Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos with Blue Cheese Dressing
This easy recipe for Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos with Blue Cheese Dressing uses gluten-free corn tortillas, nutritious plant-based protein, and a zesty oil-free no-cook sauce that you make yourself – plus, there are vegan taco making tips! While we’re on the subject of tacos, we figure, why not share our most precious vegan taco making tips, too?
One of the things you’ll like about these Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos is that the recipe calls for tofu. Tofu’s not only convenient, it’s also an excellent source of plant-based, gluten-free, vegan protein.
Plant-based protein is found in many wonderful whole foods that make great tacos. You can find generous amounts of plant-based vegan protein in nutritious foods such as tempeh, lentils, nuts, seeds, beans (hello tofu made from soybeans) and bright green edamame, the actual soybean.
Plant-Based Gluten-Free Vegan Protein
If you’re currently on the fence about trying a plant-based lifestyle because you’re worry about nutrients such as protein, you may want to check this article. It’s a quick read with some encouraging verifiable facts about why a veggie lifestyle is such a healthy alternative.
According to the article, a study called the EAT-Lancet Commission Report defines a healthy-people, healthy-planet eating pattern.
This referenced report developed by 37 scientists in early 2019, concluded that the best diet for both people and the planet includes the following:
- a variety of plant-based foods
- low in animal proteins – We plant-based vegans have that one covered!
- prefers unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats
- limits refined grains and highly processed foods and added sugars
By the way, the sauces we feature in this recipe for Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos is our oil-free Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing. It’s everything you need in a sauce to enjoy anything Buffalo-style, so be sure to Pin the recipe for safe keeping.
But the wild thing about this dressing is that it’s loaded with plant-based, gluten-free, vegan protein!
Our blue cheese dressing even has cheesy nuggets of goodness just like traditional blue cheese dressings made from dairy. But our easy recipe is so much healthier than a dairy dressing it’s hard to believe.
Here’s one of our favorite recipes where we use this dressing. It’s a dish that has all of the flavors of a traditional steakhouse meal, but without the artery clogging steak!
Can you believe that even the dressing for these Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos is loaded with plant-based protein? You’ve got to check the nutritional label below the recipes where we use this blue cheese dressing – it’s incredibly healthy all while tasting finger-licking-good, it’s crazy!
Roasted Steak-y Mushroom Kale Salad
Are Corn Tortillas Always Gluten-Free?
To me, a taco isn’t a taco unless it includes a corn tortilla.
But just because I prefer corn tortillas over flour tortillas doesn’t mean that all corn tortillas are gluten-free.
Here’s a little shopping trip story to brighten this brief behind the recipe read. By the way, this happened when I was first testing out this very recipe for Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos!
It wasn’t too many shopping trips ago that I nearly bought corn tortillas with gluten in them. What? (Gasp!)
As usual, I was on the prowl for organic gluten-free corn tortillas. Well, prowl is probably the wrong word though I did have a strong need to find me some organic GF tortillas, LOL!
Anyhow, I was so excited to see that even though they seemed to be out of my usual organic tortilla brand, there was a new brand on the shelf. So, I picked up a couple of packs, put them in my cart, and began to hustle on down the aisle. But then I listened for a second to that lovely vegan and gluten-free voice in my head, suggesting I should read the label even though they’re just another pack of organic corn tortillas. How bad could it be?
Bad; really, bad!
These organic corn tortillas had wheat flour, not corn, as the first ingredient! I kid you not.
Lesson learned, or so one would think.
Friends, as always, if you need or want to be gluten-free, do not drop an item into your cart without giving the old label the old once over.
I’ll be sure to share my favorite brand of organic and gluten-free tortillas in the ingredients list below. If you want, you can even order some for yourself from Amazon via Whole Foods.
Oil-Free Vegan Buffalo Sauce
Here’s the first tale of two sauces for this Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos with Blue Cheese Dressing recipe.
I’ve rarely met a homemade sauce that I didn’t like. When done well, most sauces are no less than transformational to a dish. That’s the case with the two no-cook sauces in this Vegan Buffalo Tofu Taco recipe.
In this recipe, we coat satisfying bites of air-fried or oven-baked tofu in our no-cook Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing. And while you could use straight hot-sauce for this vital step, you want to use our creamy oil-free dressing instead.
It’s not just more delicious than a plain sauce in a bottle, it’s healthier, too. We use hemp seeds to create the creaminess, and with that hemp comes beautiful nutrients.
The recipe for this extraordinary sauce is available in the ingredients list below.
Once you taste it, you’ll want to try the other recipes featuring our Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing, such as:
Vegan Tempeh Blue Cheese Buffalo Bowl
Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways
Vegan Taco Making Tips for Excellent Tacos!
- Let’s start this section by identifying right out of the gate that tasty tacos are all about the tortilla! Try different brands until you find one that knocks your socks off. This is my number one vegan taco making tip because the tortilla makes or breaks a good taco experience. I share my favorite organic, gluten-free corn tortillas in the recipe ingredients below.
