 2) Of the rather harebrained variety.
When he first suggested it to me–distant memories of dry, cardboard tofu cubes from the barren wasteland that was my college dining hall’s “Vegan Station” suddenly resurfacing–my initial gut reaction was just… “no.”
When he threw out the idea to Kaitlin over Skype one weekend, her initial reaction was similarly contrarian. “What? Why?”
In our family, we eat vegetarian meals often–multiple times a week. But we don’t necessarily “mark” them as vegetarian, or even notice that they’re meatless. It’s just habit at this point. And we definitely don’t need another excuse to eat tofu. I love the stuff, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be turning into a giant soy puff à la Violet Beauregard any day now.
But in the end, my father is nothing if not obstinate in such situations. So we ended up trying it–smothering firm tofu in a mixture of honey and Sriracha, rolling it in crispy coating, pan-frying it (similar to our Duo of Dippables chicken and tofu fingers), and then serving it with tortillas and a bunch of toppings and a truly kick-ass green onion cilantro sauce. And I have to say…it was pretty boss. Like, actually.
(We actually previewed this a few weeks ago on Instagram…click the link in the sidebar and follow us to get sneak peeks of our new recipes!)
We used homemade corn tortillas for these tofu tacos, which are so easy to put together even without a tortilla press, which by the way, truthfully would have been handy. Just combine corn masa with water (full instructions on that thar package) and cook the resulting tortillas in a pan. Voilà! Somewhat bastardized fusion vegetarian tofu tacos that will surprise and captivate.
Here’s how to make them:
Gather the following ingredients…
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3 scallions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- warm corn tortillas
Other toppings (feel free to go crazy here):
- shredded cheese
- chopped tomato
- chopped onion
- sweet corn
- avocado
- lime wedges
Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the Sriracha and honey, and gently toss the tofu in the mixture.
In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the tofu in this dry mixture until well-coated. Emphasis on well-coated. You’re going for crispy.
In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to crisp up on all sides.
While that’s happening, whizz up the scallions, cilantro, and yogurt in a food processor or blender (if the sauce is a little thin, just add more cilantro and scallion). Build your tacos with tortillas, your sauce, and whatever toppings you like. Here’s how we went about it:
From one tofu-loving meat-eater to a skeptical audience…you may be a non-believer, but these crispy tofu tacos were pretty awesome.
Loaded Crispy Tofu Tacos
Ingredients
You'll need:
Other toppings:
- shredded cheese
- chopped tomato
- chopped onion
- sweet corn
- avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the Sriracha and honey, and gently toss the tofu in the mixture. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the tofu in this dry mixture until well-coated.
- In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to crisp up on all sides. While that's happening, whizz up the scallions, cilantro, and yogurt in a food processor or blender. Build your tacos with tortillas, your sauce, and whatever toppings you like.
Stephanie says
Made these for a potluck and they were a HIT!! Satisfied all my vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free classmates 🥰 So addicting! I made some mango/onion/lime/cilantro/avocado/tomato/Thai chili/garlic/salt salsa to go with it and all the flavors went so well together
Sarah says
That’s awesome, Stephanie! So glad everyone enjoyed these. :)
Deepika Singh says
I was looking for tofu recipes and found your page. I am in love with this tofu tacos. Going to make this today. :)
Sarah says
Nice! Let us know how you like them, Deepika!
Jessica Garcia says
This has become a staple in our house for the past few years now! Hubby likes them so much he requests them!
Sarah says
Haha love that! It’s not every day you hear of someone requesting tofu!
Cj says
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah says
you’re welcome, Clarence!
Joe K. says
Loved the tofu tacos. The cilantro sauce made them. This was my first try of your recipes. Thanks for the good idea.
Sarah says
You’re welcome, Joe!
Misses Dee says
I tried this and completely failed. It turned to mush as I tried to fry it. This is my first time. I texted my sister in law and she told me i should have dried it first. It doesn’t say that in the recipe. am defeated. I’m going to order a pizza. :(
Bill says
Hi Misses Dee, the recipe calls for firm tofu and I bet you probably used soft tofu. Draining also helps although not absolutely necessary for firm tofu. Hope you give it another try!
Misses Dee says
I used firm tofu.
Bill says
Hmm, maybe your sister in-law was right lol! Patience is a virtue also. Once you put the tofu pieces down in the pan, don’t touch them until the bottoms brown. This way, the tofu pieces won’t break up when you turn them. Hope that helps!
Sara Sedriks says
I suggest draining your firm tofu, then put int on a plate, with a paper towel above and under it. Place another plate on top, or flat kitchen item with a little weight to it, but nothing substantial. Let the tofu sit as you prep your other ingredients. When ready to cut and dredge the tofu, just pour the water off that has accumulated. I actually crumble it by hand before spicing, for a more chorizo type texture. Another trick we use at vegetarian restaurants,is to freeze all of our firm tofu as soon as it comes in, right in the same package. We then thaw in the fridge a few days before pressing and using. This gives tofu a more “meaty” texture. Works every time! Of course, if first you don’t succeed..
Sarah says
Thanks for those tips, Sara!
Lisa says
Tried this tonight. Yummmmo!
Sarah says
Nice! Glad you liked it, Lisa!
Donna says
I pretty much suck at tofu, these were AMAZING!! Thank you!
Sarah says
You’re welcome, Donna!
Michele Lauer-Bader says
We absolutely love these tacos. I have been trying to get more tofu into our diets and the sis not a regular. When I recently suggested we try a new tofu recipe my husband said “I want the tofu tacos.”
I might try the oven baking to avoid all the oil.
Bill says
Hi Michele, excellent to hear! A little bit of oil makes that crispy tofu taste better ;-)
Sarah says
hahaha that’s so awesome. So glad you and your husband like these, Michele. :)
Jenny says
This was good… but… No way was it a “quick and easy meal”. Preparing it took WAY more time than it took to eat it and I ended up with burns from the hot oil and a massive sink full of dishes.
I had to sub cornstarch for the cornmeal and it wasn’t bad, but most of my tofu ended up burnt on one side and a kitchen full of smoke.
I might try this again, but instead of cubes, I’ll try strips, or even the oven. Shallow frying on the stove is obviously not my forte.
Sarah says
Awwww sorry to hear that, Jenny! You’re right though––this recipe does take some effort. Glad that you gave it a try. :)