This post is sponsored by Reese Specialty Foods, who inspired me to broaden my taco horizons. Once you try these Crispy Hearts of Palm Tacos with Chipotle Baja Sauce, you’ll understand why I’m so excited about them.
Recently James started working from home, which has meant more lunches cooked in our kitchen and plenty of chances to test new recipes. After exhausting the usual ground beef and chicken options one week, I remembered a can of Reese Hearts of Palm in the pantry and decided to try something different: baja-style tacos made with hearts of palm.
Hearts of palm are tender and slightly flaky when sliced, making them an excellent vegetarian substitute for seafood in dishes like ceviche or crab cakes. They absorb flavor well without any fishy taste, so they work beautifully in a battered, crunchy taco filling that pairs with spicy, creamy sauce and crisp cabbage.
Reese Hearts of Palm are harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees and are a versatile pantry ingredient. Raw, they add bright texture to salads; battered, they mimic the flaky mouthfeel of fried fish; and they’re nutritious—low in cholesterol, a source of potassium and vitamin C, and high in fiber.
I tested two cooking methods for the breaded hearts of palm: pan-frying and oven-baking. Both were delicious and nearly indistinguishable in flavor and texture. If you prefer a lighter approach, bake the breaded pieces on a foil-lined sheet at 425°F, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
This recipe combines crispy heart-of-palm rounds with a smoky chipotle baja sauce, shredded cabbage, and pico de gallo, all served on toasted corn tortillas. It’s vegetarian and easily made vegan by using plant-based sour cream and mayo. The result is crunchy, creamy, and spicy—enough to satisfy taco lovers and curious eaters alike.
Crispy Hearts of Palm Tacos with Chipotle Baja Sauce
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 6 reviews
- Author: Morgan
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 10 tacos 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Chipotle Baja Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream or vegan sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise or vegan mayo
- 1–2 finely minced chipotles in adobo (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Crispy Hearts of Palm:
- 2 14-ounce cans Reese Select Hearts of Palm, drained
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or a flour of your choice (such as almond flour)
- ¾ cup seltzer water
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- Oil, for frying (or use cooking spray for baking)
To serve:
- Toasted corn tortillas
- ½ small head green cabbage, finely shredded
- Pico de gallo
Instructions
- Add all Chipotle Baja Sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or chipotle heat as needed. Set aside.
- Cut each heart of palm piece in half crosswise and press gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Keep them intact where possible, but small pieces breaking apart are fine.
- In a small bowl combine cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. In a medium bowl whisk half the spice mixture with the flour. Add seltzer water and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce and whisk to form the wet batter.
- Whisk the remaining spice mixture into the panko in another bowl to create the dry mix. Using a fork or tongs, dredge each heart of palm first in the wet batter, then in the panko, pressing to adhere. Place the breaded pieces on a plate until ready to cook.
- For frying: pour about ½-inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium-high. Fry the hearts of palm in batches until crisp and golden, about 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- For baking (optional): place breaded hearts of palm on a foil-lined baking sheet, spray lightly with oil, and bake at 425°F until crispy, about 15–18 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve on toasted corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and the Chipotle Baja Sauce.
Notes
If you prefer a lighter version, baking works wonderfully and yields nearly the same crispness as frying. Adjust chipotle amounts to control the sauce heat.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
This post is sponsored by Reese Hearts of Palm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
