These vegan Tacos Gobernador are cheesy “shrimp” tacos made with hearts of palm, roasted poblano peppers, and a creamy tomato sauce. The tortilla is lightly fried in chili oil to be slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Tacos Gobernador
These cheesy shrimp tacos originated in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. They were named after the governor of Sinaloa because it is said that he ordered these at a restaurant (or that they were made for him). Gobernador = Governor in Spanish! 😉 They are actually one of the best tacos I’ve ever had so I knew I had to veganize them. You only need 8 main ingredients:
Ingredients for Tacos Gobernador
Hearts of Palm: This will be your shrimp substitute. The texture is pretty close to shrimp and they are pretty easy to find at local grocery stores. I personally like to get mine at Trader Joe’s for affordability. They tend to get pricey at other grocery stores!
Poblano Pepper: I don’t recommend leaving this pepper out because it adds a lot of flavor. I have roasted peppers using various methods: oven, air-fryer, open flame, and griddle (stove-top). For this recipe, I air frier the pepper on “roast” at 375 F for 15 minutes, flipping it halfway through. If you want more details, check out Nancy’s full guide on how to roast poblano peppers! She includes all methods I mentioned above.
Mexican Chili Oil: Using chili oil to fry the tortilla truly makes the flavors come together. Use your favorite Mexican chili oil or try this one!
Vegan Cheeses and Cream Cheese Options
What kind of vegan cream cheese to get? There are lots of types out there so I’ll give you the low down:
Trader Joe’s: Great product for a low price! This is not the best vegan cream cheese but I have used it and works great once it’s mixed with all the other ingredients.
Kite Hill: Amazing and not super overpriced. I also think this is the closest tasting to regular cream cheese. Highly recommend this one!
Miyokos: Great cream cheese but can be pretty pricey.
Vegan Cheese: If you want a good vegan cheese that melts and stretches, use Follow You Heart Mozzarella shreds. If you want to make your own, check out my stretchy vegan mozzarella recipe!
Serve With:
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Tacos Gobernador
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan Tacos Gobernador are cheesy “shrimp” tacos made with hearts of palm, roasted poblano peppers, and a creamy tomato sauce. The tortilla is lightly fried in chili oil to be slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Ingredients
- 1 14oz can of hearts of palm
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup chili oil (or regular oil)
- 2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
- 3/4 cup vegan cheese
- 2 tbsp water or vegetable broth
- 1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and sliced (see above for instructions on how to roast)
- 8 corn tortillas
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Open the can of hearts of palm, drain and quickly rinse. Chop into half-inch-sized pieces, about the size of a shrimp cut in half.
- Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil to a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped hearts of palm, salt to taste, and fry until golden brown (about 7-10 minutes). Set aside.
- Next, sauté the diced tomatoes, onions, and garlic in the same pan used for the hearts of palm. Add 2 tbsp of water and let it simmer until it thickens into a sauce.
- Add vegan cream cheese, stir in until it is evenly incorporated. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water.
- Add the hearts of palm chunks back into the pan to mix in with the sauce. Add in sliced poblano pepper.
- Turn on the griddle on medium heat. Once hot, add a corn tortilla and lightly drizzle with chili oil. Flip tortilla, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegan cheese, close, and let cook for 2 minutes on each side until cheese gets melty.
- Open the tortilla and add a heaping spoonful of the saucy hearts of palm filling. Close tortilla and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Mexican
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Mexican
Absolutely A-MA-ZING!!!!!!!!! Wow!
First time I ever had these was in Puerto Vallarta! This recipe here was even better and it took me straight back to vacation! Highly recommend!