Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

A couple of weekends ago, my sister and her boyfriend came over to watch the Superbowl. My sister and I are not the world’s biggest football fans (in fact neither of us really care at all, haha). But we love getting together for the food.

Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

My sister and her boyfriend recently turned vegan (actually it was about 6 months ago– Leslie correct me if I’m wrong?) so when she comes over, I like the challenge of fixing something plant based so we can all enjoy a meal together.

I was watching Good Morning America (because I’m a stay at home work mom now and that’s apparently what you do at 8am) one morning and they had a chef demonstrating fish tacos. The fish was breaded and fried, and was topped with a slaw and avocado crema. It looked so delicious that I knew I wanted to recreate it. Since my sister was coming over, I thought it would be a great experiment to use tofu instead of fish.

Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

I used my all time favorite breaded tofu recipe from Delish Knowledge — check out her website for the best plant based recipes. I added some garlic powder and paprika to the breadcrumbs to spice things up a bit.

When I made this for my sister, I used vegan sour cream made from cashews and some other ingredients. I re-tested using regular sour cream for this post, because I know many of you are not vegan and wouldn’t want to fuss with making homemade vegan sour cream.

Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

The slaw recipe is simple — a package of slaw mix with red wine vinegar, salt and oil. It sits in the fridge while the tofu is baking and soaks up all that delicious sour flavor.

Crispy, garlicky tofu cubes drizzled with a creamy avocado sauce and a handful of zingy crisp slaw. This vegetarian tofu taco dish is sure to please even the tofu skeptics!

I hope you make and enjoy this recipe! We sure did!

Here’s the recipe for Crispy Tofu Tacos with Slaw & Avocado Crema:

Crispy Tofu Tacos with Slaw & Avocado Crema

Servings 4 (2 tacos each)
Author Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Ingredients

  • 14 ounce package of extra firm tofu pressed and drained
  • 1 cup milk of your choice dairy or almond
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Slaw ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 16 ounces shredded cabbage mix for slaw salads
  • 1 tsp salt

Avocado Crema Ingredients:

  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For serving:

  • 8 flour tortillas

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

  2. Dice the tofu into small cubes. 

  3. Place the milk, panko and flour in three separate small bowls. 

  4. Add the garlic powder and paprika to the panko and stir. 

  5. Dip each tofu cube into the flour, then milk, then panko. 

  6. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip, then cook for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Tip: a silicone baking mat is perfect for keeping the tofu from sticking to the pan. 

  7. Meanwhile, combine the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate while the tofu is cooking. 

  8. Combine the avocado crema ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. 

  9. To serve, add the baked tofu to the tortilla. Drizzle with avocado crema. Top with a handful of cabbage slaw. 

Recipe Notes

To make vegan, simply use vegan sour cream and non-dairy milk.