Seitan Tacos, made with a soy-lime glaze and served with mango and chipotle aioli, are highly addictive. (Don't say I didn't warn you!) They come together in a flash, so they're great for dinner on busy weeknights. This vegan recipe is super easy to make.
Jenna's Soy-Lime Seitan Tacos
Waaaaaaay back before I gave up meat, tacos were made with ground beef. And when I went vegetarian, they were made with either black beans or veggie crumbles. As a vegan, I like to experiment with my taco fillings and their accompanying toppings. Nothing is off limits!
I can't take credit for this recipe, though. My friend Jenna from Good Good Things came up with it yeeeaaars ago, for a cooking demo we did at the Bethlehem VegFest. If you ask me, she's a culinary genius. I mean, lime glazed seitan with mango? Who would have thought it would be such a winning combo? Jenna, that's who!
Our friend Jaime asked us to do the demo, and were both super nervous, as it was the first time we had "performed" in front of such a large crowd. You know when you're so nervous you think you might lose your lunch? It was that kind of nervousness. The staff was super helpful, and everything ran really smoothly. As is usually the case, the anxiety we felt ahead of time was far worse than the actual event.
These delicious tacos came together really quickly and the audience loved them. And I loved them so much that I make them them at home from time to time. They're so easy to make, that there's really no excuse not to make them.
What is Seitan?
Seitan is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten. It actually looks quite a bit like meat, and it can be used in recipes that might traditionally be made with beef or pork. It’s a good main dish option for those who might suffer from soy sensitivities, and it’s very high in protein.
It is believed that seitan originated in ancient China by strict vegetarian Buddhist monks, although the name “seitan” didn't come about until the early 1960s. It's believed to have been coined by George Ohsawa.
How to Cut a A Mango
Cutting a mango can be tricky, because the pit is large and difficult to locate. The pit is long and flat and runs down the center of the mango. To cut your mango:
- First you stand it upright on one end on a cutting board. You’ll be able to see the indents around the pit on the top.
- Then you slice the flesh away from either side of the pit.
- Next you make crosshatched cuts about 1 inch apart in each mango half, being careful not to cut through the skin.
- Finally, you use a spoon to scoop the mango cubes out of the skin. Then, discard the skin. (I throw mine outside for the squirrels.)
How to Make Soy-Lime Seitan Tacos
These tacos couldn't be easier to make!
- First you heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You add the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- You then stir in sliced seitan, lower the heat to medium, and cook 5-7 minutes until the seitan starts to brown and the onions are mostly cooked.
- Next you Pour in the soy sauce and lime juice and cook 1 minute to combine flavors.
- To make the aioli, you combine the vegan mayonnaise, chipotle powder, lime juice, and salt in a bowl.
- Finally you assemble your tacos, by laying out all the tortillas. Spread a heaping spoonful of the chipotle aioli in the middle of each tortilla. Portion out the soy-lime seitan on top of the aioli, and then load on the lettuce, mango, cilantro, and tomatoes.
How to Customize your Soy-Lime Seitan Tacos
It's easy to customize these tacos to your liking!
- You can use store bought seitan or you can follow Jenna's recipe to make your own.
- I like to use my homemade tofu mayo in this recipe, but you can buy store-bought vegan mayo, if you don't want to make your own.
- If you're lucky enough to find jarred vegan chipotle mayonnaise, you skip the aioli step in the recipe and use it instead. Vegenaise makes a super delish version. I've seen others from Plant Junkie, Sir Kensington's, and Only Plant Based, but I haven't tried any of them.
- Jenna said these tacos would be delish made with pineapple instead of mango.
- If you follow a gluten-free diet, but really want to try this recipe, use half a bag of reconstituted Soy Curls in the place of the seitan. Make sure you use gluten-free tamari and wheat-free tortillas.
Soy-Lime Seitan Tacos with Mango and Chipotle Aioli
Ingredients
For the Taco Filling
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium-sized red onion thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces seitan sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Chipotle Lime Aioli
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Serving
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup diced mango or pineapple
- 2 tomatoes chopped into small dice
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 8 6-inch soft tortillas
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in sliced seitan, lower the heat to medium, and cook 5-7 minutes until the seitan starts to brown and the onions are mostly cooked. Pour in the soy sauce and lime juice and cook 1 minute more to combine flavors.
- For the aioli, combine the vegan mayonnaise, chipotle powder, lime juice, and salt in a bowl.
- To assemble your tacos, lay out all the tortillas. Spread a heaping spoonful of the chipotle aioli in the middle of each tortilla. Portion out the soy-lime seitan on top of the aioli, and then load on the lettuce, mango, cilantro, and tomatoes.
More Taco Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:
Other Seitan Recipes You might Like Include:
- Seitan Skewers with Chimichurri and Jalapeno Lime Aioli
- Vegan Gyro with Tahini Sauce
- Slow Cooker Seitan Stew
- French Mustard Seitan
Maria Tadic
I love seitan! I wish I saw more recipes with it! But I'm excited for these tacos and to check out your friend's blog! Thanks for sharing!
Sal
I would never think to put mango on a taco but hell yeah, that looks rad!