Korean-Style Tacos, made with Sweet Earth Brand Traditional Seitan (+bonus news!)

Can we talk tacos for a minute? Tacos are pretty much the most perfect food. Grab a tortilla, select a plant-based protein, add some herbs, a creamy sauce or salsa and veggies and BAM you have something amazing in your hands. There are endless options for what to put in tacos, and I’m always on the lookout for new ideas. Most recently, Sweet Earth brand’s Traditional Seitan slices inspired me to come up with these vibrant, Korean-style tacos, full of great texture and flavor!

That is Bulgogi-style seitan you see here, which is made with these marinade components listed below:

This marinade gives you a little bit of sweet, salty, umami and spice. After grating up and combining all of these ingredients together, I sliced up and tossed the Sweet Earth seitan into it, allowing it to marinate overnight. Because this seitan has a slight varying degrees of thickness, it produced an interesting end result: some pieces were thick and juicy, while other were thin and crispy around the edges. Since this seitan is pre-cooked, it just needs a quick saute (preferably in a cast-iron pan if you’ve got one) … that’s it!

This marinated seitan and isn’t just for tacos. This would also work well in a rice or noodle bowl or tossed into a sandwich. You can even throw the marinated seitan into a crock pot on low for 4-6 hours for an even easier method to create a softer-textured seitan. If you take that route, you may want to add a little vegetable stock to make sure your seitan has enough liquid to simmer in. Either serve straight out of the crock pot or give it a quick saute for some contrasting texture.

More on Sweet Earth brand’s seitan (which they have been handcrafting since 1978): in addition to being delicious, versatile and convenient, it’s non-GMO, rich in protein (29 grams a serving) and low in fat! I am obsessed with their Benevolent Bacon (check out my vegan bacon, egg and cheese biscuit here), and there are always a few Big Sur breakfast burritos in my freezer for those mornings (or evenings) when I just want something super tasty and convenient to eat).

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Korean-Style Tacos

Prep 15 mins

Cook 20 mins

Inactive 12 hours

Total 12 hours, 35 mins

Author olivesfordinner.com

Yield 2 servings

These delicious tacos are made with Sweet Earth brand Traditional Seitan Slices, drenched in a sweet, salty and garlicky marinade then lightly sauteed. 

Ingredients

for the Bulgogi-style seitan

• One, 8-oz. package of Sweet Earth brand Traditional Seitan Slices
• 1/4 yellow onion, grated
• 1/2 pear, grated
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated  
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp gochugaru or crushed red pepper flakes  

vegetable or canola oil, for searing the seitan

to serve the tacos

• 6-8 flour or corn tortillas, slightly warmed
• 1 cup red cabbage, mandolined
• 1 carrot, mandolined
• 2 scallions, sliced
• cilantro, roughly chopped
• vegan sour cream or creamy dressing
• kimchi, chopped
• black and white sesame seeds
• lime wedges

Instructions

To prepare the Bulgogi-style seitan

1. First, slice the seitan slices into slightly larger than bite-size pieces. There are variations in the thickness of the seitan, which actually adds a nice textural element in the finished dish. 
2. Combine the rest of the marinade ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and stir. Add in the seitan and toss the mixture around with your hands or a large spoon until well-coated. Cover and place into the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
3. To sear the marinated seitan, preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-heat for a minute or two. Add a little oil to the pan, and roll it around to coat.
4. Working in batches, shake off any excess marinade and place the seitan in a single layer in the pan. 
5. Allow it to cook on one side for a minute or two, then flip and finish the other side. Repeat with the rest of the seitan.
6. If there are any burnt bits stuck to the pan in between batches, just use a spatula to scrape them off before making your next batch.
7. Place the seitan in the tortillas with the desired amount of veggies, kimchi, herbs and sauce. Serve immediately.

Before you, go, I have some bonus news: Sweet Earth is revealing a new product … Harmless Ham! These plant-based deli slices are perfect for piling onto sandwiches, and can be served right out of the package or lightly heated in a skillet … and the taste and texture is fantastic!

Here I’ve toasted some crusty bread with the Harmless Ham that’s paired with vegan cheddar slices, fresh arugula and a just touch of mayo for a hearty and delicious sandwich that’s great for lunches or light dinners. Keep any eye out for this new product that will be hitting stores this summer!

Check out more on Sweet Earth here, and stay connected!

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Sweet Earth Natural Foods. All opinions expressed here are honest and my own.