The best vegan taco meat made with smoked tofu, seasonings and tomato sauce. Super simple and easy to make!
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What is a vegan substitute for taco meat?
There are many different variations on vegan taco meat available online.
Here’s a quick rundown of vegan ingredients that are often used instead of ground beef for tacos:
TVP, Impossible Meat, Beyond Meat or another plant-based ground, cauliflower, walnuts or other nuts, mushrooms, tofu, lentils, and quinoa.
The recipe I have for you today is absolutely THE BEST of all of them and perfect for tofu tacos, vegan taco bowl, burritos, nachos, and more!
Why? Well, first of all it’s super simple with just 5 ingredients.
The key ingredient is smoked tofu.
What is smoked tofu?
Smoked tofu is the most delicious type of tofu with a great smokey flavor that permeates through the entire block and a great meat substitute.
It’s so flavorful, you can save time and skip marinating.
Smoked tofu is available for purchase at large supermarkets and Asian supermarkets.
If you’re unsure where to find it, here’s a reddit thread discussing where to buy smoked tofu in the US (Trader Joe’s at Whole Foods are mentioned).
Smoked tofu usually has a firm or extra firm texture (see my post about tofu for beginners if you’re unsure the different types of tofu are).
Recently there’s been a new technique for preparing tofu on social media which involves grating it with a box grater, and extra-firm tofu is ideal for that.
Once grated, it’s pan fried until crispy. In this recipe for vegan taco meat, this technique gives the tofu a kind of pulled chicken texture.
Ingredients
This super simple yet flavor-packed vegan taco meat only required five ingredients!
Smoked tofu: Smoked tofu is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe so flavorful. It’s fairly widely available in large supermarkets nowadays. Check the refrigerated section with the Asian products or plant-based products.
Taco seasoning: For convenience I use prepared taco seasoning in those little packets. Be sure to check the ingredients as there is sometimes hidden dairy. You can also make you own taco seasoning, there are lots of recipes online.
Tomato sauce: Just plain, thick tomato sauce adds both flavor and “juiciness” to the taco meat.
Onion and garlic: About half and onion and a couple cloves of garlic form the flavor base.
Oil: One tablespoon of olive oil for frying the onion and garlic, and then you might need another tablespoon more when you add the tofu to help it brown.
How to make vegan taco meat
This vegan taco meat is super easy to make - no mixing spices, no marinating tofu, no endlessly chopping up mushrooms and walnuts.
In just a few minutes, you’ll have the most delicious vegan taco meat ready for your tacos, burritos, wraps or taco bowls!
Prep: The “meaty” texture of the tofu comes from grating it. I don’t bother pressing my tofu since the excess water will evaporate off in the pan.
But I will give the block a strong squeeze between my hands just to make it less slippery.
Grate the tofu using the large holes on a box grater.
If you don’t have a box grater, you can also tear the tofu into irregular chunks with your hands. A technique I use in this maple chili tofu recipe and this lemon tofu recipe..
Dice half and onion and mince two cloves of garlic.
Fry: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Fry the onion until transparent then add the garlic and continue frying for another 30 seconds.
Add the grated tofu and another tablespoon of olive oil if the pan seems dry.
Raise the heat to medium-high.
Fry the tofu, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy - about 5 to 7 minutes.
Season: Sprinkle over the taco seasoning, mix well and allow to cook for about 30 seconds while stirring, to bring out the flavors of the spices.
Finally, stir in the tomato sauce. Give it another 30 seconds or so to heat though and you vegan taco meat is ready to use.
Note that I don’t add salt. This is because my taco seasoning is salty already.
At this point you can taste it and decide if you need to add a sprinkling of salt.
Variations and substitutions
Seasoning: For convenience, I use a packet of prepared taco seasoning.
If you prefer, you can mix up your own taco seasoning from a selection of spices. There are many recipes online.
Typical taco seasoning spices are: cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and/or crushed red chili flakes.
This recipe is not spicy and does not call for any chili powder or chili peppers.
In my opinion, taco meat isn’t usually spicy and the spice is added to tacos with a variety of hot sauces.
However, you can easily make this vegan taco meat spicy by adding a diced jalapeño, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes or chili powder.
Tofu: Smoked tofu is a key ingredient for flavor and I don’t recommend substituting it for plain tofu.
However, if you can’t find smoked tofu, you can try marinating plain extra-firm tofu in a liquid smoke and smoked paprika marinade (plenty of recipes online).
The recipe will still work with just plain tofu, but it won’t be as tasty in my opinion.
Additions: A lot of vegan taco meat recipes call for a combination of ingredients such as mushrooms with walnuts.
You can try adding some chopped up mushrooms, ground walnuts, lentils, cooked quinoa, etc. along with the tofu for more textual variety.
FAQs
Tofu is a great vegan substitute for meat. The key is in how you prepare it. Rather than cutting it with a knife, grating it or tearing it into chunks with your hands create an uneven surface that gets crispy bits on the outside while staying soft and juicy on the inside when fried in the pan. You can then add typical taco meat seasonings and sauces for the best meat-free taco meat you can make.
Yes, the recipe will still work with plain extra-firm tofu but it won’t taste as good. The smoky flavor of the smoked tofu is what makes this recipe so delicious and I don’t recommend substituting it.
Yes, vegan tacos are healthy thanks to the extra fibre and nutrients provided by the plant-based protein sources used to make vegan taco meat.
Make ahead and storage tips
A batch of tofu taco meat keeps well for several days in the refrigerator, making it an ideal addition to your meal prep recipes.
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This vegan taco meat can also be frozen. A plastic freezer bag with the air squeezed out would probably be the best solution, but any freezer-safe container will work.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to use vegan taco meat
Vegan taco meat can be used for much more than just tacos!
Use it in tofu tacos, burritos or veggie wraps, enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, vegan chili, to top nachos, salad, or a deconstructed vegan taco bowl.
Some more creative ideas are to add it to stuffed peppers, in a casserole with rice and beans, on a baked potato, stirred into mac and cheese, or in a vegan omelet made with Just Egg.
Vegan Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 1 block (180 grams / 6.3 oz) smoked tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ medium onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (in a packet or homemade)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) tomato sauce
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from its package and give it a good squeeze between your hands to remove excess water.
- With the largest holes on a box grater, grate the block of tofu.
- In a large pan, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Fry the onion until soft and transparent. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds or so.
- Add the tofu and the second tablespoon of oil. Stir to combine and spread it out in a single layer. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Allow to fry for a minute or two, then stir and toss to fry on another side. Continue frying, stirring from time to time, until the tofu is golden brown and has lots of crispy bits - about 5 - 7 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the taco seasoning and allow to cook while stirring continuously for about 30 seconds to bring out the flavors.
- Add the tomato sauce, stir and heat through for about another 30 seconds.
- Note: I don’t add additional salt because my taco seasoning is already salty. You can taste your taco meat and add salt if necessary.
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