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These easy vegan tacos are perfect for your next taco night. Instead of relying on tofu or processed meat substitutes, they’re made from a combination of vegetables and walnuts and are seasoned with a classic taco spice mix.
It will quickly become one of your favorite vegan taco recipes!
This recipe comes from my friend Ali’s cookbook, Inspiralized & Beyond. In her latest book, Ali shares even more creative ways to enjoy vegetables, like these veggie-packed tacos.
The filling gets its texture from pulsed vegetables like cauliflower and mushrooms, along with black beans and ground walnuts for extra nutrients in each bite. Paired with your favorite toppings, they’re ultra-satisfying!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This vegan taco meat is entirely plant-based, made from mushrooms and cauliflower that have been briefly pulsed in the food processor.
Serve this filling in corn tortillas to keep them gluten-free, or use any other type of tortilla you like.
When you top them with your favorite taco toppings, like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and avocado, they’ve got all the classic taco flavor that you love.
Add vegan sour cream, or whip up my favorite vegan cheese sauce (made from cashews and green chilies) for a creamy topping.
How to Make Vegan Tacos
In a food processor fitted with an S blade, add the walnuts and pulse them briefly, until they have a crumbly texture. Transfer the ground nuts to a large bowl.
Add the mushrooms to the food processor (no need to clean it out first) and pulse them until they have a crumbly texture, as well. Add them to the bowl with the walnuts.
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Using the same food processor, pulse the cauliflower florets until they have a crumbly texture.
Pour the cauliflower into the large bowl with the mushrooms and walnuts, then add in the seasoning, including the ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
Stir well to combine.
Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet or pot, then briefly saute the jalapeno and garlic. Once they smell fragrant, add in the bowl of ground veggies and stir often. The veggies should soften in 5 to 8 minutes.
Once the vegan “ground beef” looks tender, add in the drained can of black beans. Stir well until they are heated through, about 2 to 3 more minutes. Then season with extra salt if needed, plus a squeeze of lime juice.
Stir in some freshly chopped cilantro just before serving, if desired.
Add any toppings you love, like pickled red onion, guacamole, or salsa. My creamy cilantro sauce also makes an excellent flavor boost!
Looking for more vegan taco recipes? Try Cauliflower Tacos or Black Bean Tacos for more ideas.
Ingredients
Vegan Taco Filling:
- ⅔ cup crushed walnuts
- 8 ounces mushrooms , sliced
- 1 pound cauliflower florets
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- ½ jalapeno , minced with no seeds
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans , drained and rinsed
For Serving:
- tortillas of choice
- fresh cilantro , chopped
- lime slices (optional for squeezing)
- guacamole, salsa, lettuce, etc.
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until ground but not powdered, about 7 pulses. Transfer to a large bowl. Place the mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Add them to the bowl with the walnuts. Place the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until crumbled, about 10 pulses; do not overpulse. Add to the bowl with the walnuts and mushrooms, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is no longer crunchy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. I usually add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. Serve the vegan meat mixture warm with tortillas and toppings for easy taco assembly. Leftover filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Taco recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it. I hope it makes your next Taco Tuesday even better!
Thank you for this recipe! Delicious! Do you think it would freeze well? I think I’m going to try it.
Hi, did you try freezing? I just made this and am wondering the same.
I have to say, wow! the taco filling really has a ground beef-like texture, and a better flavor & texture than any ‘mock meat’ I’ve tried. I started using this taco filling recipe for other recipes that called for ground beef or TVP and love it! Thank you for sharing
Omg these are so good! They remind me of Taco Bell tacos, yet sooo much healthier for you. My kids and husband also loved! I added more sea salt at the end, because I felt it needed more.
I really enjoyed this. It’s nice to have a big fat taco (or two) and feel no guilt. Great for veggie lovers. But if you’re looking for a plant based taco meat substitute that will fool the kids, this isn’t the one.
My wife decided just this week to go vegan. I found this recipe and decided to try and make it for her. Wow!! It was so delicious I can’t wait to make it again for myself, and I still eat meat! The cooking instructions were easy to follow, and all of the proportions were dead on. Spice mixture was perfect. Easy to cook, and a meal I look forward to making again.
I made this taco filling tonight, and it was a hit with both me (a vegan) and my husband (an omnivore)! I topped the tacos with some home-made guac. I will definitely be adding these into the dinner rotation. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Megan. I am beginning to dabble in food combining and it was my understanding that nuts are a separate category from starches. Wouldn’t beans be considered a starch? I read your note about the taco shells but I am wondering if I could omit the beans or nuts to align this properly. I am considering making these tacos for dinner this week but I hope to hear back from you about how to combine these ingredients.
Yes, beans are technically “miscombined” naturally, but I usually treat them as a starch. To make this taco filling properly combined, you could leave out the beans and treat it as a nut-based filling to serve with the jicama shells, or you can leave out the nuts and treat it as a starch meal.
Hi again! I wanted to report back and let you know I made the dish using only walnuts in the mixture (which I also presoaked) and it turned out well!
Those walnuts got toasty and flavorful when mixing with mushrooms and cauliflower. I served my taco meat in romaine leaves with tomato, cilantro, and green onion as topping.
For my family, I gave them the usual corn tortillas and served beans on the side (classic Mexican style). They agreed the tacos were very flavorful and meaty in taste. They were hesitant at first but then got up for seconds!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll be making these again!
These vegan tacos are delicious. I followed your detailed instructions and they came out just right! Thx so much!
do you think this recipe would work with broccoli instead of cauliflower??
At a party, I serve vegetables in bell peppers – tops cut off…cucumbers or zucchini are the wheels. It looks like a train. All I need is to create the train track!