🌮 This easy tofu taco meat is made with just 2 ingredients ✌️ and is ready quick!⚡ It's high in plant-based protein💪, Mediterranean Diet and Portfolio Diet friendly, budget friendly, and perfect for 🌮 tacos, 🥙 burrito bowls, 🥗 salads, and 🍱 meal prep. It's one of my favorite ways to make taco night healthier without sacrificing flavor!
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Why You'll Love This Tofu Taco Meat
- ⚡ Ready in just 15 minutes
- ✌️ Made with only 2 ingredients!
- 💪 High in plant based protein
- ❤️ Heart healthy Mediterranean Diet friendly
- 🍱 Great for meal prep
- 🌮 Perfect for tacos, nachos, burrito bowls, salads, and more
Tofu has been one of my favorite swaps since adopting the Mediterranean pattern of eating. It's versatile, protein packed, and takes on any flavor you give it. This recipe is as easy as it gets: one block of tofu and a packet of your favorite taco seasoning. That's it!
These vegetarian taco crumbles are perfect for taco night, on top of my baked tortilla chips as nachos, added to these healthy breakfast tacos, or make them the fourth ingredient in my favorite vegan tacos.
If you're looking for another tofu recipe, I LOVE this fajita salad using the BEST low sodium fajita seasoning.
Beyond being delicious, tofu is one of the foods I intentionally include as part of the evidence based Portfolio Diet, an eating pattern that combines specific foods to help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. If you're looking for more heart healthy recipe ideas, be sure to check out my collection of my favorite Portfolio Diet Recipes!
Enjoy!
Why Tofu Works So Well for Taco Meat
If you're looking for a delicious vegetarian taco meat recipe, tofu is hard to beat. It soaks up bold taco seasonings beautifully, creating flavorful crumbles with a satisfying texture that's perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, and more.
Beyond taste, tofu packs plenty of nutrition into every bite. It's a complete plant protein, naturally low in saturated fat, and one of the foods featured in the evidence-based Portfolio Diet, an eating pattern shown to help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol when combined with other cholesterol-lowering foods.
Tofu is also incredibly budget friendly. A block of organic extra firm tofu often costs around $2, making it an affordable way to add more plant-based meals to your weekly menu. Whether you're cooking for vegetarians, vegans, or simply looking to eat less meat, this easy tofu taco meat is a flavorful swap everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients You'll Need
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
- 1 package taco seasoning
Equipment
- Dishtowel to absorb the extra liquid from the tofu block
- Parchment paper (I use If You Care parchment paper. I love that their products are PFAS free.)
- Baking sheet
How to Make Tofu Taco Meat
Crumble onto a dishtowel. It should resemble ground beef.
Roll the tofu up in the dishtowel to eliminate remaining moisture.
Transfer to a bowl and add taco seasoning. Mix with your hands until evenly coated.
Spread the crumbles in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then bake another 10 minutes until browned
Enjoy them on your favorite tacos, nachos, or bowls.
Ways to Serve Tofu Taco Meat
Its uses are endless!
- As tacos with Mango Jalapeno Salsa
- As a vegetarian option on a taco bar
- Taco salads
- Burrito bowls
- As nachos on top of my whole wheat nacho chips
- Quesadillas
- As the fourth ingredient in my favorite vegan tacos
- I love adding leftover tofu taco meat to these healthy breakfast tacos
- Lettuce wraps
- Taco bowls with rice
Top Tip
You want the crumbles baked golden with a nice chewy texture. Avoid overbaking or you'll have tough, crunchy crumbles.
💡 Make It Your Own
- Use homemade taco seasoning.
- Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika for a smoky flavor.
- Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil before baking for extra browning.
- Add chipotle powder for heat.
Storage and Meal Prep
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Perfect to keep on hand for when you need dinner in a hurry! Freeze portions for up to 3 months in airtight zippy bags. I usually make a few batches at once to save time in the future. Reheat in a skillet for the best texture.
FAQ
If your family is new to tofu and still getting used to it, start by replacing half of your favorite taco meat with tofu crumbles. Keep increasing the amount of tofu until you've fully transitioned. Even replacing part of the meat has benefits.
Definitely. Mix chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne.
I crumble the tofu onto a towel and then squeeze it to get rid of the moisture rather than pressing it. You can press it before crumbling if you prefer.
I typically use firm and that's what the cook time for this recipe reflects. It's a flexible recipe. If you're using a firmer tofu reduce the baking time by a couple minutes and keep an eye on it to not over bake.
YES! It's great to keep on hand for when you need dinner fast. I often make a double or triple batch and store the extra in zippy bags in the freezer. It will stay good for up to three months.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 block tofu firm or extra firm
- 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning (Lower sodium alternative: Replace taco seasoning with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Crumble the block of tofu onto a thick dish towel. You are aiming for ground beef size pieces.
- Roll the tofu up in the dishtowel to squeeze out moisture.
- Transfer crumbles into a mixing bowl.
- Add taco seasoning and mix with your hands until evenly coated.
- Spread the crumbles in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then bake another 10 minutes until browned and slightly chewy (but not crispy).
Storage Instructions
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet for the best texture.
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