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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Zesty Tofu Fajitas

    LAST UPDATED: January 9, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: January 1, 2018

    Zesty Tofu Fajitas

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Tofu is pan-fried with peppers and onions, smothered in spicy sauce, and stuffed into warm tortillas to make these zesty vegan tofu fajitas.

    Two Tofu Fajitas on a Plate Surrounded by Lime Half, Fresh Cilantro, and Water Glass

    I can be a little unenthusiastic about fajitas.

    Oh, fajitas are lovely and all. And these fajitas, well I'll get down to telling you about their awesomeness later on in this post.

    But.

    Tofu and Peppers Sizzling in a Skillet

    I have a big issue with restaurant fajitas. Vegan and vegetarian restaurant fajitas in particular. (Obviously I have an issue with non-veggie fajitas, but that's not the point.) I can't even tell you how many times I've been to a restaurant, maybe a Mexican restaurant, maybe an all kinds of things restaurant, and they've got fajitas on the menu as the vegetarian option. That's great and I totally appreciate them even offering something meatless. But the fajitas are inevitably disappointing.

    Most of the time they're filled with just peppers and onions.

    Tofu Fajita on a Baking Sheet with Cilantro and Lime Wedges

    Hey, I love peppers and onions, but a little more substance would be nice. Even if it's just some mushrooms or a slathering of refried beans.

    So I set out to create a vegan fajita recipe worth getting excited about. What might make me jump for joy if I found it in my restaurant fajitas? Besides a big fat wad of cash, I mean?

    The answer: tofu!

    Two Tofu Fajitas with Cilantro in the Background

    Okay, realistically, I don't really expect any establishment that's not super veggie friendly to offer veggie fajitas. But my kitchen just happens to be super veggie friendly. So I'll be enjoying tofu fajitas a-plenty at home!

    Tofu actually makes a great fajita filling. It's very satisfying and soaks up spicy Tex-Mex flavors beautifully.

    My initial thought was to make these as sheet pan fajitas featuring baked tofu. I actually had the oven on and my cookie sheets ready to go when I realized I was short on time. (Tofu takes about 40 minutes to bake!) So I decided to go with the much quicker method of cooking everything on the stove top, which is actually closer to how you'd make traditional fajitas.

    Overhead View of Two Tofu Fajitas on a Plate

    The trick is to pan-fry the tofu just like you might do for a stir-fry (details on that method here), then cook the peppers and onions super fast over high heat so they stay nice and crisp, and finally douse everything in sauce. The sauce cooks up quickly and most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a thin but super flavorful spicy coating on your tofu and veggies.

    Zesty Tofu Fajitas
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print

    Zesty Tofu Fajitas

    Tofu is pan-fried with peppers and onions, smothered in spicy sauce, and stuffed into warm tortillas to make these zesty vegan tofu fajitas.

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 3
    Calories 405 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons canola oil (or another high heat cooking oil)
    • 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, then cut into cubes or small strips (1-2 inch sides)
    • 2 medium bell peppers (any color), sliced into strips
    • ½ large red onion, sliced into strips
    • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
    • 6 small (fajita-size) flour tortillas

    For Serving (optional)

    • Guacamole
    • Cashew cream, vegan sour cream, or yogurt
    • Guacamole

    Instructions

    1. Stir the lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, and black pepper together in a small bowl.

    2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the pieces are browned on multiple sides. Remove the tofu from the pan and transfer it to a plate.

    3. Raise the heat to high and add a dash more of oil to the skillet if it seems too dry. Add the peppers and onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until browned in spots and tender-crisp, 1-2 minutes. 

    4. Return the tofu to the pan and pour the sauce over the tofu and veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

    5. Stuff the tofu mixture into tortillas and top with salsa, cashew or vegan sour cream, and/or guacamole. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Zesty Tofu Fajitas
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 405 Calories from Fat 158
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 17.5g27%
    Saturated Fat 1.9g10%
    Sodium 1092mg46%
    Potassium 512mg15%
    Carbohydrates 50.7g17%
    Fiber 5.9g24%
    Sugar 6.8g8%
    Protein 17.3g35%
    Calcium 330mg33%
    Iron 5.6mg31%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jess says

      January 27, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      4 stars
      these fajitas were bomb.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 28, 2018 at 3:29 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed them!!

        Reply
    2. Crystal says

      February 25, 2018 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      SOOOOOO delicious - thank you! :D

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 25, 2018 at 9:07 pm

        Yay!! Glad you like them! Thanks Crystal!

        Reply
    3. Leonie Dupuis says

      March 09, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      5 stars
      Super quick and easy to make and really yummy! I added some pumpkin seeds as garnish which gave the meal a fun texture!

      Reply
    4. Dawne says

      July 07, 2020 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      SO GOOD!!! The family love it!!

      Reply
    5. Katie says

      September 09, 2020 at 9:21 pm

      Really tasty! We only had large tortillas so we made burritos. Next time I might add some rice but im going to use this sauce all the time! Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Beth says

      March 28, 2022 at 9:03 pm

      Loved this recipe! We added black beans and served over rice! Fabulous!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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