These easy vegan tacos aren’t trying to be anything but delicious in their own right. We aren’t here to tell you how to make vegan taco meat or inundate you with tons of ingredients. The Best Easy Vegan Street Taco Recipe with Crispy Tofu do not rely on lots of ingredients mushed together to attempt to mimic meat. You aren’t going to need a food processor or a grocery list a mile long to enjoy these tacos which are packed with deliciousness and plant-based protein.
How to make the Best Easy Vegan Street Taco Recipe with Crispy Tofu
I love a street taco so the concept behind this vegan street taco recipe is the love of those delicious little street style tacos served in corn tortillas that are ganished simply with avocado, red onions, jalapeno, and lime juice. The tofu in this case is turned into little crispy cubes that are perfect for serving in a tortilla with all the fixings.
Tofu is simply a blank slate. Tofu tacos are made delicious here by cutting the tofu into cubes, marinating it in soy sauce and then using corn starch to create a crispy exterior.
You want to first press the liquid out of your tofu. This can be done with a tofu press or by just wrapping it in paper towels and placing a heavy object on top. I’ll also warn you that only extra firm tofu is appropriate for this taco recipe. You don’t want things falling apart as you fry!
What you end up with after frying these in a large skillet are delicious little bites that are delicious and provide the texture contrast with the creamy avocado and your spicy toppings. Make sure to keep your pan over medium heat and use anything from avocado to olive oil to fry them in. The oil choice is up to you!
Substitutions for this Vegan Taco Recipe
Starting with the tofu, of course you could use fish or something if you don’t want this to be a vegan recipe. This would make a fantastic fish taco recipe. I serve this with cabbage slaw, but you could easily sub in shredded lettuce. If you like a milder taco, you could sub in the chili sauce with a mango salsa.
Corn tortillas are my favorite, but feel free to sub in for flour tortillas.
No matter how you dress these up, they are delicious vegan tacos and I really think even the meat eaters in your life will love them!
Ways to season and switch up this recipe
If you want a little more taco forward flavor you can sprinkle some chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder to the corn starch mixture prior to frying. This will give you some extra flavor in your coating. It’s not necessary though. Trust me when I say that these are the best vegan tacos even without adding a thing.
A little pico de gallo is also a great addition to this recipe instead of the chili sauce.
Tacos are versatile making them the perfect meal to make vegan
Tacos are such a versatile meal. They are perfect to vegan-ize because when it comes to taco filling, the choices go beyond the typical ground beef. I’ve seen everything from cauliflower tacos to sweet potato tacos and just plain veggie tacos using your favorite vegetables. Tempeh tacos are another one you’ll come across often. Having so much variation allows us to think outside the box with plant-based taco meat.
The great thing about this recipe is that if you are a taco fan, you can make it work with what you have. You don’t have to be limited to vegan black bean tacos when you are trying eat more plant-based ingredients.
The Whole Family will Love This one
These tacos are bursting with flavor and crisp texture. Vegan Street Tacos could easily become a family favorite. They are affordable, take less time than most vegan taco recipes and the easy to find ingredients make them easy for home cooks to adapt. Vegan recipes don’t have to be complicated or boring. If you try this one, please let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!
This post was last updated 1/28/25.
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Crispy Tofu Street Tacos with Spicy Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Extra Firm Tofu Pressed and Cubed
- 1/4 cup Liquid Aminos or Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Lime Juice plus extra for garnish
- 1/3 cup Vegan Mayonnaise I like Just Mayo Brand.
- 1/8 cup Chili Paste also known as sambal oelek
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 cup Shredded Cabbage
- 1 cup Avocado Slices
- 1 Jalapeno Sliced very thin
- 8 Corn Tortillas
- 1/2 cup Scallions sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- For the Tofu: Remove the tofu from the package and place it on a towel lined paper plate. Put more paper towels on top and then weigh it down with a heavy skillet. The goal is to press as much water as possible from the tofu. Allow it to sit there for 10-15 minutes.
- While the tofu is pressing, mix together the vegan mayonnaise and chili paste. Shred up your cabbage and slice some jalapeno (if using). Set it aside.
- Cut the tofu into small 1 inch cubes. Put it into a bowl with the Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) and the lime juice. Toss it around so it evenly coats it.
- Drizzle enough avocado or canola oil into the bottom of a cast iron pan to evenly coat it. Heat it up over medium high heat until the oil shimmers.
- Take the tofu and add it to a gallon size zip top bag. Be sure not to add the liquids from the marinade. Use a slotted spoon to help with this.
- Pour the corn starch over the tofu, close the bag and shake to coat. You don't want to crowd the pan. Add half the tofu to the pan and cook until golden brown. Don't stir it a bunch. Just allow it to brown on one side then flip it.
- When the tofu is browned on all sides, move it to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle it with a little salt and a squeeze of lime juice.
- To heat the corn tortillas: Heat up a dry skillet and blister them on each side. It will take a few seconds per tortilla. If you have a gas stove, it's super yummy over an open flame.
- To build the taco, take your tortilla and add a smear of the chili sauce, then the tofu, cabbage, avocado and a few thin slices of jalapeno if you like it nice and spicy.