If you would have told me 10 years ago that you could make TOFU look and taste just like taco meat, I would have laughed at you. But these Incredible Tofu Taco Crumbles will make you a believer!
Online comments usually say something like, "Why do you vegans always have to make food that tastes like meat", or something to that effect. And the answer I give them is always this:
Because I can.
I get SO many emails and comments from people thanking me for making something their non-vegan spouse will not only eat but thoroughly enjoy. And that's the main reason I make recipes like this, to hopefully show all those non-believers that we can still enjoy the foods we used to like, but now in a much healthier way.
And I have to tell you, these Tofu Tacos just might be the deal breaker for them, because when you have a skillet of these crumbles simmering on the stove, it looks, smells, and even tastes JUST LIKE HAMBURGER!
They are similar to my Cauliflower Tacos. With those, we crumble cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts together, add seasoning, and bake.
With these Tofu Tacos, we are going to crumble 'tofu' instead, add our seasoning paste, and bake till dry. But then we rehydrate them in a skillet and watch the magic happen.
Instead of telling you about it, let's make some Tofu Tacos shall we?
Choosing the Correct Tofu
You want to start by buying some SUPER FIRM tofu.
This is the brand I recommend - but if all you can find is your typical "extra-firm" tofu in your grocery store, that will work too - but just know it will take longer to bake.
Just be sure and drain & press the extra-firm first to remove as much moisture as possible. I did not have to press the super-firm but I did wrap it in paper towels to dry it off.
Then crumble it into a large bowl and set it aside.
The Seasoning Paste
For the seasoning: add all the dry ingredients to a small bowl or glass measuring cup first, then whisk till everything is thoroughly mixed. Then add the wet ingredients and whisk until you have a very thick paste.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape this paste into our bowl of tofu crumbles, and now for the fun part.....getting our hands dirty.
Reach in there and thoroughly mix that paste into the tofu. If you see any larger pieces or those flat pieces from the sides, now is the time to break them apart.
When every piece is coated, turn this out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake it for 30 minutes at 350° F. Make sure it is spread evenly in a single layer. The tofu will reduce in size as it bakes, and will begin to dry into crumbles.
After 15 minutes or so, carefully stir the crumbles around so they bake evenly.
After the 30 minutes is up, I turned off the heat but left my crumbles in the hot oven to continue to dry out. Just be sure and stir them around every so often. I let them dry for an additional 30 minutes.
As I said, if you used the typical grocery store "extra-firm" it will probably take a little longer, just keep an eye on them. We don't want burned pebbles, but the smaller pieces will be dry and crunchy - and that's ok.
Finally, transfer the tofu crumbles into a large skillet and add about a cup of water. Gently stir over medium heat until most of the water evaporates. This is what's going to rehydrate our taco meat.
We bake & dry to create texture and concentrate flavors. When we rehydrate, the texture remains but now the 'meat' will become moist and juicy.
Making the Tofu Tacos
Now that the 'meat' is ready, making the tacos is up to you and you can dress them however you want.
For the shells, I use corn tortillas since they are usually oil-free. If you feel adventurous, I have a recipe where you can make your own Homemade Tortillas.
To get that traditional taco shape, try drooping a few tortillas over the rungs of your oven or air fryer, and then toast them gently until they are crispy.
I can't believe how good these taco crumbles were!
Several times I asked my wife to have a taste and we both agree that if you didn't know you were eating tofu, you would swear you were eating hamburger.
Hope you enjoy the recipe and as always, like and comment down below.
See ya next time!
Incredible Tofu Taco Crumbles
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you would have told me 10 years ago that you could make TOFU look and taste just like taco meat, I would have laughed at you. But these Incredible Tofu Taco Crumbles will make you a believer!
Ingredients
- 16oz package of SUPER FIRM Tofu
- 1 cup water
Seasoning Paste
- 2 Tbls nutritional yeast
- 3 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 3 Tbls low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbls water
- 1 Tbls tomato paste
- 1 tsp vegan worcestershire
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Drain and pat the tofu dry, then crumble it into a large bowl
- In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together first, then mix in the wet ingredients to form a thick paste
- Gently mix the paste into the tofu crumbles until they are evenly coated
- Spread the crumbles in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet
- Bake for 30 min, stirring occasionally
- Turn off the heat and let the crumbles continue to dry for an additional 15-30 minutes
- Transfer the crumbles to a skillet and add 1 cup of water
- Stir the taco meat over medium heat until most of the water has evaporated
- Dress your tacos however you wish or use the crumbles in a taco salad
jordan
cant wait to try this tonight, has anyone tried the reconstitution with veggie broth instead of water? i think it would add more flavor but maybe too much?
