This vegan taco meat is a reader favorite that has earned its title. Really, check out the reviews! It's perfectly seasoned, meaty, satisfying, and great for meal prep. Beyond tacos, you'll love it for burritos, enchiladas, nachos, stuffed peppers, salads, and so much more! The recipe is also gluten-free and can be made without oil or nuts.

Friend, you're going to love this vegan taco meat! The combination of ground walnuts, Butler soy curls, aromatics, and spices is textural, rich, meaty, satisfying, and loaded with flavor!
Best of all it comes together in just 35 minutes. Pulsing the soy curls in a food processor creates the perfect texture to replace ground beef.
If you don't have access to soy curls, make these TVP tacos or Tempeh Tacos instead! Both of those recipes are nut-free and even easier since you don't need a food processor.
Speaking of soy curls, if you're not familiar with this awesome plant-based meat substitute, be sure to check out this post: Everything You Want to Know About Soy Curls & How to Use Them!
This vegan taco meat recipe was a happy accident. I was working on a breakfast sausage recipe and had trouble getting one of the test batches to hold together.
So I tossed the crumbled soy curls into a pan and sautéed until browned. The result was so rich, savory, and delicious that I decided to put the sausage recipe on hold, switch up the spices, and create a flavorful vegan taco meat instead.
And guess what... it's now not only one of my personal favorite recipes on the blog, but readers love it, too!
In fact, feedback has been SO positive on this recipe, it inspired me to create a vegan ground beef with similar ingredients!
Jump to:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Soy curls - made from just one ingredient, whole, non-GMO soybeans, Butler soy curls can be ordered directly from the Butler Foods website and on Amazon. Sometimes you'll find them in local stores, but unfortunately this product is not widely distributed to chain groceries.
Tip! Can't get soy curls where you live? Use textured vegetable protein (TVP) instead. Depending on where you live, you might know it as soya chunks. - Walnuts - these add nice richness to the taco meat since soy curls aren't as high in fat as ground beef. If you follow a low-fat diet feel free to omit the walnuts. Raw sunflower seeds also work if you need nut-free. I've also tested the recipe with ¼ cup almond flour instead of the walnuts. It adds nice richness, but if you have both on hand, I prefer the taste of walnuts.
- Onion, jalapeno and garlic - these add tons of flavor to the taco meat. So try not to substitute if possible.
- Salsa - any traditional-style salsa you like is fine here. It adds moisture, acidity, and saltiness to the dish.
- Soy sauce - this adds umami and saltiness. Feel free to use coconut aminos or tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Taco seasoning blend - to season the taco meat you'll need chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast.
If you don't have smoked paprika, regular paprika is fine. Note that chili powder refers to the blend commonly found in stores, not a specific chile.
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See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
How to Make Vegan Taco Meat

First, rehydrate the soy curls in vegetable broth for 15 minutes.

While they're soaking, preheat a large sauté pan, and cook the onion, jalapeño, and garlic until softened.

Drain soy curls in a colander, and gently squeeze to remove excess liquid. Now they are rehydrated but should look fairly dry.

Add the soy curls to the pan with the onion mixture, and cook until lightly browned. Add the salsa and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Set aside while you make the spice blend.

In a large food processor, pulse the walnuts until crumbled. Then add the spices, and pulse several times to combine.

Add the soy curl mixture to the food processor and pulse until mostly chopped. Drizzle with soy sauce, and process until it until uniformly ground.
Finally, preheat the same sauté pan again over medium heat, and cook the vegan taco meat until hot and slightly browned. You may want to drizzle in a bit of water for moisture and to prevent sticking.
Serving Suggestions
Now you're ready to use this hearty vegan taco meat in all of your favorite Mexican dishes, like tacos, quesadillas, charro beans, taquitos, and burritos.
It's also perfect in these Tex-Mex cabbage rolls and for Mexican-inspired stuffed peppers.
Layer it on top of refried black beans for protein-packed vegan nachos, and use it in my favorite vegan enchilada casserole.
You can also build a vegan taco bowl with rice, Chipotle corn salsa, avocado, and vegan queso fresco crumbled on top!
Serve vegan ceviche and healthy tortilla chips on the side for a meal everyone will love.
FAQs
This recipe is made with wholesome, unprocessed ingredients like onion, jalapeno, walnuts, spices, and Butler soy curls. It's lower in fat than ground beef and alternatives like Beyond Beef and Impossible. It's also made without oil, and you can adjust the amount of sodium to meet your needs.
Store leftover vegan taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
I hope you enjoy this versatile vegan taco meat as much as we do! If you give it a try be sure to leave a comment below to let us know.
Recipe

