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This meat-free, vegan taco meat is perfect for burritos, tacos, or your favorite recipes that call for taco meat! Make this quick and easy meal for your family dinner!
Featured with this recipe
My family doesn’t eat fully plant-based, but we love this vegan taco meat recipe. This recipe is not meant to exactly mimic the texture of ground beef, but it is a healthy, delicious alternative to it. We have tried other plant-based meat substitutes, but this one tastes the best in my opinion! It is also gluten-free and dairy-free.
Grab your favorite tortillas and chips to make the best vegan taco meat! Vegan taco meat is filled with seasonings, cauliflower rice, nuts, and tomatoes for the perfect vegan taco meat. You can bake it in the oven, saute it on the stovetop, or make nachos on a baking sheet. This vegan meat is just what you need for a quick and easy family dinner everyone will love!
Ingredients for Easy Vegan Taco Meat Recipe
Take these delicious ingredients and mix together to make the best vegan taco meat that is full of flavor! You will never know the difference between cow meat and vegan meat. With all the seasonings and flavor this vegan taco meat recipe will have you craving more!
- Spice Mix – This Vegan meat gets flavored with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. You can also use pre-made taco seasoning.
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional yeast adds a deeper umami flavor to this meat. If you don’t have nutritional yeast, you can add dairy-free cheese.
- Cauliflower Rice – For this recipe, it is most convenient to use pre-made frozen cauliflower rice. If you make your own cauliflower rice, you will need to boil it to remove some of the strong cauliflower taste.
- Pecans – Finely chop the pecans or pulse them a few times in a food processor. If you don’t like pecans, you can also use walnuts.
- Tomato Paste & Water – The tomato paste and water act as a binder for this taco filling. The tomato paste also adds a good flavor to the meat. For a little more flavor, you can use vegetable broth instead of water.
How to Make the Best Vegan Taco Meat
Vegan meat is the best way to keep it light and tasty but with all the flavor! It is simple to make and comes together smoothly using just a few ingredients. Add all your spices, cook, and blend together, then combine to serve on top of your favorite Mexican dish. This easy vegan taco meat is one recipe you will want to keep!
- Spices – Prepare your spice mix by adding all the spices to a small bowl.
- Cook – Heat olive oil in a skillet and then add riced cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower browns a bit on the edges.
- Combine – Add pecans and toast for 1-2 minutes. Then add tomato paste, water, and spice mix. Stir until combined and cook until all the ingredients are warmed through.
- Serve – Serve with your favorite tacos, burritos, or nachos!
“This was absolutely delicious! We used it for burritos and everyone loved them.”
-Marsha
FAQs
There are variations of vegan taco meat. Cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, and spices are a great variation. Fill with toppings and all the sauces. It is the best combination!
Try soy curls or walnuts for a delicious mixture.
Quinoa is one of the best proteins derived from plants. It is high in protein compared to other grains. It even holds all nine of the essential amino acids for the perfect balance.
Yes! Vegan taco meat comes from whole-food sources like beans, lentils, and soy to fill meat. They have no fat and are packed filled with fiber that keeps you feeling full and satisfied all day.
How to Use Vegan Taco Meat
You can use this vegan taco meat with any of your favorite recipes! We have used it in all of our Mexican recipes – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and nachos. It works great! My favorite way to serve it is in a taco salad or burrito bowl. Just add lettuce, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cheese, lime juice, avocados, and your favorite dressing. Don’t forget the salsa! I love to serve it with our Homemade Salsa or our Tomatillo Salsa.
Make it Italian!
If you want to take this in a totally different direction, you can switch out some of the spices to make vegan ground beef for spaghetti and meat sauce. Change out the cumin and chili powder for Italian seasonings like oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme. Add your favorite marinara sauce and you’ve got yourself a delicious spaghetti sauce. This recipe is also great for meal prep! Store it in the fridge, in an airtight container.
Storing Easy Vegan Taco Meat
Store your vegan taco recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for four to five days long. When ready to reheat, place in the microwave or heat up on the stovetop. This taco vegan meat makes a great meal plan too! Add cooked lentils, vegan sour cream, and cilantro on lettuce or tortillas. It is the perfect combination!
More Vegetarian Recipes
We have several options for vegetarians in your family! These are great side dishes, salads, and even light sandwiches everyone loves. Make your meal complete with meatless ingredients all the way around!
How to Make Vegan Taco Meat
Vegan Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups cauliflower rice frozen works best for this recipe
- 2 cups pecans finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Prepare your spice mix by adding all the spices to a small bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and then add riced cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower browns a bit on the edges.
- Add pecans and toast for 1-2 minutes. Then add tomato paste, water, and spice mix. Stir until combined and cook until all the ingredients are warmed through.
- Serve with your favorite tacos, burritos, or nachos!
This was absolutely delicious! We used it for burritos and everyone loved them.
I would have never thought to make this! This will be a great way to make our food budget stretch!