Easy vegan taco recipe
How to make vegan tofu and black bean tacos. Perfect recipe for people just getting started cooking with tofu. Affordable and quick vegan recipe, perfect for when you need a quick weeknight meal, or for college students.


If you’re looking for an easy recipe to get you started cooking with tofu, this one is perfect for beginners. You can whip these black bean and tofu tacos up in about 25 minutes, making it a quick and easy weeknight meal. These tofu tacos are also excellent for college students, since they are extremely budget friendly.
Tips for making these tofu tacos
- 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
- If you don’t have a bunch of different spices on hand, just buy a packet of taco seasoning. It will work perfectly to season these tacos.
- I love adding a can of drained and rinsed black beans in with the tofu tacos 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.
- If you don’t have a ¼ of a cup of diced tomatoes, you can substitute it for salsa
- Adding a teaspoon of soy sauce to the tofu in the beginning, when you first crumble it on the stove, will make the tofu more savory and flavorful.
- Let the tofu taco mixture simmer on the stove until the excess water has cooked out and the tofu firms up. This whole recipe usually takes me under 25 minutes
- Heat up your soft tortillas in the oven, by wrapping them in aluminum foil. This helps them to keep their moisture while warming them up. Start warming them up as soon as you start to make the tofu taco mixture on the stove.
- If you’re not in the mood for tacos, top some nachos with this tofu crumble mixture
- To give the taco mixture a bit more chewiness, spread it out on a lined baking sheet after sauteing it all together on the stove. Broil on high for 5 minutes, then stir it around to expose more tofu mixture the the flame. Do this a total of three times. It will cook out more moisture and infuse the tofu with more of the seasonings, plus make it less mushy.
What should I top the tofu tacos with
- 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
- I also love topping these tacos with vegan sour cream or vegan mayonnaise, or unsweetened and plain vegan yogurt.
- Avocados or guacamole also go well on these tacos
- Lettuce, onion and tomatoes are always a must
How long will these meatless tacos last
- If you don’t eat them all, this tofu taco filling lasts in the fridge for about a week
Are these tacos healthy?
- Absolutely! These tofu tacos are high in protein and fiber and contain zero cholesterol.
If you love southwest and Mexican food, check out these other affordable recipes
- Easy baking sheet fajitas
- Instant pot mushroom and black bean tacos
- New Orleans red beans and rice
- Buffalo cauliflower tacos
- Baked peanut tofu

Tofu and black bean tacos
Ingredients
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ large red or white onion diced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- 16 oz can of black beans – drained and rinsed
- ½ cup of salsa
- If you don't have all of the seasonings, you can just substitute for a packet of taco seasoning.
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and gently squeeze out excess water from the tofu in the sink. It’s ok if it crumbles a little
- Heat up a skillet on medium heat with 1 TBL of oil for 1 minute
- Add the diced onions and a sprinkle of salt and saute for 3 minutes or until onions are golden brown and translucent
- Crumble in the tofu and break it up into small pieces that resemble ground beef
- Add 2 TBL soy sauce, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder and salt to taste.
- Stir well to make sure the tofu soaks up all of the seasonings and to let the tofu cook for 5 minutes to allow some of the water to cook out of the tofu
- Add ½ of a cup of prepared salsa and the can of drained and rinsed black beans
- Cook for another 5-8 minutes, until everything is warmed through and seasoned well and you’ve cooked off a lot of the liquid to get your desired consistency.
- Set your oven to broil on high
- Spread the taco mixture out on a lined baking sheet and broil on high for 5 minutes
- Stir the mixture to expose more parts of the tofu to the flame and broil for another 5 minutes.
- Stir the mixture one more time and broil one more time for 5 minutes.
- Add more salt if needed
- Serve with guacamole, salsa, vegan sour cream and cheese on
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