The Best Vegan Taco Meat
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Butler soy curls (half of a bag) - or sub dry TVP, see Notes
- 2½ cups salty vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional - Omit for oil-free
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup salsa
Taco Seasoning Blend:
- ½ cup raw walnut halves - See Notes for nut-free option
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1½ teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - or gluten-free tamari
Instructions
- Place soy curls in a large bowl, and cover with broth to rehydrate. Add a bit of water to the bowl if needed so that the soy curls are mostly submerged. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes, then drain in a colander.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat, and add the oil, if using. Stirring occasionally, cook the onion for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the jalapeno to the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan, and cook for 1 minute.
- Use your hands to squeeze excess liquid from the drained soy curls. Add them to the pan, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add the salsa and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Place walnuts in a food processor, and pulse into coarse crumbs. Next, add all of the dry seasonings and spices (nutritional yeast–cayenne), and pulse to combine.
- Transfer the soy curl-onion mixture to the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the soy sauce, and process until uniformly ground.
- Preheat the same saute over medium heat, and transfer the ground mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until piping hot and fragrant. Add up to ¼ cup water as needed for moisture and to prevent sticking. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve hot or allow to cool before storing.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
GB says
This recipe is absolutely delicious.... best vegan taco "meat" recipe I've tried yet and it was a def win with my hubby... it is now on my weekly list! Only things I did differently was I didn't put the soy curls in the food processor I just used my kitchen scissors to snip it to size and I cut the cayenne in half cause my hubby can't do spice but I can add more to mine at the table....excellent recipe. Thank you!
Tami H says
This is REALLY good! Easy to make too. However, I used half the suggested amount of Cayenne and it’s spicy. My husband, who doesn’t like spicy, found it a bit too spicy for his liking. I loved it! The texture is spot on! Thanks for a great recipe. I will making this from now on for taco Tuesdays and adjust seasonings to keep my man happy. 😊
Jon Terpak says
Whole foods usually carry soy curls now fyi!
Suzanne Baker says
Love this recipe! I add a bit more salsa to make them nice and saucy and it is amazing how delicious it is in crispy shelled tacos. My whole family loves it.
M. Joann Wright says
Really yummy and super simple! I highly recommend!
Kris says
You’re right!!! This really is the best vegan taco ‘meat’!!! The texture and flavor is great. My omnivore hubby loved it too! Thank you!🙌
elizabeth stevens says
This is without question the best Vegan mince recipe I’ve used. I'm Vegan for eight years but Husband isn’t but he was also completely convinced by this.
Jenny says
Goodness and yumminess that's perfectly spiced!
I had a lonely nearly expired bag of soy curls and was searching for something to transform it into for tonight's dinner. That's how I found you. I needed easy and was initially suspicious of 2 rounds of the food processor. However, I made more than enough of this taco meat for tonight and to freeze for future meals so I jumped in and made your excellent recipe. That said, I seriously doubt this taco meat will make it to the freezer. Tomorrow any leftovers will likely be devoured.
The only change I made: I soaked for longer than recommended (1 hour vs 10 minutes, sorry I got a call.) I also I soaked in water vs broth. I sprinkled a little bit of vegan no-chicken bouillon on the curls as they sautéed to try and make up for this.
In the tacos to the "meat" I added guac, finely sliced red cabbage and white onion with a squeeze of lime with optional red salsa (I liked it as is). This was served alongside salad greens with a simple citrus vinaigrette, julienned raw beats and pieces of grapefruit. A healthy and satisfying meal.
Thank you for your inspired recipe that was the launchpad for our delicious dinner tonight. We love tacos and make them often. It was another Taco Tuesday for our family, however, your recipe for this vegan taco meat elevated it and made it so much more.
Kay says
This soy curl taco meat is absolutely delicious. I make it and freeze it in my half cup silicone ice cube tray so I always have it on hand. I had it for dinner last night in a nacho bowl and used your queso recipe….sooo good. Can’t wait for dinner tonight. Thank you Lori, keep the delicious recipes coming!
M. Joann Wright says
Good idea… thanks!
Dorie says
Oops, forget to rate it!
Dorie says
Boy am I glad I found this recipe!! I had two bags of soycurls that I didn't want to toss. I could never get used to their spongy texture. I took a chance and made a quadruple batch. I didn't use oil but made it just as the recipe is written. I didn't brown it a final time after processing cause I'm going to freeze it in batches and figured I would do that when I get it out since it has to be warmed up anyway. I wasn't going to get soycurls anymore but now I will since they're healthier than TVP. Thank you so much for this recipe. A very happy mistake you made when it didn't work out as intended. Those mistakes end up being some of my best creations too. 😁
DougTee says
You ain’t lying when you title this the Best Taco Meat, it certainly is that! I made it per your recipe omitting only the garlic and onion powders cuz we don’t love either and boy, is it delicious!
I made a batch of Pinto Beans and Rice and we had the best Vegan Burrito Bowls I’ve ever eaten. Being vegan in a smaller town has created issues which forces me to cook more. I am so grateful to you for sharing your knowledge and recipes - this one is definitely on rotation at our house!