This post goes out to anyone who has ever got excited during lent because fish and chips is on special every Friday! Full disclosure, I love fish and I miss it way more than any other meat. So, when Andrew bought tartar sauce and requested that I find a way to bring it back into his life, I graciously accepted the challenge. I’m so glad I did too because from that mission I created the Double Beer Battered “Fish Tacos”.
These tacos are to DIE for! When I made these for the first time I literally cheered in excitement because they were so good. They’re crunchy, simple and delicious. The recipe was inspired by a post I saw on Pinterest by Veganosity. It turns out you don’t need actual fish, all you need is breadcrumbs, lemon, a shitload of Old Bay seasoning and you’re good to go.
I was just going to post the battered fish but I also love it blackened so I figured I’d make this post a 2 for 1 special. I was unsure at first about how the blackened tofu would come out but it’s amazing! I basically just threw together all the basic cajun spices and some extra Old Bay and it came out great. This mix is the perfect amount of spicy too which is hard to get.
Just for you guys I also made my own tartar sauce! You can totally use store bought but since part of this blog involves being preachy about cooking from home, I figured the least I could do is throw together my own sauce. I also top these tacos with a basic slaw tossed in a vinaigrette.
I hope you guys try either or both of these recipes because they are truly great! You can use these recipes with fish if you’re not a vegetarian but I encourage you to try it with tofu. You might be surprised when you don’t miss the fish!
Until Next Time,
Jackie
Easy Vegan “Fish” Tacos – Two Ways
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 12 tacos 1x
- Category: Dinner, Tacos
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Description
Two different ways to make fish tacos using tofu instead! Both these spicy blackened “fish” tacos and double battered “fish” tacos are completely vegan and 100% delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
- Blackened “Fish”
- 1 tbs cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
- salt and pepper
- Double Beer Battered “Fish”
- 1 cup beer (I use a really good pale ale for this)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil (enough to fill the bottom of your skillet about 1/2 inch deep)
- Jalapeno Lemon Slaw
- 1 bag coleslaw mix (it’s your choice what use, I like one that has a lot of red cabbage in it)
- 3 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- salt and peppper
- Vegan Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup Vegenaise (obviously you can you real mayo as well)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup pickles, finely diced
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs fresh dill
- 1 tbs fresh parsley
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing the blackened tofu. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a large pan with olive oil . While the oven is preheating press the tofu to release all of it’s liquid.* Cut the tofu into 1/2 thick rectangles and arrange them on the greased baking sheet.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Take the spice mix and rub it into both sides of the tofu. After baking for 10 minutes, flip the tofu and sprinkle more of the spice mix on both sides. Bake for 10 more minutes. The tofu should be crispy on the edges.
- While the blackened tofu is baking, make the fried tofu. Begin by cutting the tofu into the same 1/2 inch thick rectangles as before. Then, pour the oil into a large, deep skillet about 1/2 inch deep. While the oil is heating, prepare three shallow bowls, pour the beer into one, the flour into another and the Panko bread crumbs in the third. You want to dust the tofu with Old Bay seasoning before battering it and also add 1 tbs of Old Bay directly into the flour and mix.
- When the oil is heated, batter the tofu by dipping it in the beer, then the flour, back into the beer and then rolling it in the breadcrumbs until it’s fully coated. When it’s battered, gently place it into the hot oil and cook until crispy and golden brown. It will take about two minutes on each side to get the tofu the right color. Once cooked, place them onto a plate, squeeze lemon juice on them and cover with paper towel on both sides to soak up the excess oil.
- Make the jalapeno slaw by combining the slaw mix and the jalapenos in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Old Bay and salt and pepper for the dressing. Pour it over the slaw and toss. This can be made ahead of time!
- Make the tartar sauce by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl! You can adjust the seasoning to your taste, I added some extra pickles and lemon to mine. Assemble the tacos with the “Fish” of your choice, then the tartar sauce and slaw and any other toppings you choose. Squeeze some more lemon juice on them and enjoy!
Notes
To save some time you can make both the slaw and the tartar sauce ahead of time!
*To press tofu, cut the tofu into 1/2 inch rectangles and place between two towels or layers of paper towel. Cover with a stack of books or a heavy pan for 20 minutes.
