My recipe for seasoned Shredded Tex Mex Tofu is boldly seasoned and perfect when you need a quick and easy filling –10 minutes hands on time – for your homemade Tex Mex dishes. Super-firm tofu is shredded on a box grater, then mixed with seasonings like tomato paste, cumin, garlic and a touch of adobo sauce for smoky depth. It’s baked on a sheet pan where the flavors concentrate while the tofu dries out, creating a meaty, chewy texture that’s irresistible!
Easy and Versatile Tex Mex Shredded Tofu
One of the most populated categories on Vanilla And Bean is my homemade Mexican Inspired recipe category. Growing up in Texas, I had my share of authentic Mexican and Tex Mex food. And because it remains one of my favorite cuisines today, I make it at least weekly at home, vegetarian style.
If you love homemade Mexican food flavors and enjoy tofu, this recipe is endlessly versatile. It’s similar in flavor to my stovetop Ground Tofu Tacos. But for this recipe, instead of grinding the tofu, we’re shredding it, then baking it on a sheet pan in the oven. The resulting texture is firmer, and chewier than ground tofu, and quicker to prepare. If you’re craving shredded tofu taco meat, it doesn’t get any better.
This Recipe Is
- make ahead: ideal for meal prep
- spice is adjustable to taste
- vegetairan and vegan
If you make homemade Mexican Inspired recipes, and enjoy tofu, this is a delicious and fun recipe to try.
__________________________
How to Make Seasoned Shredded Tofu
step by step
Recipe Testing Insights
- I tested this recipe with both super firm tofu and extra firm tofu and preferred super firm’s sturdier texture over extra firm. Super firm has a firmer bite, whereas extra firm has a softer tooth.
- I wanted to see if this recipe could work cooked on the stovetop, so I employed my largest 10 inch skillet to see I could get similar results as cooking in the oven. While the tofu tasted good, it just didn’t have the texture I was after and the flavors didn’t concentrate and intensify like they did in the oven.
Share Shredded Tex Mex Tofu With
Here are some of my favorite recipes to share with shredded tofu. Whether you’re making tacos, burritos, tostadas or burrito bowls, these components make delicious additions to your lineup:
Traci’s Tips
- Favorite Creamy Condiment: one of my favorite condiments to share this recipe with is Chili-Lime Pepita Cream which tastes almost like a creamy cheese, but it’s dairy free. It also makes a tasty dip with tortilla chips.
- How Spicy? I include adobo sauce in this recipe for a delicious smoky flavor and, it bumps up the spicy. If you prefer a little less spicy, you can reduce it to 1 teaspoon or if you love spicy, add up to 3 teaspoons!
- SO Versatile! The shredded tofu meat is ideal for meal prep. I make it ahead and it stores easily in the fridge for up to three days, in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Shredded Tex Mex Tofu for Tacos, Burritos & More
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 3 tablespoons Water
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice, from about 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce, from a can of chipotle chilies, use 3 teaspoons for spicy!
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Smoky Paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Granules
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, or Granules
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 1 16 ounces (454 grams) Block of Super Firm Tofu, removed from container, patted dry (no need to press)
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the tomato paste, oil, water, lime juice, adobo sauce, cumin, paprika, garlic, onion and salt to a smooth consistency. Into the bowl, using the large round holes on a box grater (cheese grater), shred the tofu into the bowl. It will crumble as you get to the end – that's okay.
- Use a silicone spatula to stir the tofu shreds into the seasoning mixture throughly coating all the tofu pieces. Take your time here.
- Spread the mixture onto the sheet pan, and into one even layer. The pieces will stick together.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir throughly, then spread once again into an even layer. Return the pan to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the tofu around the edges of the pan are dark and crispy, while interior pieces of the tofu will be a dark brick red color.
- Remove from the oven, taste for salt then enjoy in tacos, burritos, or bowls.
- To Store: store in a lidded container for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to two weeks. When reheating, sprinkle a bit of water into the container and gently warm in the microwave. I found reheating in the oven dries it out too much (it becomes chewier).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
Can you clarify where the sodium reading in this recipe is coming from? It seems high for the ingredients. I can’t adjust to get it don’t know where it’s coming from. Thanks
Hi Ro! Thank you for your note and pointing out the sodium. You’re right! I looked at the salt and adobo sauce (the two main sources of sodium) and found the auto calculator had the sodium for adobo sauce calculated too high after comparing the label of my Embasa chipotles in adobo sauce can. So I reset the sodium mg there to reflect what the label reads – but my auto calculator is not fully adjusting (I am checking into this!). [update] We located the issue, and now the estimated sodium has been updated. Thank you again for your help, Ro!