Zesty tofu wraps filled with Southwestern-seasoned crispy baked tofu nuggets is a delicious and satisfying lunch or dinner! You won’t believe how crispy the tofu gets without using any oil! Get dinner on the table in one hour with this easy vegan recipe!
These Southwestern-inspired tofu wraps are filled with crispy baked tofu that’s coated in tex-mex seasonings, crisp romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, and hot sauce! You won’t believe how only a few simple ingredients make the tofu taste so dang good! It’s got the best texture and the edges get so perfectly crispy without using any oil!
This Southwest tofu wrap recipe is extremely simple to make, but it’s super flavorful and filling and you can customize it with whatever toppings that your family likes. These wraps can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner and the crispy tofu recipe is perfect for prepping in advance to have on hand for quick meals during the week.
Why Do You Press Tofu?
Before you make the tofu wrap, you need to press the tofu to get rid of the excess water that the tofu is sitting in inside of the package. You want the tofu to have a firm texture, so the water needs to be drained for this to happen. Tofu won’t taste like a squishy sponge if it has been pressed prior to being baked.
How To Make a Tofu Wrap
Begin by pressing one block of firm tofu in a tofu press over a plate (to catch the water) for 30 minutes (Photo 1). After 30 minutes, drain the tofu and lay the block of tofu on a parchment paper-lined tray (Photo 2 & 3). Use a sharp knife to cut the block of tofu into 4 slices that are 1-inch wide.
Next, cut the tofu block into 4 slices in the other direction. Then, lay the slices down and cut each row in half again. You should end up with 32 tofu cubes. (Photos 4-6).
Sprinkle low-sodium tamari evenly over the tofu cubes and use a large spoon to quickly toss the tofu cubes around the tray to absorb all of the tamari (Photos 7 & 8). This light coating of tamari seasons the tofu and it makes it wet so the dry seasonings will stick without using oil.
Sprinkle nutritional yeast and taco seasonings over the tofu cubes (Photos 9 & 10). Toss to coat each piece in the seasonings and arrange the tofu cubes into even rows on the tray (Photo 11). Bake the seasoned tofu for 30 minutes.
Remove the tray of baked tofu from the oven and let it cool for 1-2 minutes (Photo 12). Assemble the tofu wrap with crispy tofu cubes, romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, vegan sour cream, lime juice, and hot sauce. Enjoy!
More Tofu Wrap Filling Options
I filled the wrap with romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, vegan sour cream, and hot sauce, but you can use whatever toppings you like! Here are some more filling ideas for you to try:
- Spinach
- Butter Lettuce
- Arugula
- Roasted Mushrooms
- Bell Peppers
- Red Cabbage
- Avocado
- Black Beans
- Grilled Corn
- Fresh Cilantro
- Shredded Vegan Cheddar Cheese
- Crispy Tortilla Strips
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
You can store leftover cooked tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Learn more about storing tofu, here.
How to Reheat it
I like to put the tofu on a small parchment-lined tray and reheat it in the toaster oven instead of warming up the oven. Set the dial to “toast” for 2-3 minutes or until the tofu is warm and crispy. You can warm the tofu in the microwave but it might make the texture a little bit rubbery.
Can You Freeze it?
You can freeze tofu but the texture will change once the tofu has been frozen and defrosted. When you freeze tofu, the water in the tofu expands and forms large ice crystals. When you defrost the tofu, the ice crystals melt and leave big holes in the tofu. It still tastes delicious but the texture is much drier and it’s a little crumbly. I prefer to use this method when I’m making a tofu scramble because you’re breaking up the tofu into crumbles anyway.
Ways to Adapt this Recipe
Hands down, my favorite way to enjoy this crispy baked tofu is to add it to a wrap and stuff it with all the toppings! However, this savory tofu is very versatile, it’s a great source of plant-based protein, and it can be used to make a variety of recipes:
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos – Skip the black beans and add the crispy baked tofu cubes instead for a tasty twist.
- Buffalo Tofu Wrap: Take the tofu out of the oven after 20 minutes and toss it in 1 cup of vegan buffalo sauce and then put it back in the oven to cook for the remaining 10 minutes.
- Avocado Arugula Cherry Tomato Salad – Make this healthy salad side dish a main course by topping it with protein-rich baked tofu.
- Taco Salad – Make a big salad with romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, red onion, cilantro, and fresh lime juice and top the salad with the taco-seasoned tofu.
- Tofu Hummus Wrap – Add the baked tofu to a wrap filled with romaine lettuce, roasted vegetables, roasted red pepper hummus, and quinoa.
- Spicy Tofu Wrap: Add a drizzle of vegan chipotle mayo to the wrap to give it a spicy kick!
- Tofu Lettuce Wraps – Crispy baked tofu nuggets would be a delicious addition to these veggie quinoa lettuce wraps.
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad – Make this quinoa salad a more substantial meal by topping it with a serving of crispy baked tofu.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Tamari Substitutions: Instead of low-sodium tamari, you can use coconut aminos, soy sauce, or soy-free soy sauce.
- Where Can I Find Nutritional Yeast? You can get nutritional yeast at most grocery stores in a package or in the bulk section. I like the nooch from Trader Joe’s or this non-GMO nutritional yeast from Amazon.
- Can I Make Homemade Taco Seasoning? You can use a jar of pre-made taco seasoning (pick one that has no salt in the ingredient list) or you can make it yourself with this recipe.
Success Tips
- I think that firm tofu has the best consistency for this baked tofu recipe. You could also use extra firm tofu, but don’t use silken tofu because it’s too soft. I buy 4-packs of organic tofu from Costco because it’s good quality, it has the best texture, and it’s the best price that I’ve found anywhere.
- Don’t skip pressing the tofu! If you do, the tofu won’t turn out crispy and the texture will be soft and mushy.
- Line your baking tray with unbleached parchment paper so the tofu won’t stick to the tray and it makes clean up a breeze.
- You can use any size tortilla for the tofu wrap, but large tortillas are the best to use if you want to roll up and seal the wrap. Smaller tortillas can be used but it will more of a taco rather than a wrap.
- Store leftover tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
More Vegan Tofu Recipes You’ll Love!
Roasted Cauliflower Tofu Tacos
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Baked Southwest Tofu Wrap
Equipment
- Large Baking Tray
- Tofu Press
Ingredients
- 14 oz block firm tofu pressed
- 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp salt-free taco seasoning
- 6 large tortillas
- 6 cups romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- 3 medium roma tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced
- 2 small limes
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream (I used Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Press a block of firm tofu in a tofu press over a plate (to catch the water) for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, drain the tofu and lay the block of tofu on a parchment paper lined tray. Use a sharp knife to cut the block of tofu into 4 slices that are 1-inch wide.
- Next, cut the tofu block into 4 slices the other direction. Then, lay each row down flat and cut each row in half again. You should end up with 32 1-inch x 1-inch tofu cubes.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp of low-sodium tamari evenly over the tofu cubes and use a large spoon to quickly toss the tofu cubes around the tray to absorb all of the tamari. This light coating of tamari seasons the tofu and it makes it wet so the dry seasonings will stick without using oil.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and 1 tbsp of taco seasonings over the tofu cubes. Toss to coat each piece of tofu in the dried seasonings. Arrange the tofu cubes into even rows on the tray and bake it for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tray of tofu from the oven and let it cool for 1-2 minutes before assembling the wraps. Build each wrap with romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, vegan sour cream, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Notes
- I think that firm tofu has the best consistency for this baked tofu recipe. You could also use extra firm tofu, but don't use silken tofu because it's too soft. I buy 4-packs of organic tofu from Costco because it's good quality, it has the best texture, and it's the best price that I've found anywhere.
- Don't skip pressing the tofu! If you do, the tofu won't turn out crispy and the texture will be soft and mushy.
- Line your baking tray with unbleached parchment paper so the tofu won't stick to the tray and it makes clean up a breeze.
- Store leftover tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 9/23/19, but I updated it on 6/22/20.
What spices would I use to make my own taco seasoning please.
Hi, Pam! I included a link to a recipe to make your own taco seasoning in the “Notes” section. Hope that helps!
Would this work in an air fryer? It seems like it should. If so, any suggestions or shall I forge ahead and report back?
Hi Ruchama! I haven’t tried making this tofu in the air fryer but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, I bet it would be even crispier! YUM! Please let me know how it turns out for you =)
All the tofu sold where I live (Colima, Mexico) is Silken which I know is too soft too press or to use for this recipe. Any suggestions-I’d really like to make this.
Oh no, that’s such a bummer! Can you order firm tofu online?
The recipe doesn’t mention the oven temperature.
Hey, Irene! Sorry about that, I just fixed it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees!