Crispy Honey & Sriracha Tofu Tacos

Tacos are the best! You can make them in so many different ways so that you are able to please everyone. These vegetarian crispy honey sriracha tofu tacos with a cucumber mango salsa are so amazingly delicious and satisfying!

My sister and her family live in a suburb of San Francisco, but they used to live in the city. When we would visit them in the city, we would enjoy lunch at their favorite place, La Taqueria, in the Mission District of the city. That is where I learned about how much variety there are in tacos, as I had grown up on the ground beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato taco!

These delicious tacos are topped with cucumber-mango salsa, mashed avocado, and extra Sriracha sauce.  When I first tried the recipe, I really was a little skeptical about tofu in my tacos, and I was truly amazed at how well they turned out. Even if you are not a vegetarian, I am pretty sure you will find these tacos to be quite tasty. Enjoy!

Recipe for Crispy Honey & Sriracha Tofu Tacos

INGREDIENTS

For the Cucumber-Mango Salsa
1 large, ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and with the seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced (with seeds removed)
Juice from 1/2 lime (save the other half for the avocado)
1/2 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper

For the tofu
12 ounces extra firm tofu, drained well, patted with a paper towel, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce (plus a little more for adding to taco)
2 Tbsp. honey (plus a little more for drizzling)
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. of cornmeal
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper – about 1/8 tsp.
3/4 tsp. Ancho chile powder
1/8 tsp. of sweet smoked paprika
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Soft taco corn tortillas, Avocado, Full Fat Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the cucumber mango salsa. Toss the cucumber, mango, jalapeno, shallot, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix well. Cover and place in fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 315 degrees. Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Rub a very small amount of olive oil all over each side and sprinkle one side with a pinch of fine sea salt. Set aside.

Put the tofu in a large bowl. Mix together the honey and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl. Pour over the tofu, and gently toss to coat well.

In another bowl, mix together the cornmeal, Panko breadcrumbs, flour, salt, pepper, chili powder, and sweet smoked paprika. Then pour 1/3 of the cornmeal mixture over the tofu, and toss gently. Add another 1/3 of the mixture, toss again. Finish with the remaining mixture and toss again to coat the tofu well. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Then carefully add in the tofu. Cook, undisturbed, for a few minutes, then gently stir and flip over, a few at a time, until all pieces have been flipped. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes more, then gently stir again. Continue to cook and gently toss until tofu is crisped up on all sides. Add in a drizzle or two of honey, and stir. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the tofu with salt and pepper.

While the tofu is cooking, place the tortillas in the heated oven. Cook for a few minutes, then flip. You want the tortillas to be a little crispy, but not hard. You want a very light crisp so that they still fold well without breaking. That is why it is important to buy good tortillas!

While the tofu and tortillas are finishing up, mash up the avocado. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Assemble the tacos. Top each warm tortilla with desired amount of tofu, cucumber-mango salsa, avocado, and Greek yogurt. Add a squeeze of Sriracha sauce, if desired.

Recipe makes approximately 6  – 8 tacos. 

Tofu taco recipe adapted from: The Woks of Life
Cucumber-Mango salsa adapted from:  Oh My Veggies