These Vegan Lemon Pepper Chicken Tacos are loaded with a kale avocado slaw and a chili lime crema. Perfect for your next Taco Tuesday!
I don’t know if there is anything better than a taco dinner. I could literally eat tacos every night of the week. They are just the perfect vehicle for getting all the best ingredients into one tasty bite.
And these Vegan Lemon Pepper Chicken Tacos have made it to the top of my taco list these days. The vegan chicken strips are quickly crisped in a pan with olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. And, damn, they are super tasty. You will want to add them to salads, wraps…basically anything.
But let’s talk about the Kale Avocado Slaw
Other than the vegan chicken strips, this kale avocado slaw takes these tacos to the next level. It is zingy, crunchy and filled with all kinds of healthy ingredients.
I know kale isn’t the first thing you might think of when it comes to a good slaw, but let me tell you, it is my new favorite thing. It adds lots of healthy greens and the perfect amount of crunch.
How to make vegan crema
I know this crema isn’t traditional – but hey, we’re working within our vegan limits here.
Just combine some vegan mayo, a couple of spices and lime juice in a bowl. It is that easy and it tastes amazing. Almost like a fish taco-type of sauce!
How to assemble Vegan Lemon Pepper Chicken Tacos
To assemble, load up your tortillas (I recommend you heat your tortillas over an open flame, but in a pan on the stove works too) with the vegan chicken, kale avocado slaw and chili lime crema.
Make sure to have extra lime wedges, cilantro and hot sauce on hand and you are ready to eat.
These fillings would also make an amazing taco salad if you want to forgo the tortillas!
Need more taco inspo? Check out these recipes:
Vegan Lemon Pepper Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
FOR THE KALE AVOCADO SLAW
- 2 handfuls kale roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage roughly chopped
- 1/2 red onion roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE CHILI LIME CREMA
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2-1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN
- 6 oz vegan chicken strips un-breaded
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE TACOS
- 8 corn tortillas
- cilantro, lime wedges, hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the kale avocado slaw by adding all of the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Prepare the chili lime crema by adding all of the ingredients to a bowl (start with 1/2 a lime). Stir to combine and adjust salt, pepper and lime juice as needed.
- Slice the vegan chicken into thin strips (unless they are already bite-sized) and place in a bowl. Combine lemon pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour over the vegan chicken strips and toss to combine.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add vegan chicken to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until browned on both sides. Keep on low heat until you're ready to eat.
- Heat tortillas over an open flame or in a pan over medium heat.
- To serve, layer tortillas with slaw, vegan chicken and crema. Top with extra cilantro and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.
Video
Nutrition
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OMG!! We had these tonight are they were incredibly delicious! Everything from the slaw to the sauce so perfectly compliments each other, wow! I wish I had more room in my stomach to fit more! Haha! I’ve done a lot of your recipes and they never disappoint! Thank you for yet another mouth watering meal!
Thank you so much for the kind words! And I totally understand – there are some days I wish my stomach was a bottomless pit so I could eat ALL the vegan food 😂
This was delicious! I over mixed the coleslaw, so it became a sauce, but never the less, the tacos turned out delicious!
I’m visiting family, so we’re planning a taco night this coming Sunday— I’m going to make that coleslaw the right way!
Thanks for this wonderful and delicious recipe!
Also, for people wondering what vegan chicken to use— I used the “chicken” from Gardein’s Teriyaki Plant-Based Chick’n Strips— It comes with a packet of teriyaki sauce, which I didn’t use. The “chicken” turned out great!
So glad you liked it – even if the slaw didn’t turn out quite right. And yes, I love Gardein 🙌
What vegan chicken brand do you typically use? I havent found a good one yet.
I love Lightlife and Gardein!
Omg! Love this tacos so much. I couldn’t find vegan chicken at the store so I used black beans and mushrooms. The kale topping is amazing. Thank you so much!
Yum – that sounds like a super yummy swap for the vegan chicken! So glad you liked them 😊
These Tacos are so good!! My family raved over them! Can’t wait to make them again. By the way, I didn’t see the jalapeño listed in the ingredients for the kale slaw. Thought you’d like to know:) Thanks for all of the delicious recipes!
Good catch! I updated the ingredient list. And so glad everyone liked them!!!
Made this last night and it was awesome!! Loads of flavor in the kale avocado slaw which the meat eaters in our family had on their tacos.
We will definitely be adding this recipe to our rotation! Thank you!!
So glad everyone liked these! I’m all about that kale slaw right now too – I’m thinking of all kinds of things to add it to 🙂
Please share what other ways you have for the slaw!