These easy tofu tacos are made with crispy, salty, perfectly seasoned tofu crumbles. The tofu has a perfect balance of salty, sweet and smoky flavors that taste incredible with black beans, avocado and all your favorite taco fixings.
Vegetarian tacos can be a little bland, but not these tacos stuffed with seasoned tofu taco crumbles, black beans, avocado, shredded cabbage and green onion.
If you're a tofu skeptic and don't usually love tofu, I encourage you to try this recipe!
This crumbled tofu has a slightly crispy texture and each piece is seasoned all the way through - the middle isn't bland like it is with tofu cubes. Make sure to serve these tofu tacos with sjmple crunchy slaw - so good!
Looking for more tofu recipes?
Another recipe tofu skeptics usually love is crispy tofu schnitzel, which has a crispy, crunchy panko exterior. Other flavorful tofu recipes include easy, flavorful broiled tofu and my easy tofu marinade.
These plant-based tacos have so much flavor that they'll also satisfy meat lovers. The crumbled tofu actually looks a lot like ground meat! These vegan tacos are also affordable, high in protein and high in fiber.
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Ingredients
To make the tofu mince, you'll need the ingredients shown below. If you're using the tofu mince for tacos or burritos, you'll also need fixings like tortillas, chips, salsa, black beans, avocado, shredded cabbage and green onion.
Tofu: Make sure to buy firm or extra-firm tofu. Other types of tofu have too much moisture.
Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, like sunflower, canola or avocado oil. The oil helps saute the onion and get the tofu crispy.
Onion: A yellow onion adds savory flavor and is the best option, but a red onion can be substituted if necessary.
Tomato paste/maple syrup/soy sauce/water: This combination of ingredients makes a surprisingly flavorful sauce that coats the tofu and adds tons of flavor. For the best flavor, these ingredients can't be skipped or substituted.
Salt/smoked paprika/chili powder: These spices give the tofu a smokey Tex-Mex flavor that is perfect for tacos. As a substitute, you can use salt + 1 or 2 teaspoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Press the tofu to release moisture. Wrap the block of tofu in a dish towel and put a plate on top, weighted down with food cans or a book. Press for 10 to 30 minutes.
Step 2: Use your hands to crumble the tofu and squeeze out a little more moisture. The tofu should look like ground meat.
Step 3: Saute onion in oil until softened. Add the crumbled tofu and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes so it has a chance to lightly brown on one side.
Step 4: Season the tofu with salt, smoked paprika and chili powder. Mix well and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Whisk together tomato paste, water, soy sauce and maple syrup and pour it over the tofu crumbles.
Step 6: Saute the tofu for another 2 minutes. Serve inside tacos with all of your favorite toppings.
For ingredient measurements, see the recipe card below.
Easy Taco Toppings
Tacos always have more flavor with toppings. Tofu tacos pair perfectly with the same toppings you love on traditional tacos.
- Simple crunchy purple cabbage slaw
- Avocado
- Green onion or thinly sliced red onion
- Black beans or pinto beans
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Squeeze of lime
- Salsa or hot sauce
More Ways to Use Tofu "Ground Beef"
This recipe will give you crispy, crumbled seasoned tofu that looks a lot like ground beef. Crumbled tofu is really versatile and can be served in more than just tacos.
Use tofu "ground beef" to make:
Tofu nachos: Melt cheese (dairy or plant-based) over chips and top with tofu crumbles, green onion, shredded lettuce and guacamole.
Tofu burritos: This tofu makes an excellent filling for burritos. I like to combine it with Instant Pot brown rice with quinoa and all the usual burrito fillings.
Enchiladas: Use this tofu in place of shredded chicken or ground beef to make vegetarian tofu enchiladas.
Taco bowls: Forget about tortillas! Layer this seasoned crumbled tofu "meat" in a bowl with rice, beans, grated cheese, cabbage, sour cream and salsa. For an extra-healthy and flavorful vegetarian taco bowl, try Instant Pot brown rice quinoa.
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Tofu Tacos
Press the tofu: Pressing tofu is worth the extra time. It removes moisture which helps the crumbled tofu get crispy.
Don't stir too much: When the tofu is in the skillet, don't mix it too much. This gives it time to get crispy.
Storage and Reheating
The cooked, crumbled tofu will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It can be reheated in the microwave or over medium heat in a saute pan.
FAQ About This Recipe
No, the texture will be different. Baked tofu crumbles get crispy on the outside but unpleasantly chewy in the middle.
Yes, but you'll need to cook the tofu in two skillets. If you crowd too much tofu into one skillet it will never get crispy.
Yes, this recipe makes tofu tacos that are both vegetarian and vegan.
No, it is not gluten-free because soy sauce contains gluten. You can use gluten-free tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
Recipes for Taco Lovers
📖 Recipe
Crispy Flavorful Tofu Tacos Recipe
These easy tofu tacos are made with crispy, salty, perfectly seasoned tofu crumbles. The tofu has a perfect balance of salty, sweet and smoky flavors that taste incredible with black beans, avocado and all your favorite taco fixings.
These tofu crumbles are really versatile. You can also serve the tofu in burritos, nachos or in a rice bowl.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu
- ¼ cup sunflower/canola oil (or avocado oil)
- ½ of a yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- First, press the tofu to release moisture. Wrap the block of tofu in a lint-free dish towel and set it on a plate. Set another plate on top of the tofu. Weigh the plate down with two cans of food or a book. Press the tofu for 10 to 30 minutes.
- Unwrap the tofu from the towel. Use your hands to crumble and squeeze the tofu over a colander so it has the texture of ground meat.
- In a wide (12-inch) non-stick skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for 5 minutes to soften and lightly brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the tofu. Mix well so it’s coated in oil. Spread the tofu crumbles out evenly in the skillet.
- Set a timer for 3 minutes. Let the tofu cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, so it has a chance to lightly brown.
- When the timer goes off, mix the tofu and use a spatula to break the pieces up even smaller if possible, so it really resembles cooked ground meat.
- Season the tofu with salt, smoked paprika and chili powder. Mix well.
- Set the timer for 5 minutes. This time, as the tofu cooks, mix it several times so it browns evenly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together tomato paste, water, soy sauce and maple syrup.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Use a spatula to scrape the tomato paste mixture out of the bowl and over the tofu. Mix really well to coat the tofu, while cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the heat. Use the crumbled tofu to fill tortillas and add black beans, shredded cabbage, avocado, onion, grated cheese, sour cream, etc...whatever you like in tacos!
Notes
A 14-ounce package of tofu is ideal, but this recipe can also be made with a 12-ounce package.
Make sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu, which has less moisture.
As a substitute for the smoked paprika and chili powder, you can use 1 or 2 teaspoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
The cooked, crumbled tofu will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It can be reheated in the microwave or over medium heat in a saute pan.
Jenny says
This is my favorite vegetarian/vegan taco recipe. This tofu is so flavorful and really versatile. You can leave out the chili powder and then use the tofu for other recipes that aren't tacos, like rice bowls and pasta.