Electric Sichuan numbing peppers (hua jiao) and fragrant dried red chilis (la jiao) are used to create an intoxicating vegan tofu taco. They’re topped with vegan doubanjiang (Chili bean paste) aioli to create an invigorating flavor profile.
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A Match Made In Heaven
Tacos were a first love, while I was introduced to Sichuan seasonings a little later, combine the two and I’m in heaven!
I’ve always had a soft spot for tacos. There is just something about being able to stuff a tortilla with an alchemy of flavorful ingredients and then handhold it as you munch down. Since Jie introduced me to Sichuan seasonings over a decade ago, I have been clamoring to incorporate them into tacos.
The secret to these vegan tacos is the use of invigorating Sichuan numbing peppers, Sichuan dried red chili flakes, and fragrantly spicy doubanjiang aioli. More information of these seasonings below.
Ingredients for Vegan Tacos with Sichuan Spices
- Extra firm tofu - check out our article about different types of tofu and how to use them.
- Cooking oil for tofu – any type that can handle stir-fry temperatures will work.
Taco Seasoning With A Sichuan Flair:
- Chili powder blend (U.S. style chili powder)
- Sichuan red chili flakes - Use Sichuan varieties if possible. Sichuan red chili peppers are fragrant, flavorful, and provide medium heat as opposed to cayenne peppers which provide just straight heat. You can also use Korean chili peppers. These can be found at your local Chinese or Korean market, on Amazon, and online at The Mala Market. Freshly ground spices are always more flavorful than ones that have been previously ground and sitting on the shelf for a long period of time. We buy our Sichuan red pepper flakes from The Mala Market because they grind them fresh at their facility in Nashville, TN.
- Sichuan numbing peppercorns – This spice has been dubbed the world’s most electric spice by Taylor Holliday of The Mala Market. Check out our article on Sichuan peppercorns to learn more about this legendary spice, including how to grind it and where to buy it. You can get high quality and potent Sichuan numbing peppers from The Mala Market and on Amazon, although we can’t vouch for the quality on Amazon. Of course, if you live close to a Chinese market you can swing by and pick some up locally.
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Mushroom powder (optional) - We use mushroom powder to give our vegan taco spice mix a deeper umami (xian) flavor. Mushroom powder is completely optional but if you want to add it you can find it on Amazon. We used Porcini mushroom powder, although you could also use Shiitake.
For Serving:
- Corn Tortillas
- Vegan doubanjiang aioli – Check out our simple recipe for fragrantly spicy vegan doubanjiang aioli. The two main ingredients are raw cashews and Sichuan doubanjiang (chili bean paste). Of course, if you aren’t up for making your own aioli you can use any store-bought sauce, but we think our spicy aioli is pretty easy to make and worth the extra effort.
- Garnishes – we used cabbage, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers, but use whatever you have on hand. We usually top with cilantro but did not have any when we made this recipe.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Crumble the tofu block into what resembles ground meat. We usually squeeze the tofu with our hands to break it up (see video in recipe card).
Add crumbled tofu and oil to a non-stick pan and cook on medium-high to high while stirring frequently.
When the tofu begins to turn golden brown, push tofu to one side and add a small amount of oil to the bare pan. Add minced garlic to the oil and stir-fry until beginning to brown. Mix garlic into the tofu and continue to sauté.
Once tofu sears to your desired level, add all dry spices. We like the tofu lightly browned all over because it gives the tofu a slightly chewy texture.
Cook for about one minute after adding dry spices and then add ¾ cup of water. Simmer until the water mostly evaporates out of the pan and you are left with a fragrant sauce that clings to the tofu.
Prepare the toppings. To assemble, top the warm tortillas with tofu and garnish with cabbage, shredded cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper, and generously top with spicy aioli.
Substitutions and Variations
- Seasoning – If you’ve already made our mala spice mix you can use it paired with chili powder for your taco seasoning. Just add one tablespoon of U.S. style chili powder to 2 tablespoons of our mala spice mix.
- Tortillas – For this recipe we made our own corn tortillas out of masa harina flour, which is surprisingly simple. You can use your favorite type of taco shell or soft tortilla.
