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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!
I didn’t have all the right ingredients so I substituted similars and it still came out great. Added a bit of sweet “flying saucer” onion to the tempeh taco “meat” mix. Served it with tomato, salsa and avocado toppings, choice of soft taco wrap or corn tortillas, sauteed green veggies and rice on the side. Eating vegan is delicious, healthy for people and the planet, and filling 🙂
Sounds delicious, Leola! Happy you could find some substitutes that worked for ya! 😀
I’m looking forward to making this for my daughter, who is a vegetarian. I have a couple questions if you don’t mind, I just want to make sure I don’t mess it up.
1. Can I use salsa instead of tomato paste since I don’t have any tomato paste on hand?
2. Does this reheat well or get mushy? (I’m trying to decide if I can make a bunch ahead of time)
3. If using garlic granules instead of fresh, hoe much would you recommend ?
Thanks ahead of time for your help.
Phil
Hi Phil!
1. Salsa is a bit more watery than tomato paste so I don’t know how that would turn out, but without another option I would probably give it a go (you can always cook it longer to evaporate out the extra moisture).
2. In my experience it doesn’t get that mushy, though it is best when fresh.
3. Just use a pinch of garlic powder (1/8 teaspoon).
Hope you and your daughter enjoy! 😀
This was a very nice and easy recipe. Even my meat eating hubby approved. I added fresh minced garlic, 1 roasted red pepper chopped, chipotle powder, a dash of cayenne, a dash of red perrier flakes, and added more water. Turned out great! Thank you.
So happy to hear you both liked it, Mandi! Enjoy! 😀
We eat mostly plant based meals to include fin & fowl. I made a taco salad and BF made soft tacos. The addition of hot sauce as a condiment was needed to satisfy our tastes. Very good taco. I will make it again and remember to add the tomato paste. My bad🙃
I made this for my son’s birthday. We recently went vegan. I t was delicious. the texture, and taste was amazing, it will definitely be a favorite with tacos and burritos . The best part was it was healthy in reference to carbs, salt, and saturated fat. JESUS loves you, thanks for sharing.
Very tasty
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.
I also think it’s easy to adjust some of the seasonings towards “Italian” flavors and use this “meat” in tomato sauces for pasta and lasagna as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
If using an 8 oz package of Tempeh as per the recipe, about how many taco shells will that fill? Just wondering whether I should double the recipe. Thanks.
3 very full tacos, or 6 lightly filled!
Great recipe! The tempeh only makes about 3 tacos, but surprisingly, it is incredibly filling- especially if you add in rice too.
I made rice bowls and the tempeh really carried the flavor!
This is the first time I’ve ever done grated tempeh & it’s probably the way I’m gonna continue doing it for a while! Funny, but I never even considered grating that block of fermented soybeans—it always sort of begged me to slice or cube it. (Never really loved that, but have always enjoyed the flavor of tempeh).
I saw on a different site that I could/should steam or simmer it before the main preparation, so I made a lovely taco-inspired marinade & simmered my tempeh shreds in that just to open up the beans to all the new flavors. Glad I did that first bc it really helps w both seasoning & flavor!! I’m learning so much by just choosing a single new ingredient…& it’s so fun (& so humbling!) to figure out everything you don’t yet know (as a vegan human) about any soy protein!! Love it & definitely gonna make it again!
Steaming is a great idea (that I recently learned about as well)! So happy you’re enjoying the recipe, Sam!
I enjoyed my tempeh taco n’eat so much that today I’m turning it into stuffing for my favorite jalapeño relleno recipe. They’re actually really great as sandwiches—it has the look & sort-of texture of a chicken sandwich but it’s all veg. I was getting really sick of pan searing tofu, so tempeh is kinda my new thing now, I guess… :)))
YAY! I’m so happy to hear it, Sam! Enjoy!