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Hungry for tacos but not the ground beef? This is simply the easiest vegan taco meat. Flavor-packed with Tex-Mex seasonings and the perfect texture thanks to shredded tempeh (and it’s ready on the stove in under 15 minutes)! Use it in everything from vegan burrito bowls and tacos to high protein meal prep.
save this recipe!Tacos are a staple in our house. You have your dairy, your fruits, your veggies, your grains, and your tacos. And this recipe for tempeh taco meat is a go-to when I need to get tacos on the table quickly.
Unlike vegan taco meat using Beyond beef, these tempeh tacos are entirely from scratch! Vegan “meat” products have come a long way, but there’s just something about making it yourself—especially when it’s as easy as using a box grater to turn a block of tempeh into faux ground beef.
Reader rating
“This was SO flavorful! Very quick and so easy to make, and my tacos were delicious! I used a combination of tomato paste and chipotle paste for more smoky flavor.” —Nomia
You’ll need a handful of ingredients
- Tempeh: Grated using a box grater to create the perfect vegan “ground meat”.
- Oil: We’ll brown the tempeh slightly in oil, but you can leave out the oil if you need to. Just be sure to use a nonstick skillet!
- Spices: Cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika lay down some serious flavor. Adjust as needed to suit your taste!
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste is the glue holding it all together, giving a rich color and umami (savory) flavor.
Ready in 15 minutes
While there’s probably a time and a place for the vegan taco meats that have you pulse together walnuts, beans, and the like in a food processor, this recipe is all about simplicity.
- Grate the tempeh roughly
- Cook the tempeh on the stove until it browns a but
- Flavor with your taco seasonings and tomato paste
Serving Ideas
Then just serve it wherever you’d want taco meat! Besides the obvious (tacos) love it on vegan nachos and vegan burrito bowls. Or you could serve it on a taco salad with lettuce, salsa, and red onions (try these Taco Salad Meal Prep Jars!)
Ridiculously Good Shredded Tempeh Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz package tempeh, 226 g
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 tsp each cumin and chili powder
- ½ tsp each salt and smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 30 g
- 1 Tbsp water, 15 mL
Instructions
- Grate: Roughly grate tempeh using the largest hole setting on a box grater.
- Cook: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat, then add tempeh. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Flavor: Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, until the sourness from the tomato paste cooks out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
So delicious!
We love this recipe! Our family favorite is taco salad with salsa and vegan sour cream, good old iceburg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a few pinto beans.
Tastes great and is made with kitchen staples. Came together quickly.
Made this as part of the 31 day challenge. Great tacos! Thanks
So happy to hear you liked them! 😀
So easy to make and the flavor is great! Served it your bean salad. A quick summer meal.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear it! 😀
Delicious taco filling, and without all the sodium that’s in commercial taco seasoning! Looking forward to trying this on nachos next time…
It was tasty, but I think maybe the texture would be better if the tempeh was air fried.
I put my corn tortillas in the air fryer with a little bit of grape seed oil spread on with a paper towel.
And, I used a cilantro lime crema and a roasted tomatillo salsa.
Next time I’ll add mashed sweet potatoes.
I will make this again.
I don’t have any tomato paste……can I substitute tomato sauce?
Yep that should work! You may just need to cook for longer to reduce the sauce down.