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Tempeh Tacos
These vibrant, flavor-packed vegan Tempeh Tacos will transform taco night! They are the perfect festive plant-based entree, made with smoky, sweet marinated tempeh, fresh guacamole, and a colorful cabbage carrot slaw.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Tempeh marinade:
- 1 8 oz package tempeh diced or broken into large crumble-sized pieces
- ¼ cup soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados cubed
- ¼ cup red onion minced
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2-1 whole jalapeño pepper minced
- juice of 2 limes
- ½ tsp sea salt
Tacos
- 1/4 red cabbage shredded
- 3 large carrots peeled and shredded
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 8-12 small corn tortillas
Instructions
Tempeh Taco Meat
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and chipotle chili powder until combined.
- Add the tempeh pieces to the mixing bowl. Gently toss the tempeh in the marinade to combine. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to overnight.
- Heat a medium-size skillet over low-medium heat. Add the tempeh and the marinade to it and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until it is hot and golden and the marinade has cooked off.
Guacamole
- Place the guacamole ingredients in a mortar and pestle or mixing bowl and mash until you reach your desired texture. I like mine with some chunks in it, but you can also mash it until it is smooth and creamy.
- Season the guacamole to taste with more salt and lime if desired. Set aside.
Assemble the Tempeh Tacos
- Combine the shredded red cabbage and carrots in a bowl and toss with olive oil and lime. Season to taste with salt if desired.
- Warm the tortillas over a flame or in a toaster oven at 350° for 2 minutes. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
- Assemble the tacos by layering the marinated tempeh, cabbage slaw, and guacamole into the warm tortillas.
- Garnish with more cilantro and a squeeze of lime and/or hot sauce. Enjoy hot!
Notes
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftover cooked tempeh, prepared guacamole (with an avocado pit in it to slow the browning process), and cabbage carrot slaw separately in airtight containers for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Warm the tortillas separately and reheat the tempeh in a skillet over medium heat or microwave for 1-2 minutes. Assemble the tacos, adding the toppings.
- Optional baking directions. Transfer the marinated tempeh, with its liquid, to a baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, stirring it halfway.
- Let the tempeh marinate. The best tempeh marinade recipes allow the tempeh to soak up all the delicious flavors. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, a few hours, or ideally overnight; the longer it sits, the better it will taste!
- Crumble the tempeh. Break the tempeh into bite-sized pieces. This makes tempeh recipes easy to fully coat in the marinade and evenly cook in the skillet.
- Adjust the spices. Customize the heat by adjusting the chipotle chili powder in the marinade and the amount of jalapeño in the guacamole to suit your spice preferences.
- Warm the tortillas. Don’t skip this step! Warming the tortillas makes them more pliable and enhances the flavor of the tacos.