Irene
I can’t wait to try this for my 5 year old grandson who is now living with us. Trying to minimize the beef consumption he is used to. I can’t eat tomatoes but I make a roasted red pepper sauce instead and I think it would go well here.
Harry Selent
What happened to the ground beef recipe u had that included tofu; nuts; and something else?
Deanna
How do you prepare your tortillas? They look crispy and yummy. I’d prefer the crispy instead of soft.
Deanna
Oops. Just saw how to do the tortillas above. Sorry. I’ll try that!!
Jen
I make A LOT of tofu tacos, almost weekly. This week I thought I'd search for some other recipes to change it up. Yours is the best by far. I did not have tomato paste but I added about 1/4 cup of salsa when I added the water back in.(1/4 cup salsa, maybe like 1/2 cup water). I also add about 1 tsp of marmite to the marinade, adds a good umami meaty flavor. Thanks for a great recipe Chuck. We are having your carrot dogs tonight.
Lisa
Hi. I just made your tofu taco meat tonight, and it was incredible! It was super easy, and I don't think it could get messed up. It's a great recipe, thanks for creating it Chuck, I'm a big fan!
Terri Lynn
spices spot on! i made this but didn't have tomato paste so i used tomato powder i had in the freezer, then being ultra lazy i cooked in my oven on air fry. i don't do well with fussy stirring so i just skipped that and the skillet stage, turned out great!
Brenda Schnell
I usually make cauliflower taco meat but decided to try this one with a couple of blocks of frozen tofu that needed using. So glad I did, although it was very tempting to nibble at before the final cooking! It truly is scarily like hamburger. I made 2 batches and froze one using my Food Saver to remove the air. It will be handy when I want some quick taco meat!
Deanna Buchanan
I’ve followed your blog since you began and love your recipes but this one is the best ever. Feed it to my non vegan family without divulging the tofu and they loved it. We are taco fanatics and our boys prefer just beans but tried this and it was great. A keeper!! Thanks Chuck. Keep them coming.
marge201
Broken-up soy curls would be great here, too, no?
Chuck Underwood
They would - but you gotta try the tofu once - it's so much like ground beef it's scary
Ken
I am going to have to try these. The last couple of times we made tacos, I heated up black beans with taco seasoning and that was our "meat". This reipe sounds much better.
Dmitri
I'm assuming the tofu is used as bought from the store. Can you use frozen and thawed out tofu?
Chuck Underwood
Sure
Mary
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was great. I almost didn’t add the water at the end but I’m really glad I did, everyone loved it.
Kim L
I tried this tonight for supper. OMGoodness did this turn out great. Has the same texture as the "other" stuff. I almost skipped the last step of putting it in a pan with water and boy am I glad that I didn't. This recipe goes right up there with your other faux taco filling using cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. My husband and I rate this a 5/5! It's a keeper, Chuck!!!
Elaine
OMG!!! this the best! Very easy to make and delicious. I served it over fresh greens and topped it with corn, guacamole and salsa. Couldn't eat it fast enough!!
Susan Marsh
This sounds like a great recipe! Making it tonight but now wondering if with a change of seasoning it would work for pasta sauce and chili?
Chuck Underwood
I am sure it would
CC
Chuck, I just made your tofu crumbles. It’s a great recipe- very much a reminder of ground beef. Thank you for your creativity!
Joni
Chuck,
Can I make the paste agead of time and refrigerate? I’m making tacos for 12
Chuck Underwood
I don't see why not
Cynthia Tonseth
I did not add the water but went with the tofu drier. We served it on a wrap with sauteed peppers and onions and a slice of Violife smoked provolone vegan cheese. Very tasty dinner .
Jill Gray
Can you make ahead and freeze for later?
Chuck Underwood
I haven't tried that yet.