Vegan Beef Crumbles

Quick and easy to make, with that classic ground beef texture, these vegan beef crumbles are a great meat alternative. You only need a few ingredients, and because there’s no actual meat, it cooks faster. And even though vegan beef might sound like an oxymoron, it’s so tasty (see reviews)!

Whether you used to eat meat or you just want the texture of cooked ground beef, this vegetarian ground beef is the absolute perfect stand-in! There’s no need to grab a bag of frozen crumbles at the store when you can whip these up. The flavor is truly plain enough (though not bland!) to be a base for many flavorful meals.

This will come together quickly, and you can freeze it for another day to make it just as easy as grabbing something from the store. Think about all the fun meals you can make and share, be it Mexican recipes or Italian classics or your own creation.

here’s what you’ll need

The list might look a little long, but that’s to give the TVP so much amazing flavor that it tastes like beef. Everything combines quickly to give you the best flavor, and it’s “dry” (not saucy), so you can use it in any recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the full quantities.

• TVP: This soy product soaks up ALL the flavors! Never used TVP before? It stands for textured vegetable protein.
• Tomato Paste: This adds color and savory flavor, creating the perfect base for the spices that we’ll add.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Salty sauce coming right up. Be sure to use a vegan brand.
• Beef Broth Base: This vegan beef-flavored powder adds tons of umami. (I’m obsessed with the bases from Orrington Farms!)
• Seasoning: Garlic and onion are typical with “beef”, and the smoked paprika and ground black pepper finish things off.

How to make Vegan Beef Crumbles

This is a super-easy way to get vegetarian ground beef to the table. I love that it can be used just about anywhere you would typically use ground meat! Here’s a quick overview of making it. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Step 1: Simmer
First, mix up the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a pot (minus the TVP!) and giving it a simmer.

Step 2: Add the TVP
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the TVP. Let it rest for 10 minutes so the TVP rehydrates and soaks in all the flavor.

Step 3: Brown the TVP
Turn the heat back on and let the mixture gain some color. This will also help soak in any remaining liquid so that your meat is the perfect texture.

Step 4: Serve
Serve in any recipe you are looking to use vegetarian ground beef!

How To Use TVP Ground Beef

Looking for ideas on where to use your freshly made TVP beef? I’ve got you covered! Once cooked, use this “meat” in any recipe that calls for vegan crumbles, grated tempeh, crumbled tofu, or in the recipes below.

• Vegan Bolognese: Add the seasonings as given for the bolognese when you are at the browning step in this recipe. Then proceed with adding tomato sauce.
• Taco Soup: Stir in a taco seasoning packet at the browning step. Then add to the soup.
• Vegan Tempeh Chili: After browning here, proceed with step 2 of the chili.