- The next on the list of my vegan taco making tips is how highly I recommend warming your tortillas in a dry iron skillet or griddle-style iron pan.
- Once the tortillas are a little toasty on each side, keep them warm by wrapping them in a clean folded dish towel. The layers of cloth in the dishtowel snuggles the tortillas, so the heat is contained. The towel also absorbs any condensation to keep your tortillas warm and ready rather than soggy and limp!
- Next, keep your Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos gluten-free by using our no-cook Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing recipe. You can count on us to keep our recipes plant-base, vegan and gluten-free. And if you are ever in the hot sauce isle looking for a new option, always read the label to be sure it’s gluten-free and vegan. As I try to mention whenever the occasion arises, gluten is hidden everywhere and so are animal products.
- The same is true of tortillas. To keep your tacos gluten-free, use corn tortillas rather than flour . Then, thoroughly check the label to be sure that there are no sneaky ingredients included. Many times, when labels mention extra promises such as extra soft and pliable, they often contain gluten.
- Enjoy a little sour cream atop of your tacos? Try using a little plain plant-based yogurt instead. Kite Hill brand tastes pretty amazing, and of course, homemade vegan yogurt is the bomb!
- To save time and make this recipe a weeknight dinner dream come true, make the two delicious no-cook sauces ahead! When you make sauces ahead that you also use in additional recipes, you shave off tons of prep time.
- Finally, break free from typical tacos and try all sorts of creative fillings. Experimenting with new ingredients elevates and adds excitement to meals! (Trust me – I write recipes and know this to be a fact.)
There’s More Than One Way to Fill a Tortilla!
Trust me, I’m not suggesting you abandon traditional bean, rice, and avocado tacos – I would never do such a thing. But by all means, live a little by exploring new flavors! Speaking of beans, these soup beans taste amazing paired with these Buffalo tacos.
The fabulous taco in the link below is an example of flavor exploration when it comes to tacos. This taco is full of potatoes, a creamy homemade maple mustard sauce that tastes like the one at a certain famous restaurant, and easy quick pickles! Pickles in a taco? Well, let me tell you, you don’t want to miss tasting this wild combo – it’s show-stopping!
Quick Roasted Potato Tacos with Maple Mustard Sauce
Maple Mustard Dressing, Dip, or Sauce (Oil-Free)
Quick Pickle Cucumber Slices with Fresh Dill
You’re the Reason We Share our Recipes!
Mike and I do what we do with plant-based vegan recipes because of you. It’s because you are here with us, reading and trying the recipes that excite you, that we happily continue to cook and share our favorite healthy recipes.
We’re grateful to be able to think up new food ideas for you. We want you to know that we already have fabulous dishes planned for months and months to come.
We’re even already writing and testing out some new holiday dishes. So, if you haven’t already done so, sign up for our free weekly newsletter and be the first to know what’s cooking!
And if you ever have anything you’d like to share or ask about our recipes, know that we love to hear from you – especially when you say the nice stuff.
Happy Eating!
Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos with Blue Cheese Dressing
- 5Prep:
- 10Cook Time:
- Yield: 12 Servings
Holy guacamole, these vegan tacos are delicious! Oh, the things you can make with the magical combination of gluten-free corn tortillas, well-seasoned tofu, and a couple of unbeatable no-cook sauces. And when you make the sauces ahead – you’ll be eating this delicious handheld meal in a matter of minutes! This recipe makes about a dozen tacos, depending on how full you stuff your tortillas.
Ingredients
- one package of 16-oz super firm tofu, or 15.5-oz extra firm tofu, cubed into bite-sized chunks - We always suggest using organic non-GMO tofu such as these two, either of which work well for this recipe. In the photo we used super-firm tofu.
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of our Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing, to saucy preference
- 1 cup of our Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- corn tortillas - We enjoy using these delicious gluten-free and organic corn tortillas!
- 4 cups of chopped red cabbage or raw coleslaw mix
- an optional pinch of salt, to taste, as needed, or garlic salt, if you like
- about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional additional toppings such as sliced avocado, onion, jalapeños, an extra sprinkle of Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce, celery sticks for dipping into the delicious drips of sauce, or plain plant-based yogurt to sub for sour cream
Instructions
- First, if you haven't done so already, go ahead and make your easy batch of no-cook Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing to use as a topping in this recipe.
- Then, slice the tofu into bite-size cube shapes and place them in the basket of an air fryer, such as the air-fryers linked in this next step. Oven baking is also an option described in the next step. And just to be clear, any extra-firm tofu you prefer will work well in this recipe - we just suggested the ones we know and love.
- Next, cook the cubed tofu in an air fryer like this model in a black or white finish, set at 375º to 400º F for about 10 minutes, stopping to toss or gently stir once midway through the cooking process. Cook the tofu until it reaches a texture you prefer. You may prefer more or less cooking time - it's entirely up to you. Alternately, you may also opt to bake your tofu on a parchment-lined or reusable silicone lined sheet pan in a 400ºF oven for about 20 minutes total, turning once during baking to ensure even cooking.
