Vegan Crispy Baked Tacos

Crispy, golden, cheesy baked plant-based tacos because sometimes we want a naughty but nice macro friendly meal that packs protein but tastes like fast food. I love a comfort meal that tastes as good as it make you feel. I honestly feel like that's why I enjoy cooking so much because you have full control over the quality of ingredients and the level of flavour you can bring to the recipe. Like this taco recipe for instance, I've used tofu and black beans as a solid protein base with added fibre and nutrients, loads of seasoning (I like the flavour to hit you!), a little bit of melty vegan cheese, all baked in an organic corn tortilla. They're perfect for taco night, weekends, or whenever a craving hits.

These oven baked tacos are high in protein and low in calories and come with an avocado cream dipping sauce. Made with either soy tofu or soy free fava tofu and black beans, these are sure to be a hit! You're going to love them!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

They're crispy, golden, baked to perfect tacos!

Easy to make, with a quick pan fry of your proteins then just stuff your tacos and bake.

High in protein and low in calories.

Customizable! Add more veggies, some additional herbs, dip them in salsa, etc. 

They come with a quick avocado cream blender sauce that takes them to the next level. 

A great meal for all ages, even kids will love these. 

What You'll Need

Extra firm tofu, or for a soy free option use fava tofu. 

Black beans add a nice boost of protein, fibre, and complex carbs. 

Taco seasoning mix. You can buy packets of this at almost any grocer.

Yellow onion, for a flavour base. 

Vegetable broth, tomato paste, sriracha, and soy sauce for additional seasoning.

Vegan cheddar cheese, I like Daiya because it melts the best!

Corn tortillas, I always use organic when it comes to corn products. You can substitute any preferred tortilla. 

Substitutions

Tofu adds the most amount of protein, so the only other suggestion I would make in order to keep the protein high would be veggie ground (vegan beef grounds). 

Black beans can easily be replaced with any preferred bean! You could do pinto beans, white beans, or even spread refried beans on the tortilla instead. If you're vegan and going for refried beans, just make sure to read the ingredients as many pre-made refried bean cans aren't vegan.

You don't have to use a taco seasoning packet, you could also use your spice cabinet at home! Use a combination of oregano, chili, cumin, garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper for a taco seasoning vibe. 

Use whatever tortillas you prefer. You could also make this into burritos!

Add more veggies if you like! Jalapeno, a fresh slaw, or fresh herbs like cilantro would be great. 

Storing

The tacos are best served right away and hot. But you can definitely store the leftovers in a tightly sealed meal prep container in the fridge. I recommend these containers!

When ready to re-heat, do so in the microwave or quickly in a frying pan. 

 

Next up make sure to try my Cheesy Taco Skillet for the perfect one pan meal.

Please note: all calories and macros have been calculated to the best of my ability but may vary slightly. 

 

Vegan Crispy Baked Tacos

Recipe makes 8 tacos

Macros per taco using fava tofu:

156 cals - 4g fat - 19g carbs - 11g protein

Macros per taco using extra firm soy tofu:

149 cals - 5g fat - 19g carbs - 7g protein

Avocado Cream Sauce

Recipe makes 6 servings

Macros per serving:

82 cals - 6g fat - 5g carbs - 2g protein

 

Ingredients

• 340g fava tofu or 250g extra firm soy tofu
• 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning (from a packet)
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp sriracha, optional for spice
• 1 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 65g vegan cheddar cheese
• 8 corn tortillas

Avocado Cream Sauce

• 1 cup plain vegan yogurt
• 1/2 avocado
• 2-3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos + 1 tbsp pickling juice
• 1 cup fresh cilantro 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Finely dice the yellow onion, set aside.
3. Using your hands break the tofu up into a crumble.
4. Preheat a pan to medium heat and add avocado oil, coating the bottom.
5. Add the onion and crumbled tofu and pan fry until lightly browning, 5-7 minutes.
6. Add in taco seasoning and toss through.
7. Add in vegetable broth, tomato paste, sriracha, liquid aminos, and black beans.
8. Mix everything together really well.
9. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes or until all the liquids are absorbed and the mixture is nice and browned.
10. Turn off heat and set aside.
11. Lay the tortillas out and with a pastry brush, spray oil or your fingers lightly oil both sides of each tortilla.
12. Add the corn tortillas onto the prepared baking tray and add to the pre-heated oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
13. Warm just enough so that they easily fold without breaking.
14. Remove from the oven and build the tacos:
15. Divide the mixture across the 8 warmed tortillas, covering only one side of each tortilla.
16. Grate the cheese and add it to each taco.
17. Fold the tacos closed. If having trouble keeping them closed, simply flip them to the other side, this should work to keep them sealed!
18. Add the tacos back to the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

 

Avocado Cream Sauce

1. Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy tacos dipped in sauce!

 

Let us know in the comments how this recipe went for you!