Vegan Fish Tacos

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vegan taco recipes

Vegan fish tacos! Maybe if we start cooking all the warm weather recipes, summer will come? Consider this my version of the summer rain dance; if we build it, the sunshine will arrive. 

It’s been a weird spring to say the very, very least. I swear that the weather has been make or break for us some days. When it’s sunny and warm, my resolve gets a lot stronger and I’m fairly confident I can do this for months more. When it’s rainy and cold, I feel like a caged animal just waiting to break free.

BL and I say almost daily that we’re very fortunate this social distancing is happening during the spring/early summer. It would be much harder with shorter, darker days during a St. Louis winter.

So– I’m cooking like it’s summer! The moment the sun peaks out of the clouds, I take my little crew outside. We play with V’s water table, take endless walks and soak up as much fresh air and vitamin D as possible. That also means lots and lots of dinners outside, or picnic meals as Vander likes to call them. Like these vegan fish tacos! 

vegan fish recipe

I channeled the beach when making these. As I’m fairly certain our annual pilgrimage to the east coast to see my family isn’t happening this summer, I wanted to feel like I was on vacation. Crispy vegan fish tacos to the rescue! 

These tacos were inspired by a recipe I put into my upcoming Plant-Based Juniors’ cookbook. We made a version of vegan fish sticks and I knew they would be the perfect thing to tuck into pillowy flour tortillas and top with lots of creamy, bright slaw.

I ate two of these vegan fish tacos while photographing, and another as I was cleaning up the kitchen. So addictive and the perfect thing to welcome in summer.

vegan fish tacos

As my toddler hates anything that looks like a salad, I usually serve these as a deconstructed version for him: crispy fish sticks and torn tortilla with a small dollop of slaw for exposure. For BL and I, we go to town: lots of fish sticks, a ton of slaw, sriracha drizzle and even some avocado slices when I have them.

These vegan fish tacos are amazing served with avocado salad and my blackberry margaritas. 

If you’re looking for a new vegan taco recipe, then you’ve got to try these! I already know they will be a staple in my kitchen this year.

vegan fish tacos

How to Make Vegan Fish Tacos

The key to these vegan tacos is to make the tofu as crispy as possible. For that, I use a triple dip: first in lemon juice and nori powder, then into a thick batter and finally into panko breadcrumbs. 

The lemon juice mixture contains nori powder or finely chopped nori sheets which gives these tofu sticks a more fishy flavor. Of course, if you don’t have that, then you can omit it. They won’t taste exactly like fish sticks, but it really doesn’t matter. These sticks are amazing without them! 

From there, you’ll create a batter with flour, cornstarch and water. The added starch makes the batter even more crispy as you bake these, so I don’t recommend omitting unless you have to. You can also use arrowroot starch, if desired. 

Whenever I want extra crispy foods coming out of my oven, I use this technique: place the food on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. This allows air to go around the entire tofu fish stick so one side doesn’t get soggier than the other. You don’t have to do this, but if you’ve got a cooling rack that fits your baking sheet, I highly recommend doing this. You can see the set-up in the photo below. 

vegan fish sticks

vegan fish tacos

If you make these vegan fish tacos, make sure to come back to comment and rate the recipe. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day! Additionally, if you want other vegan taco recipes, I think you’ll love my vegan lentil tacos, chipotle sofrito tacos, and spicy mushroom and fried avocado tacos. 

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vegan fish tacos

Vegan Fish Tacos

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos
  • Category: dinner, healthy, vegan, tacos
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Vegan Fish Tacos! If you’re looking for a new vegan taco recipe, this is it. Crispy tofu, creamy slaw and a lime dressing. A must-make!

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos
  • Category: dinner, healthy, vegan, tacos
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American
  • Diet: Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos
  • Category: dinner, healthy, vegan, tacos
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Vegan Fish Sticks 

  • 1 (14 ounce) package firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons nori powder (optional, for a ‘fishy’ taste)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Creamy Lime Slaw 

  • 1/3 cup vegan mayo of choice
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4–5 cups finely shredded cabbage

8 tortillas, for serving 
Lime wedges, for serving, optional 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Make the tofu fish sticks: In one bowl, mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice and nori powder. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch, then slowly whisk in the water to create a batter. Put the remaining breadcrumbs and salt in a third bowl.
  3. Slice the tofu into finger like strips, then dip into the lemon bowl, the the flour batter and finely the panko. Place on a greased baking sheet and continue with the rest of the tofu. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and cook another 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
  4. While the tofu is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the slaw in a large bowl: the mayo, lime juice and seasoning. Taste, adding more spices/salt as needed. Then add in the cabbage and toss well, continuing to toss the cabbage will coat the cabbage and start to break it down so it’s easier to eat.
  5. Assemble! Warm the tortillas, then divide the tofu onto the tortillas and top with slaw. Squirt with more fresh lime juice, if desired and enjoy!

Notes

You can find nori powder online or you can crumble a sheet of nori in a spice/coffee mill. You can also use Furikake, which is what I use as I almost always have it in my pantry.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 taco
  • Calories: 211
  • Sugar: 1.8g
  • Sodium: 477mg
  • Fat: 7g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 28.2g
  • Fiber: 3.4g
  • Protein: 9.5g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

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