If you’re craving a taco that delivers deep, smoky flavours and a satisfying bite, these Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos are exactly what you need. This dish takes humble ingredients and transforms them into a bold, delicious feast. Charred aubergines bring intense smokiness, while shredded king oyster mushrooms provide an incredible texture reminiscent of slow-cooked meat. Finished with crispy cumin onions and a zesty pickled jalapeño salsa, they offer the perfect balance of spice, crunch, and creaminess.
You can watch me make this recipe here.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Achieving the Best Smoky Aubergine
- The Secret to Meaty Vegan Tacos
- How to Get the Crispiest Onions
- Time to Assemble Some Tacos!
- Customising Your Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos
- Fancy More Aubergine/Eggplant Recipes?
Ingredient Breakdown
- Aubergines: Charred to bring deep, smoky richness.
- King Oyster Mushrooms: Shredded for a wonderfully meaty texture.
- Chipotle Paste: Delivers heat and smokiness.
- Ground Cumin & Smoked Paprika: Adds warmth and depth to the filling.
- Avocado: Creamy and cooling against the bold filling.
- Soft Taco Shells: The perfect vessel for all the goodness.
- Pickled Jalapeños & Brine: Adds a spicy, tangy kick to balance the richness of the filling.
- Fresh Coriander: Brings brightness and a fresh herbal note.
- Lime Juice: A zesty touch for extra freshness.
- Plain Flour (or Cornflour): Creates a crispy coating for the onions when fried.
- Ground Cumin: Infuses the crispy onions with a warm, earthy spice.
Achieving the Best Smoky Aubergine
The key to unlocking the boldest flavours in these Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos is properly charring the aubergines. Cooking them directly over an open flame blackens the skin and infuses the flesh with a deep smokiness. If a gas stove isn’t an option, roasting them in a hot oven achieves a similar effect. The key is patience, allowing the aubergines to soften completely ensures a luscious, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
For the best results, allow the aubergines to rest after charring. Once blackened and tender, steaming them under cling film makes peeling effortless. This extra steaming time helps intensify the flavour while ensuring the flesh remains juicy. The result is silky, smoky aubergine flesh that blends beautifully into the taco filling. When mixing the aubergine into the filling, resist the temptation to over-mash it, keeping some texture adds more depth to the final dish.
The Secret to Meaty Vegan Tacos
King oyster mushrooms are the unsung heroes of plant-based cooking. Their firm texture makes them ideal for shredding and when pulled apart, they mimic the texture of slow-cooked meat, soaking up spices and seasonings like a dream. To maximise the meaty texture, use a fork or just your hands to pull apart the mushrooms rather than chopping them. This technique helps them absorb more flavour, making each strand packed with delicious smokiness.
Once shredded, sautéing them with garlic, onions, and a hit of chipotle paste to add heat will add smokiness and bring out their natural umami making them the perfect centrepiece for these tacos. Letting the mixture cook down slowly with a splash of water into a thick, jammy consistency concentrates the flavours, ensuring every bite is packed with smokiness and spice.
How to Get the Crispiest Onions
No taco is complete without a textural contrast, and these crispy cumin onions deliver just that. Tossed in seasoned flour and fried until golden, they provide a satisfying crunch with every bite. The cumin enhances their natural sweetness, while the crispiness balances the soft taco filling beautifully.
To ensure the onions are as crispy as crispy can be, fry them in small batches as overcrowding the pan will make it difficult for the onions to crisp up. Once golden brown and crisp, make sure to properly drain each batch on some kitchen towel before moving onto the next.
If making these ahead of time, store them in an airtight container lined with kitchen paper to maintain their crunch. You can also reheat them in the oven for a few minutes if needed. The combination of crispy, spiced onions with the rich, smoky filling is truly irresistible.
Time to Assemble Some Tacos!
Once all the elements are ready, assembling these Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos is quick and easy. Firstly, toasting the tortillas briefly adds a touch of warmth, helping them hold their shape. A generous spoonful of the smoky filling goes on first, followed by creamy avocado slices. A spoonful of the bright, tangy salsa cuts through the richness, while the crispy cumin onions finish everything off with crunch and spice. The result? A taco that’s smoky, spicy, crispy, offering a perfect balance of flavours and textures.
For an extra burst of freshness, try garnishing with a handful of chopped coriander or a squeeze of lime juice before serving. These small touches elevate the dish even further, making each bite even more delicious.
Customising Your Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos
One of the best things about these Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos is how easily they can be adapted to suit different tastes.
