These Crispy Sheet Pan Tacos with Barbecue Tofu are a fast, flavor-packed weeknight dinner. I tried making the viral crispy smash tacos for my family, but standing over the stove cooking one taco at a time was way too slow. It's even harder with a meatless option because the tofu sticks to the skillet or falls off the tortilla when flipping.
I knew there had to be a better way! This hands-off sheet pan method uses a hot baking sheet to crisp the tortillas on the bottom—while baking them all at once so everyone can eat together. Each taco is loaded with sticky barbecue tofu and a cooling, tangy slaw for the perfect bite.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Feeds everyone at once: Forget crisping up tacos one at a time in a skillet! This clever sheet pan method means all your tacos are hot, crispy, and ready to serve together.
- A better tofu technique: Sautéing the tofu in a skillet quickly cooks off water so the tofu drinks up the sauce. Piling and pressing the sticky tofu onto the tortillas helps it cling. And there's no pan flipping needed, so you won't lose any delicious filling.
- Flavor-packed: Sticky, smoky barbecue sauce adds incredible flavor to high-protein tofu. Then a crisp, cooling slaw gets tucked into warm, crispy tortillas.
- Fast: This delicious dinner is on the table in just 30 minutes.
- Crowd-pleasing and family-friendly: Kids and adults alike love the familiar, sweet and smoky barbecue flavors. Plus, it's easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
- Vegetarian and Vegan: This recipe delivers 18 grams of protein without any meat! Just use vegan mayo in the slaw to keep the whole meal plant-based.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
Here are the ingredients you need to make these crispy sheet pan tacos. Plus some easy ingredient swaps!
- Tofu: Use extra-firm tofu. It has the least moisture, which helps the tofu get nice and crispy in your skillet. Be sure to crumble it into tiny pieces so it cooks quickly and clings together in the sauce.
- Barbecue Sauce: Choose a store-bought brand you love. If your family loves sauce as much as mine does, bring extra to the table! They can drizzle more on top of the tacos.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage has a nice color contrast with the smoky barbecue tofu. But feel free to swap red cabbage or user a pre-shredded coleslaw mix to save time.
- Dijon Mustard: Grainy dijon mustard is my go-to for the slaw dressing. Smooth dijon or regular yellow mustard also work, if that's what you have on hand.
- Cornstarch: Mixing cornstarch with cold water makes a slurry. Stirring this into the tofu helps the barbecue sauce cling better. In testing, making the tofu sticky like this was the best way to keep most of the tofu from tumbling out when you fold your tacos.
- Tortillas: Small flour tortillas are best because they're soft and fold better. Some brands don't brown as much as others. If yours need a little help, check out my tip in the recipe card for how to crisp them up more without cracking.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Want more vegan barbecue recipes? Try my Barbecue Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches, Veggie Pulled Pork Nachos, and Healthier Homemade BBQ Sauce.
How to make Crispy Tacos with Barbecue Tofu
This sheet pan recipe is surprisingly easy to make! Just 30 minutes from start to finish. Here's how to do it:
1. Mix the slaw together in a glass bowl. Set aside in the fridge.
2. Use your fingertips or a potato masher to crumble the tofu into tiny pieces.
3. Cook crumbled tofu in a nonstick skillet until crisp and golden brown.
4. Add cornstarch slurry and barbecue sauce to the tofu. Remove from heat.
5. Place tortillas on a oiled baking sheet. Divide tofu on top. Press down to spread.
6. Bake until tortillas are slightly crisp. Garnish with slaw, extra barbecue sauce, then fold in half and serve.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Crumble the tofu very small: This is an important step! And it's much easier to crumble the tofu to the right size before adding it to the pan. Large chunks of tofu won't get as crispy and they won't cling together very well. Aim for pieces no bigger than the size of a green pea.
- Use a potato masher if you have: A potato masher makes quick work of crumbling the tofu. If you don't have one, simply use your hands instead.
- Remember to preheat the baking sheet: Placing the baking sheet in the oven while it heats, helps crisp up the tortillas quickly. It also helps prevent sticking. You don't want to bake the tortillas too long in the oven, because it dries them out and they can crack more easily when you fold them.
- Use a nonstick skillet: You don't want the tofu to stick to the pan. While a well-seasoned cast iron pan does work—I find a regular nonstick skillet outperforms it. It's less likely to stick and you have less scorching issues (which cast iron is prone to because it gets really hot the longer it's on the stove).
- Press the tofu firmly: Don't be afraid to press down on the tofu with your silicon flipper/spatula before baking. This helps compress the tofu onto the tortilla and to itself, so it doesn't all fall out when you fold the taco.
- Work quickly when folding: Fold the tortillas as soon as they come out of the oven. Hot tortillas are soft and easy to fold, but they will stiffen up as they cool which can lead to cracking.
- Extra crispy: If the outside of your tortillas aren't as crispy as you'd like, rather than leaving them in the oven longer, simply crisp them up for a couple minutes in a lightly buttered (or oiled) skillet. You can usually nestle all the folded tortillas in the skillet, so it's pretty quick to do!
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Recipe FAQ's
You probably need to crumble your tofu into smaller pieces. Tiny crumbles have more surface area, which helps them crisp up faster. Also, make sure you use a large skillet (at least 10-inches) so you don't overcrowd it.
If it's not crispy enough, you can always cook the tofu for longer! Make sure it's to your liking before adding the cornstarch slurry and barbecue sauce.
Don't worry, every brand of flour tortilla seems to brown a bit differently! If yours aren't as crunchy as you'd like out of the oven, just pop the folded tacos into a warm skillet with a bit of butter or oil. Cook on both sides until golden. You can fit all (or most) of the folded tacos in one large skillet, so it's super quick!
If you have leftover folded tacos, let them cool then pop them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to eat, reheat them in a warm skillet with a bit of oil or butter until both sides have crisped up again.
More vegan / vegetarian taco recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Barbecue Tofu Tacos (Sheet Pan)
Ingredients
Slaw
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (vegan, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard (see note 1)
- 1½ cups shredded green cabbage (see note 2)
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives (or green onions, optional)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Barbecue Tofu Tacos
- 1 lb extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅔ cup barbecue sauce (more for serving)
- 6 small flour tortillas (about 6-in/15 cm, see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat: Place 1 large baking sheet in the oven (see note 4). Preheat oven to 425℉ (218℃).
- Make Slaw: In a medium bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard. Scatter in 1½ cups shredded green cabbage, ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion, and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives (if using). Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the fridge.
- Crumble Tofu: Use your fingers or a potato masher to to crumble 1 lb extra firm tofu. Make sure the pieces are no larger than a pea.
- Cook Tofu: Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (see note 5). Add 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add crumbled tofu, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring infrequently, until the tofu is crisp and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk together ⅓ cup cold water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Pour over tofu and toss quickly to coat. Once it bubbles, turn off heat. Pour in ⅔ cup barbecue sauce and stir well to coat.
- Bake: Carefully take the hot baking sheet out of the oven and quickly brush it with 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. (Use more oil if you're using multiple baking sheets). Lay 6 small flour tortillas on top. Divide the warm barbecue tofu onto the tortillas. Use a silicon spatula to press the tofu firmly down onto the tortilla. Bake until the bottom of the tortillas are golden, about 5 minutes (see note 5).
- Fold and Serve: Scatter some of the slaw into each tortilla, then use the spatula/turner to fold each tortilla in half. Serve.
Notes
- Dijon Mustard: Grainy dijon mustard is my favorite here. You can use smooth dijon or yellow mustard if that's what you have at home.
- Cabbage: I love Savoy cabbage for its soft, crinkly green leaves and mild taste. Regular green cabbage is great too. You can substitute red cabbage or use a pre-shredded coleslaw mix.
- Tortillas: Flour tortillas work best because they fold more easily without cracking. Six small 6-inch tortillas fit perfectly on a standard half-sheet baking pan (18x13-in). If your tortillas are larger, you may need to use two baking sheets instead.
- Preheating Baking Sheet: A hot baking sheet will prevent sticking and toast the tortillas quickly. (You don't want to bake the tortillas int he oven for too long, otherwise they can dry out and crack). If you forget to preheat, use more oil—and you may need to toast the tortillas a bit more after folding (see note 6).
- Skillet: I recommend a nonstick skillet—after testing both a nonstick skillet and well-seasoned cast iron pan. If you have to use cast iron, make sure it's very hot before adding the tofu, use more oil, and watch the heat closely to prevent burning. Use a skillet at least 10-inches (25 cm) in diameter to provide enough surface area for the tofu to crisp up.
- Extra Toasting: Different tortilla brands brown differently. Don't leave them in the oven too long, or they will get too stiff to fold. If you want them extra crispy, put the folded tacos in a skillet with a bit of butter or oil over medium heat. Toast one or both sides as desired. You can usually fit most (if not all) of the folded tacos into the skillet, so it's fast to do!
- Storage Tips: You can store extra folded tacos in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply re-crisp them in a warm skillet with a bit of butter or oil.
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