Ever since I learned that you can make quinoa crispies at home, I’ve been dreaming of new ways to use them. So far, I haven’t been that creative. Usually I just toss them in my granola, or throw them on a smoothie bowl, add them into Dark Chocolate Energy Balls or use them to give my Vegan Almond Butter Cups a nice little crunch.

But as I was finishing up my most recent batch, I realized these quinoa crispies reminded me of something…

PANKO BREAD CRUMBS!

So I put them to the test and created these crispy tofu tacos that use quinoa crispies as the crunchy outside coating.

Tofu tacos on their own are delicious, but crispy tofu tacos? Whole other level. It’s almost like the tofu has been deep fried, but it’s actually just baked in the oven until crispy.

To make the outer coating, you need to first make a batch of quinoa. Here’s a quick video to show you how to make quinoa crispies:

Once you have your quinoa crispies, you can prepare the tofu.

We’re going to start by giving the tofu a bit of seasoning — just a sprinkle of salt, pepper and smoked paprika is perfect. Then set up your dredging station.

I used chickpea flour because that’s what I grabbed first, but you can really use any flour you’d like. Just coat your tofu in the flour, dip it in some almond milk, roll it your quinoa crispies and done. Definitely line your baking pan with parchment so they don’t stick!

You’ll want to turn the tofu half way through to ensure it cooks and browns evenly. In total, mine took about 30 minutes, but the end result was perfectly crispy squares of tofu.

What I really loved about this version of crispy tofu was that unlike plain baked tofu where the whole cube puffs up, the center of these remained fairly tender while the outside was crunchy and crisp. It made for the perfect taco filling.

For toppings on my taco, I went pretty simple – just shredded red cabbage, sliced avocado and a sprinkle of cilantro.

They definitely needed a sauce though. The first bite was a bit dry and hard to chew. So to give them a touch of creaminess and moisture, I whipped up this simple vegan lime crema made with a base of soaked cashews.

It’s just cashews, water, lime juice and spices, and you can blend it up in less than a minute with a high powered blender. It’s light, fluffy, not too powerful so that it takes over the flavor of the tacos completely, but it’s balances it out just right.

And it provides that nice contrast in texture: crispy and smooth. Just a drizzle was all these tacos needed and they ended up being my favorite meal we had all week!

And since there’s only two of us (and this recipe serves six), I saved my leftover tofu in the fridge and tossed it into my collard wraps for the next two days for lunch. It was SO yummy!

So no it’s time to get your taco on. Whip up a batch of these crispy tofu tacos (and maybe even some Watermelon Lime Spritzers!?), invite your girlfriends over and just chill. It’s a simple weeknight dinner that will make you look like a million bucks!

Your turn…

What has been your favorite way to use quinoa crispies? I’m planning to create a few new flavor options, but also want to hear how you’ve been enjoying them! Let me know in the comments below And if you end up try these tacos, share a pic on social using #simplyquinoa or tag @simplyquinoa so I can find it and give it some love!

xo Alyssa

5.0 from 1 reviews

Crispy Tofu Tacos

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

inspired by Hot For Food

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 6 servings, 2 tacos each

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or chili powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¾ cup chickpea flour (or flour of choice)
• 2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 2½ cups quinoa crispies (from about 1 cup of uncooked quinoa)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 batch vegan lime crema

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1" cubes and season with paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the chickpea flour, almond milk and quinoa crispies in a line into three separate bowls. Take 5 - 6 cubes of tofu and toss it in the chickpea flour. Dip one in the almond milk, then gently roll them in the quinoa crispies, pressing down firmly so they stick. Place tofu on baking sheet and repeat until all tofu has been used.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
5. Serve on top 3 - 4 cubes of tofu onto the corn tortillas and top with some shredded cabbage, avocado and the lime crema. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired.

3.5.3208

5.0 from 1 reviews

Vegan Lime Crema

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Prep time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup cashews, soaked for 6 hours*
• ¼ cup water
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1½ teaspoon hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

3.5.3208

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