- For those who love a bit of extra heat, consider adding a drizzle of hot sauce or an extra spoonful of chipotle paste to the filling.
- If you prefer a milder version, reducing the jalapeños in the salsa or omitting the chipotle paste makes for a more subtle spice level.
- Want an extra crunch? Add shredded lettuce or thinly sliced radishes.
- If you’re looking for more creaminess, either adding a dollop of vegan sour cream or a spoonful of coconut yogurt works beautifully.
- You can even swap out the king oyster mushrooms for portobello mushrooms or jackfruit for a different take on the filling.
To sum up, no matter how you customise them, these tacos will always deliver on flavour.
Fancy More Aubergine/Eggplant Recipes?
Whether you call them aubergines or eggplants, here are some more recipes for you to try:
- Smoky Aubergine (Eggplant) Curry – An Indian-inspired, smoky aubergine curry that makes a very delicious meat-free dinner.
- Smoky Aubergine and Red Pepper Dip (Eggplant) – My take on kyopolou, a delicious Bulgarian aubergine dip. It’s smoky and a little zingy and you can serve it as a dip, spread, condiment or salad
- Miso Aubergine – Effortless and simple, yet packed with Japanese-inspired flavour.
- Aubergine (Eggplant) and Tomato Pasta – Rosemary roasted aubergine in a rich tomato sauce, perfect for a midweek meal.
Smoky Mushroom and Aubergine Tacos
These tacos are ridiculously tasty, so smoky and surprisingly meaty given that they’re 100% vegan. The meatiness comes from the king oyster mushrooms which, when shredded, have the most incredible texture. The smokiness comes from the charred aubergines, which add so much depth of flavour. Every taco needs toppings. I’ve gone with crispy cumin onions and homemade pickled jalapeño salsa, but feel free to top these tacos with whatever you’d like!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the pickled jalapeño salsa (optional):
- 60g pickled jalapeño
- 60ml pickled jalapeño brine
- 20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- ¼ onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 limes, juice only
For the crispy cumin onions:
- ½ large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp plain flour (or cornflour for a GF option)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the tacos:
- 2 aubergines
- olive oil
- ½ large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 300g king oyster mushrooms, shredded
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 350ml water
- 1 avocado
- 12 soft taco shells (flour or corn)
Instructions
- We’re going to take things in reverse and start by making the taco toppings. If making the pickled jalapeño salsa, place all the ingredients in a food processor with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and blitz until finely chopped.
- Onto the crispy cumin onions. Heat around 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, place the sliced onion in a bowl with the flour, ground cumin and a good pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add the onions to the hot oil and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and crispy, then drain on some kitchen towel. Set aside until ready to use.
- Onto the taco filling. Place the aubergines directly over a gas burner set to high. Cook, turning frequently, until completely blackened and collapsing, around 10 minutes. If you don’t have a gas stove, pierce the aubergines all over with a small knife and rub with vegetable oil. Roast at 220°C / 200°C fan for 45 minutes, or until completely softened, turning once halfway through. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to steam for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the burnt skins. Pull the aubergine flesh with two forks and set aside.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until softened, then add the garlic and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the pulled king oyster mushrooms and aubergine flesh and season very generously with salt and pepper. Add the chipotle paste, ground cumin and smoked paprika and stir fry for 1 minute, then add the water and stir to combine.
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated and the filling is thick and jammy in texture, around 10 minutes.
- Slice the avocado and set a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Toast your taco tortillas for 20 seconds-ish per side then transfer to a clean tea towel and cover.
- Assembly time, finally! Get a dollop of the taco filling onto the tortilla. Top with a couple of avocado slices, a spoonful of salsa and finish with the crispy onions. Tuck in and enjoy!
10 responses
SUCH a delicious alternative to jackfruit as pulled pork replacement. Went down a treat
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I use regular mushrooms? I can’t find king oyster.
Yes, absolutely. They won’t shred but you can thinly slice them and it’ll still be delicious 🙂
Delicious recipe! Sunday Dinner done right!! very much a labour of love; but very simple to follow the steps above and came out very well and definitely worth it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It certainly is a labour of love but I’m so glad you agree that it pays off 🙂
Such an epic recipe! Amazing flavour and a real crowd pleaser. Even more impressive that it’s vegan! I made double the amount of the cumin onions because I love them so much.
I’m so, so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my personal favourites 🙂
So delicious! I couldn’t find the chipotle paste so I had to make it home made- but it was worth all the effort. Such a delicious neal!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for you review 🙂