Hearty and protein-packed vegan Tempeh Tacos with chili spices, sweet potato and lime. Sweet and smoky, they're filling, flavorful and ready in 25 minutes!
In a small mixing bowl or larger liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, lime zest, lime juice, maple syrup, chili powder, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.
With a box grater, plane-style grater, or the shredding blade of a food process, shred the sweet potato (no need to peel it). You should have about 2 heaping cups. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Break the tempeh into small pieces. Cook, continuing to break it up, for 2 minutes until just turning golden. Fold in the sweet potato, dispersing it evenly with the tempeh. Stir in the soy sauce. Cook until the sweet potato begins to soften, about 4 minutes more.
While the sweet potato cooks, warm the tortillas. I like to spread them on a baking sheet and pop them into a 300 degree oven for a few minutes. You also can warm them in an ungreased skillet, cooking them for a minute or two on each side. If you'd like to keep them warm for a longer period, stack them, then wrap them in foil until ready to serve or keep them wrapped in a 200 degree F oven.
Add the sauce. Let cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Pile inside the warm tortillas, add any and all toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
TO STORE: Place leftover taco filling in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store tortillas and toppings separately.
TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm tempeh filling in a large nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave. Pile into tortillas just before serving.
TO FREEZE: Let your tempeh filling cool completely, then store it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.