Storage
You can store the tofu taco filling in the refrigerator for up to three days. Heat in the microwave or on stovetop before serving.
Top tip
Using extra-firm tofu will give the best results. We buy extra firm tofu from Trader Joes and it works really well for this recipe. For our traditional Chinese recipes we use tofu purchased from our local Chinese market.
If you cannot find extra firm tofu you can press your tofu block before using to drain excess water, or just saute longer to allow the water time to evaporate while cooking.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tacos with Electric Sichuan Spices
Ingredients
- 1 pound block of extra firm tofu
- ⅛ cup cooking oil for tofu 30 milliliters
Taco Seasoning with a Sichuan Flair
- 1 tablespoon chili powder blend 7 grams
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan red chilis (ground) 5 grams
- ½ tablespoons ground cumin 3 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt 2.5 grams or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon mushroom powder (optional) 1 grams
- ¾ teaspoon Sichuan pepper 1.75 grams
- 2 cloves garlic
For Serving
- 6- inch corn tortillas
- Garnishes we used cabbage shredded cheese, tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers, but use whatever you have on hand. We usually top with cilantro but did not have any when we made this recipe.
- Vegan doubanjiang aioli Check out our simple recipe for fragrantly spicy vegan doubanjiang aioli.
Instructions
- Crumble the tofu block into what resembles ground meat. We usually squeeze the tofu with our hands to break it up (see video). Add crumbled tofu and oil to a non-stick pan and cook on medium-high to high while stirring frequently.1 pound block of extra firm tofu, ⅛ cup cooking oil for tofu
- When the tofu begins to turn golden brown, push tofu to one side and add a small amount of oil to the bare pan. Add minced garlic to the oil and stir-fry until beginning to brown. Mix garlic into the tofu and continue to sauté.1 pound block of extra firm tofu, 2 cloves garlic
- Once tofu sears to your desired level, add all dry spices. We like the tofu lightly browned all over because it gives the tofu a slightly chewy texture.1 tablespoon chili powder blend, 1 tablespoon Sichuan red chilis (ground), ½ tablespoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon Sichuan pepper, ¼ teaspoon mushroom powder (optional)
- Cook for about one minute after adding dry spices and then add ¾ cup of water. Simmer until the water mostly evaporates out of the pan and you are left with a fragrant sauce that clings to the tofu.
- Prepare the toppings. To assemble, top the warm tortillas with tofu and garnish with cabbage, shredded cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper, and generously top with spicy aioli.6- inch corn tortillas, Garnishes, Vegan doubanjiang aioli
Video
Notes
- Sichuan red chili flakes - Use Sichuan varieties if possible. Sichuan red chili peppers are fragrant, flavorful, and provide medium heat as opposed to cayenne peppers which provide just straight heat. You can also use Korean chili peppers. These can be found at your local Chinese or Korean market, on Amazon, and online at The Mala Market. Freshly ground spices are always more flavorful than ones that have been previously ground and sitting on the shelf for a long period of time. We buy our red pepper flakes from The Mala Market because they grind them fresh at their facility in Nashville, TN.
- Sichuan numbing pepper – This spice has been dubbed the world’s most electric spice by Taylor Holliday of The Mala Market. Check out our article on Sichuan peppercorns to learn more about this legendary spice, including how to grind it and where to buy it. You can get high quality and potent Sichuan numbing peppers from The Mala Market and on Amazon, although we can’t vouch for the quality on Amazon. Of course, if you live close to a Chinese market you can swing by and pick some up locally.
- Vegan doubanjiang aioli – Check out our simple recipe for fragrantly spicy vegan doubanjiang aioli. The two main ingredients are raw cashews and Sichuan doubanjiang (chili bean paste). Of course, if you aren’t up for making your own aioli you can use any store-bought sauce, but we think our spicy aioli is pretty easy to make and worth the extra effort.
Nutrition
Nutrition disclaimer
malaeats.com is created for informational purposes only. Although we do our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guideline, we are not certified nutritionists and the nutritional values provided should be considered estimates. Numerous factors such as variations in fresh ingredients, brands purchased, etc. will alter the nutritional values in any recipe. Different online calculators also provide different results depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, please use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities you used.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (less than 2 hours is recommended by the CDC).
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website.
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