- While your tofu bakes, whip up the Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing using a high-speed blender or a handy immersion blending stick.
- Once the tofu is cooked to your liking, add it to a mixing bowl along with the Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing, stir, and taste to check if it needs any salt or a bit more of the sauce. Dress the tofu to your liking and set aside to marinate while you heat the tortillas.
- Using a dry iron skillet or an easy to handle griddle-style iron pan, heat the tortillas on each side until they appear a little toasty, and your kitchen begins to smell corny. Check the list of Vegan Taco Making Tips in the article above for a helpful suggestion that keeps tortillas warm while you heat the rest.
- Fill your warmed tortillas with a layer of crunchy cabbage or raw pre-chopped bagged slaw mix, Buffalo sauced tofu, a drizzle of our oil-free Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing, and a sprinkle of cilantro and any of the additional toppings you like. We serve these tacos with a side of crunchy celery sticks to sop up the extra sauce.
Notes
- Seasoning your tofu with the sauce after it cooks in the air-fryer or oven saves a lot of clean up time compared to saucing it before cooking. (Insert tales of a lesson learned the hard way here. Just kidding, not really. But it is an avoidable mess.)
- Cooking tofu at the higher temp creates a sort of skin or edge, that many folks enjoy.
- We use this metal taco holder in our photos - so handy!
Nutrition
% DV
- Total Fat 8 g 12%
- Saturated Fat 1.2 g 6 %
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
- Sodium 82.5 mg 3 %
- Carbohydrates 20. 7 g 7 %
- Fiber 3.1 g 12 %
- Sugar 1.8 g ---
- Protein 10.7 g 21 %
- Vitamin A 8 %
- Vitamin C 30 %
- Iron 12 %
- Calcium 22 %
Vegan Buffalo Tofu Tacos with Blue Cheese Dressing
BY VEEG.CO
Ingredients
- one package of 16-oz super firm tofu, or 15.5-oz extra firm tofu, cubed into bite-sized chunks - We always suggest using organic non-GMO tofu such as these two, either of which work well for this recipe. In the photo we used super-firm tofu.
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of our Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing, to saucy preference
- 1 cup of our Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- corn tortillas - We enjoy using these delicious gluten-free and organic corn tortillas!
- 4 cups of chopped red cabbage or raw coleslaw mix
- an optional pinch of salt, to taste, as needed, or garlic salt, if you like
- about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional additional toppings such as sliced avocado, onion, jalapeños, an extra sprinkle of Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce, celery sticks for dipping into the delicious drips of sauce, or plain plant-based yogurt to sub for sour cream
Instructions
- First, if you haven't done so already, go ahead and make your easy batch of no-cook Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing to use as a topping in this recipe.
- Then, slice the tofu into bite-size cube shapes and place them in the basket of an air fryer, such as the air-fryers linked in this next step. Oven baking is also an option described in the next step. And just to be clear, any extra-firm tofu you prefer will work well in this recipe - we just suggested the ones we know and love.
- Next, cook the cubed tofu in an air fryer like this model in a black or white finish, set at 375º to 400º F for about 10 minutes, stopping to toss or gently stir once midway through the cooking process. Cook the tofu until it reaches a texture you prefer. You may prefer more or less cooking time - it's entirely up to you. Alternately, you may also opt to bake your tofu on a parchment-lined or reusable silicone lined sheet pan in a 400ºF oven for about 20 minutes total, turning once during baking to ensure even cooking.
- While your tofu bakes, whip up the Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing using a high-speed blender or a handy immersion blending stick.
- Once the tofu is cooked to your liking, add it to a mixing bowl along with the Oil-Free Buffalo Sauce Dressing, stir, and taste to check if it needs any salt or a bit more of the sauce. Dress the tofu to your liking and set aside to marinate while you heat the tortillas.
- Using a dry iron skillet or an easy to handle griddle-style iron pan, heat the tortillas on each side until they appear a little toasty, and your kitchen begins to smell corny. Check the list of Vegan Taco Making Tips in the article above for a helpful suggestion that keeps tortillas warm while you heat the rest.
- Fill your warmed tortillas with a layer of crunchy cabbage or raw pre-chopped bagged slaw mix, Buffalo sauced tofu, a drizzle of our oil-free Creamy Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing, and a sprinkle of cilantro and any of the additional toppings you like. We serve these tacos with a side of crunchy celery sticks to sop up the extra sauce.
Notes
- Seasoning your tofu with the sauce after it cooks in the air-fryer or oven saves a lot of clean up time compared to saucing it before cooking. (Insert tales of a lesson learned the hard way here. Just kidding, not really. But it is an avoidable mess.)
- Cooking tofu at the higher temp creates a sort of skin or edge, that many folks enjoy.
- We use this metal taco holder in our photos - so handy!
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