Orange Chipotle Shredded Tofu Tacos

These Orange Chipotle Shredded Tacos are loaded with tofu that is coated in a sweet, smoky citrus sauce and stuffed into tortillas with some roasted plantain. Easy to make and the perfect weeknight meal.

The thing I love about tacos is that they are so versatile and make me feel the most creative in the kitchen. There are so many things you can stuff into a tortilla, and today I am combining flavors and ingredients from both sides of my culture to make the ultimate meal.

Why You’ll Love These Shredded Tofu Tacos

• A fun way to enjoy tofu. Shredding your tofu gives it a different texture compared to just cubing it or crumbling it. Having the extra surface area makes it bake and crisp up easily in the oven making it a great shredded meat substitute.
• Easy to make. This full recipe requires minimal ingredients and can be prepared quickly for an easy weeknight meal.
• A high protein meal. Using super firm tofu makes this meal higher in protein compared to using other types of tofu or plant-based proteins. The higher protein content makes this meal extra satisfying and filling.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tofu: Use super firm tofu for the best texture. Typically this tofu is found in the same spot you would find regular tofu. It is typically stored in a vacuum sealed package.
• Plantains: For roasting, use ripe plantains. Ripe plantains typically have a yellow peel with black spots. I do not recommend using green plantains as they won’t roast as well in the oven. To skip roasting, feel free to use plantain chips or leave the plantains out entirely.
• Chipotle peppers: Use the peppers you find in a can, not the dried out variety. The can should say chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and can be found in the international section of your local grocery store in the US.
• Orange: I like to use a fresh orange so I can use both the juice and zest in the sauce. If you do not have access to a fresh orange, just use bottled orange juice using the same amount recommended in the recipe card below. Alternatively, you can use limes. I would use the zest of one lime and the juice of two limes.
• Sugar: For a really good sweet flavor to compliment the smokiness of the peppers, I recommend light brown sugar. This type of sugar will help to caramelize and thicken your sauce in the pan when cooked. If using a liquid sweetener, it may take longer for the sweetener to reduce down when cooked.
• Vegetable broth: Use your favorite vegetable broth or if you have access to a vegan beef bouillon cube add it to your sauce with 1/2 cup of water.
• Soy sauce: I like to use a wheat-free tamari, but soy sauce works as well. Another gluten-free alternative like coconut aminos works really well too.
• Cornstarch: This will help the tofu crisp up. You can use arrowroot starch as an alternative.

How to Make Shredded Tofu Tacos

Prepare the shredded tofu. Preheat the oven to 400F. Crumble or shred your tofu. To shred, place a box grater over a parchment lined baking sheet. Grate your tofu over the largest holes on the grater to make shreds then add soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon oil then toss to coat. Spread the mixture out into a single layer then place the tray in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Give the tofu a toss and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until golden.

Bake the plantains. Peel and slice your plantains into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices on a parchment lined baking tray and spray or brush both sides with remaining oil. Place the plantains in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, then flip and roast for another 5-8 minutes until golden then season with a pinch of salt.

Prepare the sauce. While everything is baking, add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, orange zest, juice, garlic cloves, vegetable broth, sugar, garlic, vegetable broth and coriander in a blender cup and blend until smooth.

Combine sauce and tofu. Place the sauce in a medium sized sauté pan on the stove top and bring to a medium low heat. Stir frequently as it warms through and thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tofu shreds to the sauce and stir well to coat.

Heat tortillas. Warm the tortillas over an open flame on the stove top or in a heated pan over medium low heat. Over flame, just heat the tortillas for 10 to 20 seconds on both sides, turning the tortillas with tongs until charred around the edges. If using a pan, heat the tortillas for 20-30 seconds on both sides until warmed through.

Assemble. To a warm tortilla, top with a slice of baked plantain and spoon the shredded tofu overtop. Serve with some pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and lime wedges as desired.

Expert Tips

• Use super firm tofu. This recipe works best with super firm tofu as it is dense and shreds super well without crumbling. If using extra firm tofu, choose a brand that is denser and more firm and press for at least an hour or more before shredding.
• Adjust the spice level. Chipotle peppers can be spicy. You can reduce the heat by using the adobo sauce alone from the can of chipotle peppers. Feel free to replace the 2 whole chipotle peppers in this recipe for 2 additional tablespoons of the adobo sauce.
• Heat your tortillas before using. This will make the tortillas more pliable and easier to fill without the tortillas ripping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make It a Complete Meal

Serve the chipotle orange shredded tofu in tortillas along with the roasted plantains and the toppings you love. I love to top mine with some homemade pico de gallo, but you can also top it with some cilantro lime sauce or salsa verde.

When served in this way, your meal provides protein from the tofu, whole grains from the corn tortillas, vegetables from the salsa. Feel free to serve with some additional vegetables like a side salad or some shredded cabbage.

More Vegan Taco Recipes to Try

• Crispy Black Bean Tacos
• Chimichurri Corn Tacos
• Baked Tofu Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa
• Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
• Vegan Fajitas with Soy Curls

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★ Catherine

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