Tofu is pan-fried with peppers and onions, smothered in spicy sauce, and stuffed into warm tortillas to make these zesty vegan tofu fajitas.
I can be a little unenthusiastic about fajitas.
Oh, fajitas are lovely and all. And these fajitas are amazing.
But I have a big issue with restaurant fajitas. Vegan 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. They're usually just filled with the peppers and onions. That's it!
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! Tofu fajitas are the bomb. Super substantial, protein-packed and delicious. (If tofu's not your thing, check out my vegan chicken fajitas or vegan veggie fajitas, which include way more veggies than just peppers and onions.)
Jump to:
Ingredients You'll Need
- Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed juice to give your fajita sauce the best flavor. Bottled lime juice just isn't anywhere near as good.
- Garlic.
- Spices. You'll need dried oregano, ground cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, and black pepper.
- Canola oil. You can substitute any high-heat oil that you like here. Olive oil, avoado oil, coconut oil and vegetable oil all work!
- Tofu. The recipe calls for extra firm tofu, which I like best for this recipe, although it does require pressing. If you don't feel like pressing your tofu, substitute super firm tofu.
- Bell peppers. I used a red pepper and an orange pepper for the tofu fajitas shown in the photos. You can use your favorite color(s) of bell pepper though!
- Red onion.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Tortillas. Fajitas are traditionally served in small flour tortillas. You're welcome to break with tradition and use larger flour tortillas if you prefer. You'll end up with fewer fajitas.
- Accompaniments. Pile your favorite vegan Mexican toppings on your fajitas. Try guacamole, vegan sour cream or cashew cream, shredded vegan cheese or cashew cheese sauce or pico de gallo.
How They're Made
These fajitas are super easy to whip up!
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.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover tofu fajita filling will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
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.
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
Instructions
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Stir the lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, ancho chile powder, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Stuff the tofu mixture into tortillas and top with salsa, cashew or vegan sour cream, and/or guacamole. Serve.
jess says
these fajitas were bomb.
Alissa Saenz says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!!
Crystal says
SOOOOOO delicious - thank you! :D
Alissa Saenz says
Yay!! Glad you like them! Thanks Crystal!
Leonie Dupuis says
Super quick and easy to make and really yummy! I added some pumpkin seeds as garnish which gave the meal a fun texture!
Dawne says
SO GOOD!!! The family love it!!
Katie says
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!
Beth says
Loved this recipe! We added black beans and served over rice! Fabulous!
A says
Came out pretty good! I would dial back the lime juice if I made them again, the acidity was very front and center.