Spicy Crispy Tofu Tacos with Cilantro Lemon Slaw & Sauce. Easy vegan tacos topped with a creamy cilantro sauce that are loaded with protein, fiber and flavor. Perfect for your next Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday!
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A long and windy name for something that’s just that! They’re tacos loaded with spicy, crispy, cubes of tofu on a bed of a cilantro-lemoney coleslaw and topped with a cilantro-lemon yogurt cream sauce.
I had actually added tofu tacos to my recipe list a while ago, but didn’t get the chance to check it off because it never fit into my macros for the day. But somehow I managed to fit it in this time, and ate all 5 tacos for the one meal.
Totally worth it!
How to make these Vegan tacos:
Press tofu to remove the moisture, toss it in an epic combination of spices and seasonings to give it that hot kick, and then coat in tapioca starch before frying. The tapioca starch is what gives it the perfectly crispy exterior while keeping the interior soft and tender.
As for the sauce, it uses a coconut yogurt base instead of mayo to add in some extra protein, and also a slight bit of acidity. Blitz it in a food processor with cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeño peppers, garlic and salt. The jalapeños in there make the sauce a little extra special, but no, not spicy at all. Just smooth and beautiful; And green!
To complement the taste of that beauty, I flavored the coleslaw (cabbage and apple cider vinegar and salt) base with cilantro and lemon as well. Just massage it all and let it rest a bit. Tasty and crunchy and all-in-all, great texture.
Press 
Massage 
Blend 
Toss 
Fry 
Assemble
The result?
To tell you the truth, I was genuinely surprised by how good these tacos were. The combination of the tortillas with the spicy tofu, sweet bell peppers and herby acidic slaw and sauce just creates magic in your mouth.
I have no idea what the science behind this is, but damn that was one good concoction!
These delicious Mexican-meets-Asian puppies are no joke in terms of size either. They’re loaded, very very loaded with all the works, so you could probably get 6 regular-filling tacos from them instead.
What’s so great about these veggie tofu tacos?
They’e vegan tacos perfect for whenever you need a high protein, vegetarian, and gluten-free lunch – so pretty much any day of the week!
With spicy tofu as a meat filing for these tacos, you get an easy vegetarian filling that’s healthy and delicious too!
They’re high protein vegetarian and vegan tacos without beans. No avocado either!
These tacos are topped with the best vegan cilantro lime sauce ever, made with coconut yogurt and no dairy, no sour cream. Super creamy!
Clearly, these are the best vegan tofu tacos out there, complete with a load of spicy flavor and cilantro goodness in that slaw and sauce!
Looking for more easy vegan tofu recipes?
Spicy Crispy Tofu Tacos with Cilantro Lemon Slaw & Sauce
Ingredients
Tofu:
- 8 oz Firm Tofu, 227g
- ½ tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Oregano, Dried
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ⅛ tsp Black Pepper
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Tapioca Starch, or cornstarch, 8g
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
Cabbage Slaw:
- ⅔ cup Red Cabbage, Sliced, 59g
- ⅔ cup Green Cabbage, Sliced, 59g
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Cilantro, Fresh & Chopped, 1g
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Cilantro Sauce:
- ¼ cup Coconut Yogurt, or other, 50g
- ½ cup Cilantro, Fresh & Chopped, 8g
- 1½ Tbsp Green Onion, Sliced, 10g
- 2 tsp Jalapeño Pepper, Chopped, 10g
- ¾ tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp Garlic, Minced
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Assembling:
- 5 Corn Tortillas
- 12 strips strips Red Bell Pepper, Sliced, 38g
- 12 strips strips Red Onion, Thinly Sliced, 2 Tbsp, 20g
- 1 Tbsp Green Onion, Sliced, 6g
- ¼ Jalapeño Pepper, Sliced, 14g, Optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Tofu: Arrange tofu between 5-6 paper towels and press down with heavy pots/pans. Let drain for 30 min.
- Slaw: Toss all ingredients in a bowl, massage with hands for a few minutes and set aside.
- Sauce: Process ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Peppers: Cook peppers in nonstick skillet over medium in a few drops of oil, or water.
Cook Tofu:
- Cut into ½” cubes and transfer to large bowl.
- Toss with spices until evenly coated.
- Add tapioca starch to bowl and toss until each piece is completely coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium and add tofu. Cook 2-3 min, flip and cook other side 2-3 min until lightly golden and crispy. Don’t let tofu pieces touch each other or they will stick.
Assemble:
- Warm the tortillas on a skillet or microwave.
- Place slaw, tofu and veggies on tortillas, dividing equally.
- Add dollops of sauce and dig in!
Notes
- Press out as much moisture as possible from the tofu so that it can get crispy.
- To replace tapioca starch, use equal amount of cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
- Servings: 5 loaded tacos | Serving size: 1
- Calories: 146kcal
- Fat: 6.2g | Saturated fat: 0.9g
- Carbohydrates: 16.9g | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 5.3g
- Protein: 6.2g
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