These BBQ Tofu Tostadas are layered with crispy BBQ tofu, cilantro lime coleslaw, pickled onions and fresh cilantro. An easy vegan dinner!
I LOVE a tostada! A little messy...but that's what forks are for! These tostadas are made with crispy, pan-fried tofu that is seasoned, then drizzled with pre-made BBQ sauce. The slaw is a mix of red cabbage, green cabbage, corn and a cilantro lime sauce. And I topped them off with pickled red onions. Simple and delicious!
How to make BBQ Tofu
Start out by draining and pressing the tofu. You want to get as much liquid out as possible. Then add it to a hot pan with oil. Break it into bite-sized pieces and let it sit for 5 minutes untouched. This will help it brown quickly - if you move it around too much, it will take longer.
Once it is slightly browned, add in red onion and spices. Cook for another 5 minutes. Lastly, add in your favorite BBQ sauce. Lower the heat and let the tofu absorb the sauce and start to caramelize.
How to make the slaw
This slaw is super crunchy and delicious - it has all of my favorite flavors. Make the cilantro lime sauce in a food processor or blender. Shred green cabbage and red cabbage. Add the cabbage and corn to a large bowl and toss with half of the sauce. You can serve the rest of the sauce on the side or save it for another recipe.
Want to save some time? Buy pre-cut coleslaw mix and skip the shredding part.
How to make BBQ Tofu Tostadas
I like to use pre-made tostadas - no need to fry anything. Place them on a baking sheet and cook at 350 until heated.
To assemble, add a layer of BBQ tofu and slaw to each tostada. Top them off with pickles onions (optional) and more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Some other toppings that would be amazing:
- salsa
- hot sauce
- avocado
- radish slices
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
BBQ Tofu Tostadas
Equipment
Ingredients
FOR THE BBQ TOFU
- 1 block firm tofu drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
FOR THE SLAW
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 1 jalapeño roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 1 small avocado
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk unsweetened
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups shredded cabbage I used a combo of green and red
- ½ cup corn
FOR THE TOSTADAS
- 8 pre-made tostada shells
- pickled onions optional
- lime wedges, cilantro for topping
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and break it apart into bite-sized pieces. Allow it to cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add the red onion and seasonings to the pan and cook for 5 more minues. Pour in the BBQ sauce and a splash of water. Toss to coat, lower heat and cook until the sauce starts to crisp slightly.*
- Meanwhile, add all of the slaw sauce ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Place the shredded cabbage, corn and ½ of the sauce in a bowl and toss to combine. Add more sauce if needed and reserve the rest of the sauce for serving.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the tostada shells on a baking sheet and bake for 5-ish minutes, or until heated.
- To assemble, layer each tostada with BBQ tofu, slaw, pickled onions and more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Cavell
Delicious. This one's going onto my regular rotation. Thanks!
Rene
Thanks so much!
Dani
I absolutely loved how this turned out! Definitely making this again.
Rene
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them Dani!
Elisabeth
These are delicious, will definitely make again. Even my tofu wary husband enjoyed them. All the tostadas at the store were broken, so I sprayed corn tortillas with cooking spray and cooked in the air fryer for 4 minutes, which worked great!
Rene
Ughhh...I hate when you get broken ones! But so glad you were able to make your own at home!
Liz
This was delicious, and will definitely be in our rotation this summer! The tostadas are crispy, and the slaw is refreshing. We served some sweet corn on the side.
We had more slaw than we needed, though, and I wonder if you have any ideas for what to do with leftover slaw?
Elle K
Made these last night and they were super tasty! Two things…I’ve never made tostadas before, and our local grocery store didn’t have pre-made tostada shells. I got regular fajita shells and heated them in the oven they were just okay (got a little puffy and brittle). Is there anything else a tostada shell would be called or any ideas on substitutions? I heated up leftovers today as tacos and it worked good too. Second thing! I kept wondering why my sauce was a little runnier and less green than yours. I just saw the video and I don’t think the avocado is actually written in the recipe. Flavor was still great though! I would definitely make them again. Thanks for another great dinner!
Rene
You're totally right! I added the avocado to the recipe list. And if you want to make tostadas from scratch, heat some oil (like avocado or vegetable) and fry corn tortillas until crispy.
Caitlin clawson
Oh man this looks AMAZING! But girl. You’re killing me, what is that magical looking creamy sauce you have in the picture?!
Rene
Haha - it's the same sauce I used to make the slaw. You only need about 1/2 for the slaw, so you can serve the rest on the side 🙌