The Best Banh Mi Tacos Recipe Has Air Fryer Tofu
Once you pair yummy banh mi flavors with savory tacos, this dish will secure a permanent place with your Taco Tuesday recipes. Let the joy of Asian fusion tacos commence with this tasty tofu banh mi recipe!
What are fusion tacos? Well, fusion cuisine is food that combines culinary elements from different countries or cultures and is a wonderfully delicious thing. For this fusion recipe, we combine delectable elements of Mexican tacos and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches to make Banh Mi Tacos that can be made using an air fryer!
If you aren’t familiar with the banh mi sandwich, it originated as a popular street food in Saigon after French imperialists brought the baguette along with them. Then, when millions of refugees and immigrants left Vietnam in the 1970s, they brought their skills and delicious culinary arts to countries around the globe. Today, the banh mi sandwich has taken the world by storm and people can be found enjoying these delightful sandwiches in shops from Houston to Paris to Campbelltown.
Because these sandwiches are so delectable and because we love bringing great fusion recipes to our meal plan menus, they inspired us to create a whole new fusion taco recipe. We let the tortillas, lime juice, and cilantro of Mexican tacos meet the banh mi sauce, tofu, and carrots of Vietnamese street food.
And, before you raise a skeptical eyebrow at the use of tofu in tacos, we are willing to bet that this recipe’s crisp and golden tofu can convert even the most hesitant eaters. So get ready for a delicious adventure and bring new excitement to your Taco Tuesdays!
Tofu can be cooked in many ways, but this recipe makes use of an air fryer. Why an air fryer? Because it has the ability to take tender tofu and transform it into beautifully golden cubes that have just the right texture of crispy edges. Also, when you cook tofu up in an air fryer, you don’t have to deal with tofu getting stuck to the pan!
To learn the first step in making great tofu with any cooking method, watch the How to Prep Tofu video below.
Prepping Smarts
- Whether you’ve never cooked with tofu well before or you can’t find pre-shredded carrots in the grocery store, our short videos (which are always available in all of our weekly meal plan recipes) have got you covered!
How to Prepare Tofu
Learn how to prep and cook tofu the right way with this short video.
How to Shred Root Veggies in a Food Processor
In this video we show you just how easy it is to grate veggies in your food processor.
Equipment Smarts
- If you don’t have an air fryer as one of your kitchen appliances yet, now is a great time to get one! This machine makes quick, convenient, and healthy cooking an easy, everyday option and can end up saving you hundreds of dollars and hundreds of calories!
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Ingredients
- Tofu, extra firm (vacuum packed preferable) - 16 oz, cubed
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Rice vinegar - 2 tsp + 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 2 tsp
- Honey - 2 tsp
- Sesame oil, toasted - 1 tsp
- Sesame seeds, white - 2 tsp
- Tortillas, taco-sized corn or flour - 12
- Lime 1, sliced into wedges
- Cilantro leaves - 1 Tbsp
- Sugar - 1½ tsp
- Coleslaw mix - 6 oz (sub thinly sliced cabbage)
- Carrots, shredded - 5 oz (look for pre-shredded carrots in the produce section)
- Mayonnaise - ¼ cup
- Sriracha - 2 tsp
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
Instructions
Prep
- Prep tofu – If tofu is packaged in water, press out liquid. Slice into 1” / 2.5 cm cubes.
- Make banh mi sauce – Chop garlic. Mix garlic with first portion of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Add tofu and gently toss together until tofu is coated with sauce. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the slaw.
- Make Asian slaw – In a large bowl, whisk together the second portion of rice vinegar and sugar. Add coleslaw mix and carrots and toss several times to coat well. Refrigerate slaw until ready to serve.
Make
- A few minutes before cooking, preheat the air fryer to 400F / 204C. (It should take about 5 minutes for the air fryer to heat up.)
- Use a slotted spoon to remove tofu from marinade (discard marinade) and transfer to the air fryer. Cook tofu, shaking the basket halfway through cooking, until golden brown, 12 to 17 minutes.
- While tofu is cooking, whisk together mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lime juice. Taste and add more Sriracha if you’d like more spice.
- Just before serving, warm tortillas according to package directions.
- Assemble tacos by filling tortillas with slaw and tofu. Top with cilantro leaves and Sriracha mayo. Serve banh mi tacos with extra lime wedges on the side.
A little note:
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Now, if you love this tofu banh mi recipe for fusion tacos and want more ideas for your air fryer, check out our 13 Best Air-Fried Foods article, our Air Fryer Salmon with Panko Crust, and our Air Fryer Cooking Cheat Sheet for how to cook dozens of everyday foods. Also, consider joining our meal plan, where members receive exciting, healthy, and streamlined menus each week!
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