Ready in 30 minutes, lightly spicy, and full of plant-based protein, these shredded tofu tacos are a quick and easy vegan meal idea that even a tofu hater will love.
Let’s be honest, vegan food gets a lot of hate and, while I don’t follow a vegan or vegetarian diet myself, meatless recipes are a great way to add more plants and variety to your diet. Plus, plant-based protein sources are often less expensive than animal proteins and are a great way to add more fiber to your diet at the same time.
I’ve shared several tofu recipes before, but I’ve never shared a shredded tofu recipe. While it’s nothing revolutionary, shredding tofu instead of slicing or cubing tofu is a great way to add more texture to tofu and cuts the cooking time in half!
By seasoning shredded tofu with soy sauce and a mixture of spices and frying it in a pan, you can create a savory, salty, and delicious meat-like filling with the best texture that is perfect for taco night. Honestly, these shredded tofu tacos are so flavorful I’m confident that they will become one of your go-to vegetarian recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy – Made in one pan in less than 30 minutes, these shredded tofu tacos are perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Vegetarian – These crowd-pleasing vegan tacos are full of plant-based protein.
- Keep Well – The shredded tofu mixture keeps well in the fridge and freezer making great leftovers and great for meal prep.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Tofu – To make the shredded tofu mixture. For the best results, use firm or extra-firm tofu, silken tofu is not recommended.
- Soy Sauce – To give the shredded tofu a salty flavor and umami taste.
- Spices – A mixture of chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to season the shredded tofu.
- Tomato Paste – To flavor the tofu and add some texture.
- Tortillas – I used corn tortillas because I think the texture is better, but you can use flour or low-carb tortillas if preferred.
- Toppings – This recipe calls for a combination of salsa, avocado, lime juice, and cilantro, but you can add any toppings you like to these shredded tofu tacos.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: Swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos.
To Make them Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed, this recipe is dairy-free.
How to Make Shredded Tofu Tacos
- Press the tofu. Wrap the tofu in paper towels or a tea towel and place something heavy on top to remove any excess liquid.
- Shred the tofu. Using a box grater, shred the block of tofu into strips.
- Season the tofu. Place the tofu shreds in a large mixing bowl, add soy sauce, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt, and stir until well combined.
- Cook the shredded tofu. Transfer the seasoned tofu to a large frying pan on medium-high heat with olive oil, add the tomato paste, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the tofu is slightly crispy.
- Serve and enjoy! Add the shredded tofu to the tortillas and serve with toppings of your choice.
You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
These delicious tofu tacos are a pretty good source of protein but not as high as more traditional taco recipes. If you want to increase the protein content of each taco, I would suggest serving them with some black beans or adding a bit of lentil taco mixture.
Serving Suggestions + Toppings
Shredded tofu is a great source of vegetarian protein, so pairing it with a source of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber, such as tortillas, avocado, and lettuce, can help to ensure eating a balanced meal. My favorite toppings for these shredded tofu tacos are:
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sliced avocado
- Black beans
- Refried beans
- Pickled red onion
- Shredded lettuce
- Slice red cabbage
- Pico de gallo
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges
Other Ways to Use Shredded Tofu Filling
Add it to quesadillas. Turn cheese quesadillas into a high-protein vegetarian meal by adding the shredded tofu taco mixture.
Add it to burritos. Make vegan burritos by swapping chicken or beef for shredded tofu and filling them with brown rice, beans, nutritional yeast, lettuce, salsa, avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro.
Make shredded tofu bowls. Turn these shredded tofu tacos into a shredded tofu taco bowl. Fill a bowl with rice, black beans, shredded tofu, and top with avocado, tomatoes, and cheese for a healthy lunch dinner, or meal prep idea.
Top on nachos. Cover a lined baking sheet with tortilla chips then add the shredded tofu mixture on top, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and then place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and dollop with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream to serve.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the shredded taco mixture to cool completely and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
To Freeze: Once cooked and cooled, the shredded tofu can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the shredded tofu mixture can be reheated in a pan on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
More Tofu Recipes:
- Sheet Pan Tofu and Veggies
- Spicy Peanut Tofu Meal Prep Bowls
- Tofu Sandwich
- Grilled Tofu Skewers
- Tofu Coconut Curry
Shredded Tofu Tacos
These 30-minute shredded tofu tacos are a healthy, high-protein vegetarian recipe that works well for lunch or dinner.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 10 minutes
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Total Time: 20 minutes
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Yield: 8 tacos 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Vegetarian
Prep Time:
Yield:
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Cuisine:Ingredients
Shredded Tofu:
- 1 block (14 ounces) extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Tacos:
- 8 corn tortillas, or wheat tortillas
- Salsa
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the packaging and place it between two pieces of paper towel or wrap it in a tea towel and place it on a cutting board. Set something heavy on top, like a cast-iron skillet, and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes to remove excess liquid.
- Once pressed, unwrap the tofu and place it on a cutting board. Using a box grater, shred the block of tofu into strips.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the tofu shreds, drizzle with soy sauce, then sprinkle with chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt, and stir until the tofu is well coated in the spices.
- In a large pan or cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the shredded tofu mixture, add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes until the tofu is slightly crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and serve the shredded tofu in tortillas with toppings of your choice.
- Any leftover shredded tofu can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos (no toppings)
- Calories: 334 calories
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Fat: 16 grams
- Carbohydrates: 34 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 16 grams
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