Sometimes being stuck indoors brings out the best in you. Or me. As the case may be.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to make a vegan version of Mexican chorizo for ages. I had figured out the spice mix for Lady and Pups’ chorizo and shrimp burger was the way forward, but the mix itself was too dry and for years I just couldn’t figure out how to fix it.
Then for some reason it hit me. The answer had been right in front of me the entire time. I just mixed it in with some tomato paste, as I do with harissa tofu puffs, and landed on a majestic beast of a sauce.
Chorizo sauce is boss
The sauce is great like this, with tofu mince on a taco. But it also works with fish, mixed with some mayo as a dip and stuck on a cheese melt. Basically I haven’t stopped eating this since I first made it.
Start off with the tacos below and eat your way up from there.
How do I eat Mexican chorizo tofu tacos?
I like to eat two of these as a main course for lunch or dinner, a cold beer would do nicely with this as well.
If you have a bigger appetite than mine and this doesn’t sound like it’ll even remotely do, serve it with an quick coleslaw with store-bought grated red and/ or white cabbage, a finely diced jalapeno and some olive oil, white wine vinegar and maybe even a drop of Frank’s Red Hot or Tabasco or two.
If you really want to some heat to these tacos add some Trouble&Whale’s Smokin’ Senorita chili crisp. Use discount code ‘DorothyPorker’ or click the banner below and your discount should be added to your basket automatically.
What you’ll need
I have also included these recipes in the recipe below, so you don’t have to click back and forth to recreate this.
- My recipe for easy vegan tofu mince, or store-bought mince of choice
- This recipe from Mexican please for quick pickled Mexican-style shallots, or store-bought pickles of choice though I’ve found in Europe you can’t really get proper pickles for Mexican food unless you make them
Mexican Chorizo Tofu Tacos ?
Equipment
- Heavy pan or other heavy object
- Kitchen towels
- Big bowl
- Sieve, optional
- Small saucepan
- Glass jar
- Small blender or pestle and mortar
- Two large frying pans or skillets
Ingredients
For the pickled shallots, or get store-bought
- 3 small shallots cut into thin rings
- 3/4 c - 150 ml white wine vinegar or similar
- 3/4 c - 150 ml water
- 1 t - 5 gr salt
- 1 clove garlic smashed and peeled
- 3 black peppercorns
- pinch sugar
For the minced tofu, or get ready-made (vegan) mince
- 9 oz - 250 gr firm tofu get it from an Asian supermarket and thank me later
- 1/2 T - 7 gr corn flour or other starch
- pinch salt
- neutral oil for shallow frying, I use sunflower
For the Mexican chorizo sauce
- 3 T - 45 gr tomato puree
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 1/2 t - 7.5 gr chili powder
- 1 1/2 t - 7.5 gr smoked sweet paprika
- 1/2 t - 2.5 gr hot paprika or cayenne more if you're nasty
- 1 t - 5 ml red wine vinegar Balsamic will also do
- 1 t - 5 ml tequila omit of dining with minors or people who don't drink alcohol
- 1 t - 5 gr salt
- 1/2 t - 2.5 gr ground black pepper
- 1/2 t - 2.5 gr dried oregano Mexican if you can get your hands on some
- 1 pinch cumin
- 1/4 c - 60 ml olive oil
To finish
- 4-8 burrito or taco skins I prefer corn, but you do you
- sunflower oil for shallow frying
- 1 t - 5 gr chili flakes optional
- bunch coriander freshly chopped
- feta crumbed, optional
Instructions
Pickle the shallots, or get store bought
- You can also use store-bought pickles. If you are making these, be sure to make them the night or morning before so the shallots are properly pickled.
- Bring 3/4 c - 150 ml white wine vinegar to the boil with equal parts water, 1 t - 5 gr salt and a pinch of sugar.
- Place 3 sliced shallots in a small jar, make sure you separate the rings out a little before you do this.
- Poor the warm vinegar mixture in with the shallots. Add the smashed clove of garlic and 3 black peppercorns.
- Leave to cool on the kitchen counter before moving them to the fridge.
Start the minced tofu, or get ready-made (vegan) mince
- You can also use store-bought mince of choice, pick up the process for this from step 3 under the header 'Back to minced tofu'. If you do make your own, make sure you start this part of the recipe about 45 minutes before you want to eat.
- Press 9 oz - 250 gr of tofu by placing it between some kitchen towels and placing a heavy object on top for 30 minutes or so.
- Now make the sauce so you can mix this in with the warm tofu mince later.
Make the chorizo sauce
- In a small blender or pestle and mortar mix together 3 T - 45 gr tomato puree, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 t - 7.5 gr chili powder or flakes, 1 1/2 t - 7.5. gr sweet smoked paprika, 1/2 t - 2.5 gr hot paprika or cayenne, 1 t - 5 ml red wine vinegar, 1 t - 5 ml tequila (if using), a pinch of cumin and 1/4 c - 60 ml olive oil to a smooth paste.
Back to the minced tofu
- Crumble the tofu into a bowl. The pieces should remain of uneven in size and shape, as if you've fried off some actual minced meat in a frying pan.
- Thinly coat the crumbled tofu with 1/2 t - 7 gr corn flour and salt generously.
- Fry the crumbled tofu in a thin layer of sunflower oil in a (non-stick) frying pan. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and ensure crisp. Fry the tofu until golden and partially crisp.
Create your tacos
- Fry up 2-4 tortilla skins in a shallow layer of sunflower oil. You should end up with four each. You want the edges to be crisp and the centers to remain kind of chewy. You can spice the oil with some chili flakes while it heats up for added oomph. Salt while draining on some kitchen towels post-fry
- Drain the tofu on some kitchen towels and then mix in 2 to 4 T's of the sauce until the tofu is evenly coated.
- To compose a taco: place 2 tortilla skins on a plate. Top with a few tablespoons of the tofu mixture. Finish with a generous hand of pickled shallots, some freshly chopped coriander and feta if using.
Notes
