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4.98 stars (35 ratings)

Vegan Taco Meat

This Vegan Taco Meat is made entirely of plants! Generously seasoned with spices, it's perfect for tacos, burritos, salads, quesadillas or nachos. Kid friendly!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 188kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cauliflower florets (1 small head, or 3 cups riced cauliflower)
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 4 ounces mushrooms
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (or water for oil free)
  • 1/2 large red onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can, see Notes for options
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For serving, optional

  • crunchy corn, soft corn or flour tortillas
  • shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, non-dairy cheese shreds, salsa, avocado slices or vegan sour cream

Instructions

  • Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor. Pulse several times, creating cauliflower rice, but don't process so much it becomes mushy. Add cauliflower rice to a large pan (at least 12 inches, or use a large pot).
  • Now add the walnuts and mushrooms to the food processor. Pulse a few times until they are a similar consistency as the cauliflower. Don't over process or you will have a paste. Dump them into the pan with the cauliflower.
  • To the pan, add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, adobo sauce (or chili powder), soy sauce, cumin, smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat to medium-high, and stir until well combined. Continue to cook, stirring every couple minutes, for 15-20 minutes. Taste; add more salt or spices as desired. 
  • Remove from heat and serve in tacos, burritos, salads, quesadillas, nachos or anywhere else you like! We like crunchy or soft tacos with diced tomatoes, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream/avocados and lettuce.
  • To Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a large rimmed sheet pan. In a large bowl, mix together the processed cauliflower, walnuts, mushrooms and all other ingredients. Spread onto the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring once in the middle of baking. Remove from the oven and serve.

Notes

  1. You can purchase frozen or fresh riced cauliflower, or use whole cauliflower and blitz it in a food processor.
  2. Nut allergy? You can substitute sunflower seeds for the walnuts, or use 8 ounces of mushrooms instead of 4. 
  3. Adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo (find in the Mexican section at your grocery store) adds a ton of flavor to the "meat". I just use the sauce, not the whole peppers so it's less spicy, but it still adds quite a bit of heat. If you don't like things spicy, or have kids who are sensitive, replace it with 1 teaspoon of chili powder for a milder spiced "meat".
  4. Freezer option: To prepare vegan taco meat for the freezer, place the processed cauliflower, mushrooms and walnuts in a freezer bag along with the rest of the ingredients. When ready to cook, dump in the pan and cook for 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg