Vegan friendly fish tacos


Fish tacos. "Fish" tacos. Phish tacos (yikes.)? Shallow fried tofu, coated in English-style fish + chip batter, on a bed of red cabbage, freshly chopped cilantro and a spicy mayo. Plant based fish tacos, enough to feed a Canadian army of 2.

Yields: 6 fish tacos - though this recipe is easy to half or double!

Ingredients I : The Batter
1/2 cup Fish and Chips batter
1/4 cup ice cold water
1 ice cube

Ingredients II : The Tofu-Fish
1/2 block extra firm tofu, cut into triangles, strips or torn into bite-size chunks
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp old bay seasoning

Ingredients III : The Toppings
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Ingredients IV : The Sauce
3 tbsp dairy free mayo (my favourite is Vegenaise!)
1 tsp lime juice
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Considerably Optional
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped tomatos
- Skip the spicy sauce and go straight for mayo
- Finely chopped pickles


Did you know a ton of fish + chip battermixes are vegan friendly? They're primarily a flour of sorts (wheat, corn, rice, etc) in which you mix 2/3 cup of ice cold water to every 1 cup of batter mix. 

To start on Ingredients II often muck about with the batter mix directions and do 1/4 cup ice cold water to 1/2 cup batter mixture plus an ice cube. This does the trick wonderfully for half a block of extra firm tofu, or about 1 cup of dunkable proteins/vegetables. My favourite is the Club House brand.



For Ingredients II, slice/tear up your tofu or protein source, and throw it in a zip baggy with the lemon juice and old bay seasoning. Pop in the fridge while you prep your other toppings.


Prep Ingredients III, by thinly slicing your red cabbage and chopping up your cilantro.


Sort out your sauce. Add all of Ingredients IV together and stir well. Taste test for seasonings. Add in a little extra spices, mayo, garlic or lime juice if needed! 


Get ready to shallow fry your tofu. In a 6-8" non stick pan, place about 1/8"-1/4" oil in your pan and turn onto medium-high. 

Wait about 2 minutes for the oil to heat up. In the meantime, roll your marinaded tofu in your batter mixture (Ingredients I). 

Place a small piece of your battered tofu in the centre of the pan. In a moment or two you should hear some satisfying ttszzzz sizzling action.

Shallow fry on each side for a few minutes, or until each side is a crunchy golden brown.


Assemble your tacos - I start with the red cabbage, add cilantro, the fish, and drizzle with sauce. If you'd like, add some sliced avocado or a bit of habanero sauce!