Spicy Tofu Scramble Tacos (Oil-Free)

The recipe is easy to make and works great as a savory and spicy vegan breakfast.  Make breakfast tacos out of the spiced tofu scramble, pile it on toast, or make a burrito out of it.  This is not your classic tofu scramble recipe; it uses jalapeños, green bell pepper, hominy, and a combination of spices for a flavorful spicy breakfast.

Tofu tastes bland, so we use a combination of spices, including chili powder, chipotle powder, and smoked paprika, to pack every bite of tofu with flavor.  The scrambled spicy tofu recipe includes hominy and chipotle powder, which might be my new favorite spice.  Hominy has a mild nutty-earthy flavor and a chewy texture.  The chipotle powder gives some heat and smokiness to these tofu breakfast tacos.  For more ways to flavor tofu, try marinated oil-free tofu, tofu meat crumbles, or Hatch green chile tofu scramble with potatoes. For more healthy recipes, check out our post for easy vegan meal ideas.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The tofu scramble tacos use simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Large onion - Dice one large onion.  We prefer to use a yellow onion, but a red onion should work fine.

Green bell pepper - Cook one diced green bell pepper with the onion and jalapeños.  If you need a substitute, you can try a yellow bell pepper, I wouldn't use a red bell pepper since they are sweeter.

Jalapeños - Finely dice two jalapeños, and keep the seeds and ribs in to make the dish spicy.

Hominy - Use white or yellow hominy.  Hominy can be found dried or in cans and the most common varieties are white and yellow.  If you haven't had hominy, it can usually be found near the canned beans in the grocery store.  For convenience, we use canned hominy, which is cooked.  

If you can't find hominy for these tofu scramble tacos, I wouldn't recommend substituting with corn for this particular recipe.  They are similar but they don't have the same texture or flavor.  Black beans or white beans do not taste like hominy at all but will work in this recipe as a variation if you can't find hominy.  Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the spicy tofu scramble recipe.

Firm tofu - Firm or extra-firm tofu can be used, but not soft or silken tofu.  Extra firm tofu has less water content than firm tofu, so it might not take as long to cook the excess liquid out.  Drain the tofu but there's no need to press it, the moisture will be cooked out in the pan.

Chili powder (salt-free)- Use the spice blend, not chili flakes or cayenne pepper.  This is for more heat and to flavor the tofu.  We use a salt-free blend, if yours does contain salt, you may want to reduce the amount the recipe calls for.  The kind of chili powder you use for this spicy tofu scramble will have a lot to do with how spicy the tofu turns out.  Some store-bought chili powders can be a bit bland, so our favorite is a homemade version using cayenne pepper.

Spices - Add garlic powder, turmeric powder, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and salt to flavor the tofu.  Himalayan black salt is optional and add it if you want the eggy taste.

How to make spicy tofu scramble

For oil-free cooking, sauté the onion, green bell pepper, and jalapeños in a preheated non-stick large skillet over medium heat. If you don't have a nonstick pan, you may need to add a ¼ cup of water when cooking the veggies for oil-free cooking.  Or use a neutral-tasting oil.

Cook for about 7-8 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the peppers have softened.  Add a tablespoon of water at a time if the veggies start sticking.  

There's no need to press the tofu or rinse the hominy.  Drain the excess water from the block of tofu and crumble it into the pan.  Break up any large chunks of crumbled tofu with your spatula or use a potato masher.  Add the drained hominy to the tofu mixture.

Add all of the seasonings to the pan except the black salt and stir to combine. Turn down the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes uncovered for the flavors to combine and remove excess liquid from the tofu.  Stir occasionally. The scramble is done when it still has a soft texture but the excess liquid is cooked out.  Don't cook it until it's completely dried out.

Stir in the black salt and serve with tortillas.

Vegan breakfast recipes

• Oil-Free Potato Hash

More tofu recipes

• Easy marinated tofu (oil-free)
• Crispy oven-baked tofu (oil-free)
• Hatch green chile tofu scramble
• Tofu meat crumbles