Vegan Taco Night

jerk-tofu-tacos on plate

This vegan taco night recipe is quick and easy to make using my Jerk Chipotle Seasoning. It was inspired by an Epicurious sheet pan recipe for shawarma spiced tofu pita wraps. Beyond the seasoning, I’ve switched it up to make it gluten-free by using corn tortillas. Including the simple fixings, you can have it on the table in 45 minutes with time for a drink while it’s in the oven.  I’ve made this a few times, and though we’re not huge tofu fans, this one makes it taste great!

aluminum sheet pan
This sheet pan size, 40 x 28.5cm, is perfect for home cooks

Lately, I’ve been making a lot of sheet pan dinners. The beauty is that everything is baked in a single layer, usually on one pan, minimizing the cleanup. Ideally, select and prepare ingredients that will cook in the same amount of time at the same temperature. You can add quicker cooking ingredients part way through, though it adds a bit more complexity. An aluminum jelly roll pan is perfect, but you can use a rimmed cookie sheet instead, or failing that just use a large baking dish. The heat transfer properties of aluminum make it the best material for your sheet pan, so look for one of them if you don’t already have one.

For this meal, I added some sweet red peppers and mushrooms to the pan.  Tossed with a little salt and olive oil, it made a perfect little side for the tacos.

Jerk Tofu tacos

This recipe combines tofu with my Chipotle Jerk Seasoning for an easy and yummy vegan meal
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vegan
Keyword jerk seasoning, tacos, vegan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar add a few pinches of salt
  • 1 14 oz block of extra firm tofu drained
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Bluewater Pepper Farm Jerk Chipotle Seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt plus a few pinches for the onion and cucumber quick pickle
  • 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced/ grated
  • 12 corn tortillas the original recipe uses 1 pita per person – I'm using tortillas for gluten free
  • chopped cilantro for serving use parsley, chopped green onion or other garnish if you like

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F
  • Squeeze tofu over a bowl to get as much water as possible out of it. When you've wrung out as much as you can, tear into 1" chunks and spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, then with the Jerk Seasoning and salt.
  • Roast in the oven, turning once or twice until it starts to get crispy and browned – about 20 to 25 minutes. (I added some sweet red peppers and mushrooms to the pan at the same time for a veggie side. That's the beauty of sheet pan dinners!) You might want to put the pan up close under the broiler for two minutes to really get it crispy – just take the veggies off first.
  • While the tofu's roasting, make your quick pickle by combining the sliced red onion, cucumber and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with a little salt and set aside.
  • Next, stir together the yoghurt and garlic in a small bowl and season with a little salt. Set it aside for assembly.
    garlic yoghurt and quick pickle toppings
  • When the tofu is done, heat up the tortillas. I like to wrap them in a damp kitchen towel and put them in the microwave for a minute or so.
  • Assemble by spreading a spoonful of the garlic yoghurt on each tortilla. Then add a few chunks of roasted tofu and top it off with a bit of the onion and cucumber pickle and the cilantro. (I love these taco holders – they make assembly and serving so easy. You can flip them to hold 2 or 3 tortillas.)
    taco holders photo

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