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Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos

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Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos. Learn the secret to making the best crispy tofu and serve it in flavor-packed tacos with crunchy slaw and quick pickles.  This recipe for Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos has also been featured on Serious Eats.
Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos on a wooden cutting board surrounded by lime wedges.
Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos. Learn the secret to making the best crispy tofu and serve it in flavor-packed tacos with crunchy slaw and quick pickles.
I’m not sure if, between all of ground beef and chicken breast recipes recipes I’ve posted here, I’ve found a chance to tell you about the years of my life that involved no meat at all. Actually I’m almost positive I haven’t. Probably because the only way to do so is to simultaneously admit that I broke my vegetarian streak with a meat-binge of epic (and probably scary) proportions, but yeah, that all happened. It’s no secret that I eat meat now– I’ve got a few hundred posts chronicling it. However, I still do try to incorporate plenty of meatless meals into my weekly menu. Especially ones that involve tofu.
Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos on a wooden cutting board.
Tofu doesn’t have the greatest reputation in this country. And that’s not because of its mismarketing as a “hippie food” or “meat replacement” (though those certainly don’t help), it’s because it’s damn near always done wrong. Soft. Spongey. Brutally underseasoned. I’ve had tofu many times, and trust me when I say I’ve had some of the worst. But if there’s one thing I learned from my few years of meat-free eating, it’s that tofu, when prepared well, is none of those things. It’s got a tender center with a crisp exterior, takes on flavor beautifully, and, in the most ideal of scenarios, is coated in a delicious sauce that clings to every bit of the crust. Case in point: These Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos. 
Crispy tofu with gochujang sauce and sesame seeds in a light blue bowl for Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos.
In order to get the maximum surface area for that aforementioned crust and sauce coating, I crumble the tofu before coating it in cornstarch and cooking. Or rather I should say I press all of the moisture out of the tofu, then I crumble it and toss it in cornstarch. It’s as easy as that. The sauce for the Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos is, as the name suggests, Korean-inspired. Gochujang (Korean chili paste) is the key. And even though it might sound difficult to get, you likely won’t even have to go to a specialty Asian market to get it. Usually, you can find it in the international aisle of your local grocery store. If not, they even sell it on Amazon. Oh, the convenience of living in modern times.
Cabbage slaw for Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos in a glass bowl on a blue wood table.
A crunchy cabbage slaw and a quick pickled cucumber topping will take just minutes to throw together, and they’re the perfect way to finish off your tacos. If you’ve ever eaten from a Korean BBQ truck, you know what I mean. If not… well, you’re in for a treat. And speaking of those Korean BBQ trucks, they’re probably key in serving these Korean-Inspired Tofu Tacos to your meat-eating pals. Drop a name like Kogi or Mogo or whatever Korean fusion you’ve got in your neck of the woods, and suddenly you’ll see that people are awfully receptive. That’s at least how I got the guys to try ’em. That, and I didn’t mention the word tofu. You’d be amazed at how much tofu-naysayers will rave about a recipe without knowing that what they’re eating is, indeed, tofu. “I thought it was chicken,” James said.  And now I get to make tofu regularly without any groans of discontent. In fact, I’ve got James even looking forward to our meatless meals.
Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos on a wooden cutting board.
Yeah, these tacos really are that good. For vegetarians, vegans, and even meat-eaters who are just trying to switch things up a bit. Print
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Korean-Inspired Crispy Tofu Tacos

★★★★★

4.8 from 24 reviews
  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 tacos 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • One 16-ounce block extra-firm tofu
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded green cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • Juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for serving
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced mini cucumbers
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) or crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Canola oil or vegetable oil, for sauteing
  • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 or 4 medium cloves)
  • 1/2 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste), or to taste
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  • 6 flour tortillas, warmed, for serving

Instructions

  1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Rinse the tofu, slice it into 1-inch-thick slabs, and lay them on the prepared baking sheet. Top with more towels. Press the tofu by placing a heavy book or cast iron skillet on top. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the red and green cabbage with the carrots and toss with lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, combine the cucumber slices, sugar, 1/4 cup of the rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cover both bowls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
  3. Using your hands, crumble the tofu into a medium bowl. Add cornstarch and toss until evenly coated. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu and cook until browned and crispy all over, turning and breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tofu to a plate.
  4. Add more oil to the pan, if necessary, and briefly sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Add tofu back to the pan and stir until well coated. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
  5. Top each tortilla with cabbage slaw. Spoon the tofu over the slaw and top with the pickled cucumbers. Serve.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
 

Comments

  4. Vicky says

    Like you, I have had some bad tofu in my day, but this looks amazing. I just want to dig in. I wouldn’t have never thought tofu could be so crispy or good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Annemarie says

    The color in these tacos is amazing! I think my family might actually eat tofu if I serve it with all this flavor.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Andreas says

    I just made these and holy hell they were spicy, there were tasty but my whole face was on fire after using 1/2 cup of that Korean chili paste .

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Susie says

    This was unfortunately a total bust. The tofu never got crispy and the cornstarch stuck to the bottom of my pan do I ended up with soggy oily tofu. Any tricks for how to get the texture right? A certain kind of pan? Perhaps some guidance on how long to cook the tofu?

    Reply

    • Morgan says

      Hi Susie! I’m sorry to hear that. Based on the problems you mentioned, it sounds like it was likely due to excess moisture. Is it possible that the moisture wasn’t pressed out of the tofu enough? It’s key to this recipe that lots of towels and and something heavy to press so that the tofu releases all of the water it holds onto. Let me know if that sounds right. If not, I’ll try to figure out what else the issue could have been!

