This vegan tofu taco meat recipe is made with perfectly seasoned, crumbled, chewy tofu and beans. It's great for taco Tuesday and for people just getting started cooking with tofu. Affordable and quick vegan recipe that only takes 30 minutes. Perfect for college students or when you need a quick weeknight meal.
If you're looking for more delicious Mexican and Southwest recipes, check out this creamy vegan taco pasta salad, Sheet Pan Black Bean Fajitas, New Orleans Style Vegan Red Beans and Rice and this quinoa and black bean salad.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This versatile vegan taco meat is great beginner recipe to learn how to cook with tofu.
- You can whip these up for taco night or meatless Monday in about 35 minutes, making it a quick and easy weeknight meal.
- Easy to make and budget friendly so they're a great weeknight meal for a family or for college students.
- Perfect filling that's high in protein thanks to the tofu and black beans and has a chewy, meat-like texture.
- Gluten free if you double check your taco seasonings to make sure they're gluten free.
- Great to meal prep and eat for lunch for a few days.
🍅 Ingredients
This recipe is made with simple ingredients that are probably already in your pantry.
- Extra firm tofu - this type of tofu works best for this recipe because it has a better texture than medium firm tofu. It prevents the tofu filling from being too mushy.
- Neutral oil - to sauté the onions in and to add a bit of moisture to the tofu and help it to crisp up in the oven.
- Soy sauce - is a great addition to give the tofu a deep, savory flavor like ground beef.
- Nutritional yeast - adds more depth of flavor. This is optional if you can't find any.
- Taco seasoning - I just buy a big container of this at the grocery store to always have on hand.
- Black beans - I love adding a can of drained and rinsed black beans because it adds another texture of chewiness and some more healthy protein. Beans are also super affordable and will make the tofu tacos go further and last for more than just one meal.
👩🍳 Pro tips
- Use extra firm tofu and gently squeeze some of the excess water out in the sink. It’s ok if it crumbles a little bit, since we’re crumbling the tofu anyway. Extra firm tofu will make these tacos a little more chewy
- The tofu crumbles will come out a little dry, crispy and chewy, but once you add them to your taco with some salsa and sour cream, they soak the liquid right up.
- Heat up the soft tortillas or taco shells in the oven Wrap the soft tortillas in aluminum foil. This helps them to keep their moisture while warming them up.
- Hang the taco shells upside down on the individual wire rungs in the oven, to prevent them from losing their shape or collapsing inward.
- If you need more help cooking tofu, check out my article called how to cook tofu for beginners.
- If you want to learn how to cook dried beans in the instant pot, stove top or slow cooker, check out my article on how to cook dried beans from scratch.
🔪 Directions
Make sure to scroll to the recipe card for full step-by-step instructions.
Step one: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Press tofu for 15 minutes in a tofu press (use code DAMNTASTY for 10% off) or by setting some heavy pots and pans on top of the tofu block.
Step two: Crumble the tofu into small pieces and large chunks for a variety of textures in a large mixing bowl.
Step three: Add the seasonings, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, black beans or cooked lentils and a little oil. Mix well.
Step four: Oil a baking sheet (or line with parchment paper) and spread the vegan ground beef mixture onto the sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
🧅 Taco toppings
- I love making fresh pico de gallo by chopping up some tomatoes, onions, cilantro, red cabbage. I mix this in a small bowl with a few squeezes of lime juice and then salt to taste. This will make your tacos taste so much more fresh
- Vegan sour cream or vegan cashew nacho cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Guacamole
- Unsweetened vegan yogurt
- Lettuce
- Chopped onion - I love red onion but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- Salsa
- Tomatoes
♨️ Serving suggestions
If you’re not in the mood for tacos, top some vegan jackfruit nachos with this plant-based taco meat or add it to taco bowls, burrito bowls or a easy vegan taco salad.
❄️ Storing tips
If you don’t eat them all, this tofu taco filling lasts in the fridge for about 5 days in an airtight container.
❓ Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend you use extra firm tofu, because it makes the tofu ground beef crumbles chewy. If you use medium tofu, it will turn out a bit mushy. Firm tofu would also work well.
Absolutely! These tofu tacos are high in protein and fiber and contain zero cholesterol.
Tofu is very healthy since it is a complete protein and contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals. The plant estrogens in tofu have been shown to be protective against certain cancers.
If you don't have it on hand, you can make your own homemade taco seasoning with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
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If you loved this recipe, leave a 5 ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and comment below!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tofu Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 packet taco seasoning (see notes to make your own)
- 16 oz can of black beans (or lentils)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Drain the tofu and gently squeeze out excess water from the tofu in the sink. It's ok if it crumbles a little. Press for 15 minutes with a tofu press or by setting some heavy pans on top of the tofu block.1 package extra firm tofu
- In a large mixing bowl, crumble the tofu, then add the oil, beans, soy sauce, nutritional yeast and packet of taco seasoning. Stir well. Crumble in the tofu and mix well so that every tofu crumble is coated.1 package extra firm tofu, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 16 oz can of black beans
- Lay tofu mixture out on a lined baking sheet, making sure to spread it out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the tofu crumbles halfway. Let the tofu cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Top with some salsa, vegan sour cream and lettuce.
Notes
- Serve with your favorite toppings. The toppings really bring the whole taco together.
- The tofu crumbles will come out a little dry, crispy and chewy, but once you add them to your taco with some salsa and sour cream, they soak the liquid right up.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Missy
So easy to make! I was afraid to cook with tofu because of the blandness and texture. I love it now! Thank you for the ideas!!
Annie Warnick
This was very easy and delicious. I didn't have taco seasoning but I had all the components so I made my own. I topped the tacos with pickled red onions and carrots that I'd made earlier and a shredded cheese (not vegan) blend. Other than this, I followed the recipe to the letter. Thank you for a great recipe, and also for including each ingredient in the instructions as well, very helpful!
Maria
So glad you loved the recipe, Annie! Love the pickled red onions topping. Gonna do that next time
Lori
Wonderful flavor and texture and easy to make.