Inspired by Chipotle, my Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos are delicious, and seasoned to perfection! The best part? They’re so flavorful and savory, you’ll never even know they’re vegan!

Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos

Ya’ll … I’ve been on a taco bender these past few weeks. Funny enough, my wife and I are on vacation in Mexico City and the vegan tacos here are insanely good. That being said, I’m super excited to share my version of Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos! Inspired by Chipotle (I know they’re not authentic, but you gotta admit they’re damn tasty), these tacos are savory, juicy, and downright addicting!

Grab a cold one and let’s get to cooking the best vegan Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos!

what is Barbacoa?

Generally speaking, Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in present day Puerto Rico with the Taíno people, who called it barbaca, from which the term “barbecue” derives.

In contemporary Mexico, it customarily refers to meats or whole sheep or whole goats slow-cooked over an open fire or, more traditionally, in a hole dug in the ground covered with agave (maguey) leaves, although the interpretation is loose, and in the present day (and in some cases) may refer to meat steamed until tender. This meat is known for its high fat content and strong flavor, often accompanied with onions and cilantro.

While my version is nowhere near its traditional counterpart, I’m calling it Barbacoa-Inspired because, well, it’s inspired by Chipotle’s Barbacoa. And today (at least in the US), most people refer to Barbacoa as meat that’s cooked in its juices and smoky spices until it’s nice and tender — and that’s kind what we’re doing with my vegan-friendly version!

what goes in Barbacoa-inspired tacos (plus substitutions)

the marinade:

• Guajillo chiles: I find these pretty accessible at most grocery stores and Mexican grocery stores. You can also purchase them on Amazon. If you’re unable to get Guajillo chiles, you can replace the with dried Ancho chiles, dried Pasilla peppers, or dried California chiles.
• Vegan beef broth: Vegan beef broth typically comes in a cube bouillon form, powder, and as a base, which has a paste like texture. One of the brands I purchase is Better Than Bouillon, which you can find at many health foods stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, in the same aisle as the broths. Another brand I love are the Edward & Sons cubes, which I find are more readily available in larger supermarkets as well as health food stores. You can also find artificial beef broth powder at most Asian markets and on Amazon. To make a broth, simply mix the bouillon with water according to directions. If you’re unable to find vegan beef broth, you can sub for vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• White onion
• Apple cider vinegar: You can sub for white vinegar
• Chipotles in adobo sauce
• Garlic
• Dried Mexican oregano
• Dried cumin: you can sub 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Whole clove: you can sub 1/2 teaspoon ground clove

the tacos:

• Tofu: this is the ‘meat’. You’re more than welcome to use soy curls or mushrooms, though! If using soy curls, make sure to rehydrate them according two their directions. And if using mushrooms, I advice using oyster or mistake. Shred them with your hands and prepare according to directions.
• Avocado oil: any neutral oil will do such canola, vegetable, or grapeseed
• Maggi seasoning sauce: this is mostly for color, so feel free to omit it if you want or sub for a couple dashes of dark soy sauce.
• Corn tortillas: you can sub for flour, but I highly recommend corn for these!
• Vegan mozzarella shreds
• White onion
• Cilantro
• Fresh limes

how to make Barbacoa-inpired tacos

This recipe is so easy! Most of the time is spent marinating! Here’s how to make em!

1. Press Your tofu and Marinate:

Drain and press the tofu. Meanwhile, rehydrate the chiles and drain them. Then place them into a high-powered blender with the broth and the rest of the marinade ingredients. Pulse until smooth (see recipe notes). Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Once the tofu is drained, using your hands or the large side of a cheese grater, crumble the tofu into a large bowl. Pour in the marinade and give it a good mix to ensure the tofu is full coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. cook:

Heat some oil in a  large skillet, add the seasoned tofu and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the tofu starts to crisp around the edges

3. build:

To build your tacos, heat a couple more teaspoons in the skillet and working in batches, add tortillas, some vegan cheese shreds and a few spoonfuls of the “barbacoa” tofu. Carefully fold the tortillas into tacos and cook on each side until crispy. Transfer the tacos to a plate and continue, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Fill your tacos with cilantro and onion and serve alongside fresh lime wedges. Enjoy!

more taco recipes to try

• Vegan Fish Tacos
• Caribbean-Inspired Cauliflower Tacos
• Mushroom Asada Tacos with Pistachio Gremolata
• Vegan Birria Tacos
• Chipotle-Maple Cauliflower Tacos

Taco Tuesday … or taco everyday 

If you make these Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos for your next Taco Tuesday (or any day for that matter), I’d love to see! Snap a photo or a video, share it on Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. The best part of recipe development is seeing all of your amazing recreations of my recipes! Til next time, friends!

XOXO!

Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos

Ashley

Inspired by Chipotle, my Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos are delicious, and seasoned to perfection! The best part? They’re so flavorful and savory, you’ll never even know they’re vegan!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 4 hours hrs

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Vegan

Cuisine Tacos

Servings 8 -10 Tacos

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Tofu & Marinade:

• • 1 16-ounce block of extra firm tofu, drained
• • 3 dried guajillo chiles
• • 1 cup vegan beef broth see recipe notes
• • ½ white onion roughly chopped
• • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• • 2 chipotles in adobo sauce plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
• • 4 cloves garlic
• • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• • 2 teaspoons dried cumin
• • 1 teaspoon salt
• • 1 whole clove

Tacos:

• • 5 tablespoons avocado oil divided
• • Maggi seasoning sauce optional
• • 8-10 6-inch corn tortillas
• • Vegan mozzarella shredded cheese
• • Diced onion for serving
• • Finely chopped cilantro for serving
• • Fresh lime wedges for serving

Instructions

 

• Start by pressing your tofu. If you don’t have a tofu press, you need a kitchen towel, something flat like a cutting board, a large pan, and some heavy things to serve as weights—like a few large cans. Wrap the tofu completely in the towel to absorb any excess liquid that will release and place it on a plate. Place the cutting board on top of the tofu so the pan has something flat to sit on. Place the pan on the cutting board, then load the cans into the pan—leave them there to press the tofu for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rehydrate the dried chiles in boiling hot water for 15 minutes, drain and remove as many of the seeds as you can (I find it’s easier once they’re rehydrated), and place them into a high-powered blender with the broth and the rest of the marinade ingredients. Pulse until smooth (see recipe notes). Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Once the tofu is drained, using your hands or the large side of a cheese grater, crumble the tofu into a large bowl. Pour in the marinade and give it a good mix to ensure the tofu is full coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• To prepare your tacos, heat 3 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned tofu and a couple dashes of Maggi (if using) and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the tofu starts to crisp around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.
• Heat a couple more teaspoons in the skillet and working in batches, add tortillas, some vegan cheese shreds and a few spoonfuls of the “barbacoa” tofu. Carefully fold the tortillas into tacos and cook on each side until crispy. Transfer the tacos to a plate and continue, adding more oil to the pan as necessary.
• Fill your tacos with cilantro and onion and serve alongside fresh lime wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Vegan beef broth typically comes in a cube bouillon form, powder, and as a base, which has a paste like texture. One of the brands I purchase is Better Than Bouillon, which you can find at many health foods stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, in the same aisle as the broths. Another brand I love is Edward & Sons cubes, which I find are more readily available in larger supermarkets as well as health food stores. You can also find artificial beef broth powder at most Asian markets and on Amazon, which I’ve linked within the blog post. To make a broth, simply mix the bouillon with water according to directions.
2. I have a high-powered blender, which is why my recipe doesn’t call to strain the marinade. If you’re using a regular blender or food processor like I did in the video, feel free to strain it through a fine mesh sieve.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!