I’ve made this recipe with several different plant-based “fish” replacement ingredients and all of them are excellent options that provide a tasty base for your tacos. Whether you use hearts of palm, tofu, cauliflower or coconut meat (ones that I use and recommend here in this recipe) as your base for taco night, your vegan “fish” taco will have all the taste and feels of a traditional fish taco. If you are looking for a pre-made vegan fish fillet for a quick and easy taco, Gardein makes a great plant-based fish filet; it’s just not gluten-free unfortunately.
Ingredients
“Fish” Filet
- Options for the “Fish”…1 can of hearts of palm, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 container of firm tofu or 1 bag of young coconut meat (you can find it in the freezer section – usually with the frozen fruit). I have tried all these options and think that each make a great base for your vegan taco. Give them a try and let me know which is your favorite.
- ½ cup gluten free flour (favorite brand is Mama’s Almond Blend)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup plain plant-based milk
- 2 vegan eggs (I use either Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacement powder or Just Eggs liquid egg replacement)
- 1 cup of gluten free panko breadcrumbs (favorite brand is Jeff Nathan Creations)
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- Avocado oil for frying your “fish filets”
Ingredients for Assembling your Tacos
It’s the toppings and sauces that really make a taco tasty. Here is my lineup for the best taco toppings.
- I love to add my Pineapple Coleslaw as a topping for my tacos or you can shred some purple cabbage and carrots and use that for a simpler topping
- Diced avocado
- Pico de gallo
- Vegan Ranch Dressing (Favorite brand is Follow Your Heart)
- Chipotle vegan mayo (Favorite brand is Follow Your Heart)
- Chopped cilantro
- Gluten free tortillas (I like Siete Foods or Coyotas brands. If you use a corn tortilla, just make sure it is organic and gluten free)
- Favorite Hot Sauce (Siete Foods and Yellow Bird are my two favorite brands)
Instructions
- If you are using the hearts of palm, drain the can and pat them dry and cut into 1-inch round pieces. If you are using cauliflower, rinse and pat dry and then cut into bite sized florets. If you are using tofu, rinse, pat dry the tofu with a kitchen towel to get excess water out before cutting it into bite sized cubes. If using the frozen young coconut meat, thaw before cooking. The coconut meat is already cut into bite sized pieces so there is no further prep there.
- Combine the flour, salt and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
- Combine the milk and eggs in a separate medium bowl.
- Combine the panko breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning in separate medium bowl.
- Heat a large fry pan and add your avocado oil for frying. You will want to add enough oil so that it is about one inch high in your fry pan. While the oil heats, start to coat your “fish” filets by coating with the flour, then the milk/egg mixture and then roll each piece and generously coat in the panko breadcrumbs before adding to the fry pan. Depending on the size of your pieces, you will fry them for 5 to 7 minutes (turning them occasionally throughout the process) until crisp and golden. Place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Assemble your fish tacos with the suggested toppings and tortillas and enjoy!
