Traditionally made with pork skin, this vegan chicharron recipe is going to blow your mind! The main ingredient is a staple in every meatless kitchen. Go on read below to see how to make this delicious vegan chicharron to use in your tacos, quesadillas, burritos, gorditas, sopes and even tamales — yes tamales!!
3whole serranos stem removed and seeded if desiredyou can add less for a milder salsa
3whole garlic clovespeeled
1extra small white onionquartered
1pinchfine sea salt adjust to taste
1handful fresh cilantroyou can include some of the stem too
½cupwater or the boiling broth
2½Tablespoonsolive or vegetable oil
Instructions
Instructions
The night before, place the tofu blocks in the freezer. I just freeze the whole container they come in, but you can also drain and freeze as desired. The next day defrost and press the blocks for 25 minutes to get as much of the liquid off as possible.
After pressing the tofu, cut into small cubes and set aside for a minute. In a large bowl combine the soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast and the cornstarch. Mix until well combined and you have a smooth sauce. Taste it to see if it’s to your liking and adjust if desired. Toss the tofu cubes into the bowl, making sure they’re well coated. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.
While you marinate the tofu prepare the salsa verde. In a large pot put the tomatillos, chiles, garlic and onion. Add enough water to cover them and allow to simmer until everything is soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies from the pot and place in a blender. Add the sea salt, cilantro and ½ cup of the boiling broth. Blend until you have a perfectly smooth salsa. If needed add more boiling broth.
In a large enough pan to fit all of the tofu cubes, heat the 2 ½ Tablespoons of oil. Once warm add the tofu cubes and saute until they’re as crispy as you can get them without burning. Try to get all of the sides cooked as best as possible. Once crispy add 2 cups of the salsa verde, mix and if you’d like a “saucier” chicharron you can add more salsa. Serve with refried beans, rice and tortillas, if desired.