If you are lucky enough to live near a Veggie Grill, be sure to try their Koreatown Tacos. If you already have, they’re delicious, amiright?
But if you don’t live near a Veggie Grill (or do, but feel like staying in instead), you can make this homemade version of their Koreatown Tacos which is pretty close to the real deal.
The trick here is to find a vegan chicken that has a crispy coating, like Gardein’s Crispy Chick’n (toss or freeze the sauce packet) or their Crispy Tenders. Trader Joe’s Chickenless Mandarin Orange Morsels (again, leave the sauce packet out of this) or their Chickenless Crispy Tenders. These are going to be prepared according to the package instructions, then slathered in a homemade, clingy gochujang-based glaze, simulating what the Veggie Grill version does.
The rest is easy: you’re just going to heat up some cooked black beans, add some avocado slices, mandolined or finely sliced green cabbage, fresh arugula and a little chopped red onion. To finish it off, just use your favorite creamy vegan dressing: I used Follow Your Heart brand’s Vegan Creamy Garlic dressing, and it complemented everything perfectly!
Koreatown Tacos
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 tacos
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Koreatown Tacos are definitely inspired by Veggie Grill’s item with the same name!
Ingredients
for the gochujang glaze
- 1 TB toasted sesame oil
- 1 TB garlic, finely minced
- 1 TB ginger, finely minced
- 4 TB water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup Gochujang
to assemble
- 9–10 oz. bag of breaded vegan chick’n nuggets or tenders, prepared according to package instructions
- 15 oz. can of black beans, slightly warmed (I season with a tsp of cumin and add a little veg broth and simmer, but that’s not completely necessary here.)
- 4 large flour tortillas, slightly warmed
- 2 cups mandolined or thinly sliced green cabbage
- 4–6 handfuls fresh arugula
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 2–4 TB finely diced red onion
- any creamy vegan dressing (I used Follow Your Heart brand’s Creamy Garlic Dressing)
Instructions
to make the gochujang glaze
- Warm the sesame oil over medium low heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in the garlic and ginger and allow to soften for 5-6 minutes. To keep it from browning but to allow it to soften, add a tablespoon of water every 2 minutes or so.
- Add in the brown sugar and stir until liquefied. Add the vinegar and gochujang and stir. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer and reduce for 20 minutes, stirring it as needed to prevent the bottom from burning. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
to assemble the tacos
- Toss the vegan chick’n nuggets in the gochujang glaze in small batches. Only do this when you are ready to serve; otherwise, your nuggets will get soggy.
- Place some of the warmed black beans into the center of a warmed flour tortilla. Place cabbage on top, then layer with some of the sauced vegan chick’n nuggets, followed by the arugula, avocado and red onion.
- Top with some of the vegan creamy dressing and serve immediately with any leftover black beans on the side.
Notes
(This recipe will make more gochujang glaze than you’ll need for this recipe, but since it’s such a versatile sauce, you’ll find other things to put it on. ?)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmered
- Cuisine: Korean, Mexican, American
Keywords: korean taco, veggie grill taco, asian taco
Pia says
Honestly, it’s meals like these that make me go all “Really? Going vegan is too hard? Restrictive?!” It’s ridiculous. There genuinely is hardly any food that you cannot find a plant based substitute for, so that’s no valid excuse!
Anyway. Yet another great recipe, Erin, that once again proves the very point I tried to make above. Also, I’d never heard of Gochujang before, so thanks for that as well 🙂
erinwyso says
Pia, I always cringe when I hear that too! It’s all about perception. Definitely get your hands on some gochujang … it’s such an awesome ingredient!
Johanne says
Hmmm I just googled Veggie Grille. None in my area but that matters for naught because I have your recipe and I always prefer eating in my pajamas.These photos are fantastic. Illuminated.
Your “about” photo always reminds my of the Girl With the Pearl earring when I catch a glimpse of it.
Thank you for another enticing recipe.
Johanne
erinwyso says
Johanne,
Well, food DOES taste better in pjs! 😉 I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Sarah says
Oh YUM! We get these at Veggie Grill and I never even thought about making them at home. You know what we’ll be eating this week…..
Selina says
This recipe was deliciously awesome!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing – I was nervous when I was making my sauce and it didn’t look like everything was meshing well but I kept stirring and maaaaan I’m glad I did because it was G double O D!! I will be trying more of your recipes in the future 🙂
erinwyso says
Selina, I’m so happy you liked! This sauce is one of my favorites — I always have a jar of it in my fridge, and it never lasts long enough. 🙂 So happy you will be trying more of the recipes!!
Onya says
I’ve had the Veggie Grill original & as much as I enjoyed them, must say your version is even better! Thank you for making tonight’s supper such a delight!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy you enjoyed, Onya! 🙂
figgypudding153 says
Just to be clear – is it 1/2 cup Gochujang paste or Gochujang sauce? Thanks!
erinwyso says
I have never seen Gochujang distinguished by paste/sauce. I would start with 1/4 cup of whatever you have, taste, then add more as desired. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
Stef says
My husband asks me to make these every week now- so delicious! I’ve been using the tofu patties (sliced up) from your Air Fried Buttermilk Fried Chik’n Sandwiches in place of the processed Chik’n. I just plan on making the sandwiches for supper a few days before, make extra patties, and then reheat them in the air fryer for the tacos. Super easy, and healthier (probably cheaper too). We have crowned you “The Queen of Sauce” in our house. This one is amazing- works using Swerve no calorie sweetener too. Thank you!!
erinwyso says
Stef, I’m so happy that you and husband love the tacos and are able to sub another protein. And I love the “queen of sauce” 😀 … thanks so much for your kind feedback!
Ian C says
Here i was thinking i would never have them again after you can no longer get them at Veggie Grill. This was my favorite item there!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Ian, they were so good, I don’t know why they took them off the menu! This recipe is pretty close to that item and is so easy to make.