BBQ Tofu Burritos
By Joann MacDonald of Woman in Real Life
National Burrito Day is celebrated each year on the first Thursday in April, but we all know every day is a good day to eat burritos. Wikipedia tells us that a burrito is “a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients.”
One of the great charms of the burrito is that it can be eaten by hand, with good wrapping technique (and possibly a helpful bit of tinfoil) to keep all the savory goodness together. Burritos are often filled with some type of meat, along with other ingredients such as rice, refried or whole beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa.
I don’t have the background or knowledge to boast of creating an authentic burrito. I’m using “burrito” here in this recipe to refer to a warm flour tortilla filled with savory and delicious plant-based ingredients.
For the vegan “meat” in this burrito recipe, I use frozen, defrosted tofu. Simply freeze the tofu in its original packaging. Thaw in the fridge overnight. You can skip this part of the process if time is an issue - I just find that freezing the tofu gives it a nice, chewy consistency that works well in a burrito.
Once the tofu is thawed, squeeze out any excess liquid with your fingers and fry the tofu in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Stir in your favorite vegan-friendly barbecue sauce and warm through. Then all that remains to do is assemble the burritos!
Spread vegan mayonnaise on warmed flour tortillas. Add the cooked tofu, cooked brown rice, black beans, sandwich sprouts and sriracha. This recipe is super easy to put together, especially if you cook the rice ahead of time. I recently started growing my own sprouts (it’s so easy!), so I was eager to add them to these burritos. You can also use shredded lettuce if you don’t have sprouts.
Barbecue sauce is a key ingredient and will affect the flavor of the burritos substantially, so choose your favorite blend of tangy, smoky and sweet. Of course, if you have the time and inclination, you can make your own simple barbecue sauce.
This burrito recipe is flexible - add vegan cheese shreds, diced tomatoes, vegan caesar dressing or whatever ingredients you fancy at the moment. These burritos make a filling and nutritious lunch on the go, with a good amount of fiber and plant-based protein. You could also serve BBQ Tofu Burritos for dinner with a hearty side salad.
BBQ Tofu Burritos
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 350g package extra-firm tofu, frozen, defrosted & drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup store-bought vegan-friendly barbecue sauce
4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (optional)
4 10-inch flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained
1 cup sandwich sprouts (such as alfalfa)
Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Break tofu into small chunks with your fingers. (You don’t have to press the tofu, but squeeze any excess liquid out with your hands before cooking.) Add to skillet and cook for 6-8 minutes or until gently browned.
Stir in barbecue sauce and heat through.
Spread each warm tortilla with 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise. Divide cooked tofu between the 4 tortillas, spreading down the middle of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup rice, ¼ cup black beans and ¼ cup sandwich sprouts. Drizzle on sriracha if desired.
Fold two ends of tortillas over filling and roll up, tucking in ingredients with your fingertips.
Serve with vegan sour cream and/or salsa, if desired.
