This tofu crumble makes the perfect vegan taco meat. It is oil-free, gluten-free, and absolutely delicious!
Who doesn’t love tacos??
Tacos are something that I always get super excited to have. I feel like tacos are a special meal that I don’t have very often, which is why it’s such a big deal when I have them.
Since going vegan I haven’t had many tacos because I couldn’t imagine how a taco could exist without ground beef.
Then I discovered Chipotle.
Chipotle is a fast food restaurant that serves Mexican food, and I admit to sometimes indulging in it when I’m not in the mood to cook. They have an awesome tofu crumble called sofritas that looks similar to ground beef. When I had it for the first time, I was amazed.
So of course, I decided to come up with my own recipe.
I’ve made this taco tofu crumble 4 times in the past couple of weeks because I wanted to get it just right. And I am somehow still not sick of it. I hope you love it as much as I do!
This tofu crumble is:
- Vegan
- Healthy
- Oil-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Flavourful
- Perfect for tacos!
Tips for making this vegan taco tofu crumble
Make sure you press the tofu before crumbling
Before making your tofu crumble, I recommend you press your tofu for at least 30 minutes. I know that a lot of people don’t press their tofu if they’re going to be crumbling it, but I have tested out not pressing the tofu for this recipe and it didn’t turn out that great. It works much better if you press some of the moisture out of it before crumbling, so don’t skip this step!
Slice your tofu. Wrap your tofu before stacking books on it for pressing.
Don’t forget to mix the tofu halfway through cooking
Once your tofu is ready to go in the oven, set your timer for 12.5 minutes instead of the total bake time of 25 minutes. This is so that you can mix the tofu around halfway through cooking. This will ensure that the tofu is evenly cooked and gets slightly crispy all around instead of on just one side.
Evenly coat the tofu crumble after cooking
Once you are done cooking the tofu for the total bake time of 25 minutes, you will add 1 tbsp of tamari and 1 tbsp of tomato paste. Mix these two ingredients together, then add the tofu and distribute evenly. There will not be much of the paste mixture, so it may seem like you need more, but you only need a thin coating on the tofu. Make sure you spread it out evenly over the tofu so that it’s not concentrated in only certain pieces.
How to assemble your vegan taco
This tofu crumble recipe will create a delicious base for a taco, but you need some toppings to add some more flavour!
If you like to have your tofu crumble in a tortilla, try to find some that are oil-free. I have found plenty of oil-free corn tortillas at various grocery stores. If they feel a bit too firm and breakable, heat them up a bit in the oven or microwave.
Here are some topping suggestions:
- Romaine lettuce
- Refried beans*
- Salsa (Try this mild salsa recipe)
- Avocado or Guacamole (Try this healthy guacamole recipe)
- Nutritional yeast for a bit of a cheesy flavour
- Onion
*I like to use refried beans in my tacos because sometimes it’s difficult to keep your taco together and whole beans may end up falling out! If using canned refried beans, I recommend checking the ingredients to ensure there are no oils of other unhealthy additives. You can also just mash up some beans on your own and add some spices. I also recommend spreading it down on your tortilla or lettuce wrap before adding other toppings.
Tofu Crumble for Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
- 350 grams of extra firm tofu
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice and press the tofu for 30 minutes
- Squeeze the tofu in your hands to break it up into a crumble
- Add 2 tbsp tamari, 1 tbsp tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and cornstarch to a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly
- Add the crumbled tofu to the bowl and mix until it is evenly coated
- Spread the tofu in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or something else that will prevent it from sticking to the pan
- Bake in the oven for 12.5 minutes
- Remove the tofu from the oven and mix it around
- Spread the tofu in an even layer again and bake for another 12.5 minutes
- Mix the remaining 1 tbsp of tomato paste and 1 tbsp of tamari, then mix in the cooked tofu and coat evenly
Notes
Nutrition
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