Crispy Tofu Tacos

By Alexa Weibel

Published May 29, 2025

Crispy Tofu Tacos
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Total Time
1¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(1,474)
Comments
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There are plenty of crispy tofu recipes, but few truly deliver on the promise, since tofu has a tendency to steam because of its high moisture content. But time can do the trick in the oven, creating brittle edges and a chewy texture with little effort. Squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can from your block of tofu, grate it coarsely, season it fearlessly, then roast it until sizzling. The key step is to drizzle the tofu with a combination of olive oil and tomato paste toward the end of cooking, which crisps the edges and lends a deep umami flavor, so much so that this tofu could almost be mistaken for seasoned ground beef. A swipe of avocado mayo, loosened with lime juice and electrified with zest, adds richness and tang, and quite literally holds the tacos together. Choose your mayonnaise and tortillas wisely and the whole dish is vegan.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 tacos
  • 2(14- to 16-ounce) blocks firm tofu
  • ¼cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce, divided
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ to ½teaspoon ground cayenne (the lower end is mild; the higher end tingly but not spicy)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup tomato paste
  • 2ripe avocados
  • 2tablespoons mayonnaise (vegan, if desired)
  • ½teaspoon finely grated lime zest and 3 tablespoons juice
  • 8flour or 10 corn tortillas, warmed
  • Minced red onion, thinly sliced radishes and chopped cilantro, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)

384 calories; 29 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 443 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare your tofu: Drain it, squeezing out any excess moisture over the sink (your tofu may break into chunks). Coarsely grate the drained tofu onto two large (11-by-17-inch), foil-lined sheet pans. (The tofu will crumble chaotically, and that is fine!) Drizzle the tofu in each pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle half the seasonings over each pan and toss to coat. Spread the mixture in an even layer.

  3. Step 3

    Roast the tofu, stirring halfway through and rotating the pans, until the tofu sizzles, darkens and crisps, 30 to 35 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Drizzle the mixture over the tofu, adding half to each pan, then toss to combine, spread into an even layer and roast again until the tofu audibly crackles and develops a slight crunch, 10 to 15 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    While the tofu roasts, prepare the avocado cream: In a small food processor (or blender), blend the avocados, mayo, lime zest and juice until creamy; season generously with salt.

  6. Step 6

    Swipe the warmed tortillas with the avocado cream, then top with tofu mixture, red onion, radishes and cilantro. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,474 user ratings
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Comments

Mike

Try Almost From Scratch Tortillas by Mark Bittman on this site. Always good when I’ve made them

Rebecca

This is a delicious recipe. I was able to halve it easily. I didn’t have tomato paste so I subbed ketchup. I love crispy corn tacos and my husband loves flour tortillas, so I was able to use both! I added shredded lettuce, just because. Enjoy.

Jimmy G

Oh la la! So easy and so delicious. Thank you for giving me a go-to midweek meal to make. Followed directions except: I tossed the tofu in a bowl with initial ingredients. The tofu came out so crispy. Even my meat eating husband said it was superb. Plan to make this ahead and re-crisp in the oven as needed.

Kimberly

My version was burnt to a crisp. Oops used extra firm tofu. I’ll try again but cut the baking time in half.

Bazz

Good recipe, but agree with some of the comments here- 1) crumble tofu instead of grate it, grating left it too fine and unwieldy for stuffing into tacos, 2) cooking time will vary based on your own oven so start conservatively and monitor as needed- times as written would have turned my tofu into ash, 3) tomato paste mixed with oil can’t really emulsify nor can it be drizzled so extra effort needed with that step, 4) avocado crema was great - but I substituted sour cream for mayo because I like tang.

Audrey

Used soft tofu and broiled for the last 5 minutes it was delish

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