I don't use the word "best" lightly, but this vegan taco meat truly deserves the title! Protein-rich soy curls (or TVP), walnuts, aromatics, and spices combine to create an exceptionally meaty and satisfying alternative to ground beef. Soy curl taco meat is perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and so much more! This recipe is gluten-free with oil-free and nut-free options.
I just KNOW you're going to love this vegan taco meat! The combination of ground walnuts and Butler soy curls is textural, 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.
And if you don't have access to soy curls, make these TVP tacos instead! The recipe is very similar to this one, but nut-free and even easier because you don't need a food processor.
Speaking of soy curls, if you're not familiar with this awesome vegan meat substitute, be sure to check out this post: All 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!
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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. To learn more, be sure to check out my guide to soy curls.
Tip! Can't get soy curls where you live? Use textured vegetable protein (TVP) instead. - Walnuts - these add nice richness to the taco meat since soy curls aren't very high in fat. If you follow a low-fat diet feel free to omit the walnuts. Raw sunflower seeds are a good nut-free option. 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, we thought the walnuts tasted better.
- Onion, jalapeno and garlic - these add tons of flavor to the taco meat. So try not to substitute these if possible.
- Salsa - any traditional-style salsa you like is fine here. It adds nice moisture and acidity to the dish.
- Soy sauce - this adds umami and saltiness. Feel free to use coconut aminos or tamari if you need 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.
See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
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How to Make Vegan Taco Meat
Steps 1 & 2: First, rehydrate the soy curls in vegetable broth. While they're soaking, preheat a large sauté pan, and cook the onion, jalapeño, and garlic.
Step 3: After 15 minutes drain the soy curls in a colander. Then pick them up by the handful, and squeeze over the sink to remove some of the liquid. Now they're rehydrated but should look fairly dry.
Step 4: Toss the soy curls into the pan with the veggies, and cook until they develop some color. Add salsa and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Set aside while you create the spice blend.
Step 5: Now it's time for the food processor. Process the walnuts until crumbled. Then add the spices, and pulse several times to blend.
Step 6: Add the soy curl mixture to the food processor and pulse until the soy curls are mostly chopped. Drizzle with tamari, 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 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 vegan stuffed peppers.
Layer it on vegan nachos and in our current dinner obsession, vegan enchilada casserole.
You can also use it to build a nutritious 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, real ingredients like onion, jalapeno, walnuts, spices, and protein-rich soy curls. It is high in fiber and lower in fat than ground beef and vegan meat replacements like Beyond Beef and Impossible. It's also made without oil, and you can control the sodium to meet your needs.
Store leftover vegan taco meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It's also freezer-friendly. Thaw and re-heat before serving.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes
I hope you enjoy this deliciously versatile Vegan Taco Meat! 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 TVP, see Notes
- 2 to 3 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
Seasoning/Spice Blend:
- ½ cup raw walnut halves - Reduce or omit, if desired. See Notes for nut-free option.
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ 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 tamari or soy sauce
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 about 1 minute.
- One handful at a time, pick up the drained soy curls and squeeze them over the sink to remove some of the moisture. Add the soy curls to the pan, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until they begin to brown and are hot. Add salsa to the pan and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Place walnuts in a food processor, and pulse into coarse crumbs. Next, add the spices to the food processor: nutritional yeast, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Pulse to combine.
- Transfer the soy curl-onion mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to chop the soy curls. Add the tamari, and process until uniformly ground.
- Preheat the saute over medium heat again, and transfer the ground mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until hot and fragrant. Add up to ¼ cup water as needed for moisture and to prevent sticking. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
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
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
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
Whole foods usually carry soy curls now fyi!
Suzanne Baker
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
Really yummy and super simple! I highly recommend!
Kris
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
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
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
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
Good idea… thanks!
Dorie
Oops, forget to rate it!
Dorie
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
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!