      Reply

      • Susie says

        Thanks for your reply Morgan! So I used a tofu press on my tofu which is more efficient at removing water than just using towels and a plate or can. I think that the cornstarch stuck to the bottom of my cast-iron pan which contributed to the problem. What kind of pan did you use? Perhaps the recipe should recommend a particular pan type.

        Reply

    • Kavya says

      Hi! Have you tried draining your tofu before baking it? All that is required to do so is putting your tofu under some weight, I like to stack heavy books on top of a cutting board and then place it on my tofu. This will help! Also I recommend silicon baking sheets, they are reusable and almost nothing will stick to it. The draining should help your tofu crisp up, it has always worked for me!

      Reply

  11. Lisa T says

    Great flavor but WAY too much spice! (and we live in Texas, so used to strong spice) Next time we will try half the chili sauce.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  12. Andy says

    I’ve done this twice now and I don’t know what gochujang paste you used but the first time we used 1/2 cup and our faces just straight up melted lol, I’ve never been so sweaty in my life. I liked the flavors so the second time I took maybe 1.5tbsp and it was a lot more pleasant, still spicy. Great recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  13. Jen says

    I have made these so many times and they are delicious! If you have the time, I suggest freezing the tofu first. I usually slice it into slabs, press it, and then freeze it for at least 24 hours (up to a month). Then I thaw, press again, and fry. It really gives it a more chewy texture and allows it to absorb the sauce better.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  14. Barbara S says

    Can this recipe be made several days ahead and put together when ready to serve. Thank you for your response.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  15. Ashley says

    Dumb question. You clearly state that you’re using gochujang (paste) just to clarify I’m buying actual paste and not sauce correct? Thank you! These look amazing and I’m so excited to try them 🙂

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      This. Was. Delicious.
      I made it tonight and bought paste, not sauce. I used 1/4c versus 1/2c because of previous comments and it was the perfect amount of heat. So yummy, thanks for sharing!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

  16. Kalina says

    WOW. My favourite recipe in a LONG time.
    My experience: the tofu took 10+ mins to get crispy and brown.
    My no-go vegetable is cucumber. I subbed with zucchini.
    I had no cabbage so did 1cup (instead of 1/2) of julienned carrot and added spinach.
    I also used hard shell tacos, and subbed sriracha instead of the korean hot sauce listed, used just under 1/2 cup.
    10/10 thank you!! I ate 4 and was STUFFED by the third but had to have the 4th it was so yummy.

    Reply

  17. Tammy says

    I made this recipe tonight after seeing a recommendation for it on a Facebook group. These tacos were awesome! My husband took one bite and started rolling his eyes in joy. Your recipe goes into our “keeper” file. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  18. Lynda says

    This was AHmazing! It is definitely a keeper. I didn’t use as much Korean sauce and it was still so flavorful. The tofu crisped right up! I made sure to press that water out real good, for a couple hours. Thank you for sharing this with us.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  19. Veronica says

    I wish I had read the comments before making this as 1/2 cup of the chili sauce was way too much. Next time I’ll just use a 1/4 cup but this is definitely a recipe worth keeping and making again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  20. Mary says

    These were delicious, but like the previous comments stated, SO spicy!! I got one taco down before I had to give up, and I’m a fan of spice. I’ll try the recipe again, but with half…maybe a forth of the chili paste. The cucumbers and cabbage were great.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  21. Tarisa says

    I’ve made this twice now and I absolutely love it. Yes, it is SPICY. And I’m a baby when it comes to spice but I power through it because I love these so much. My husband loves spice so he thinks the heat level is perfection. I add red onion and cilantro to my toppings and I char my tortillas over a flame before serving. Absolutely delicious.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  29. Abby says

    I made these last night for my boyfriend and I. They’re beautiful in presentation and absolutely delicious. I love all the colors and the smells that emanated from my wok. Plus, I’d never cooked tofu before and this was a fantastic way to start. However, BEWARE of the spice. It will surprise you. Enjoy these awesome, flavorful tacos but maybe be prepared to have some ice cream for dessert!

    Reply

  30. Kate says

    Wish I had read the comments. 1/2 cup of gochujang was way too much! SOOO SPICY. Tried to course-correct after but it didn’t quite work. Still tasty and would make again but with half the gochujang,

    ★★★★

    Reply

  31. Shannon says

    I made this last night and already can’t wait to make it again. It had the perfect amount of heat from the sauce and coolness from the cucumbers. I used corn tortillas and it was perfect

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  32. Lea says

    I recently moved across the country and I miss my grandmother’s Korean food from back home! I’m eager to find all the Korean vegan goodies that I can, thank you for this!

    Reply

  33. Kelsey says

    Amazing! Did it as a bowl on rice instead of tacos. Didn’t have the Korean paste and only realized when it was time to cook the sauce so I subbed in some hoisin, sweet chilli and siracha and turned out great.

    Reply

  34. Kayla H says

    Used 1 tbsp of the gochujang paste and it was perfect. But the tofu was way too sweet for me. Will reduce 1/2 cup to 2 tbsp next time. But still pretty good.

    ★★★

    Reply

  36. Jess Smith says

    So tasty. The crispy tofu was really good on its own but pairing it with the slaw and cucumbers made for a fresh and delicious dinner. I reduced the chili paste to one heaping tbsp – which was about right for us as my kids aren’t huge fans of spice. The kids aren’t usually onboard when I serve a totally plant based dinner but loved this one! Will definitely make again

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  37. Danielle says

    THE BEST! I serve this to all my tofu-weary friends and they love it! The flavor combo in this recipe is powerful and leaves you wanting more. I can’t get enough of this sweet-spicy and tangy tofu taco <3

    Reply

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