Vegan corned beef hash is an easy breakfast skillet meal made with onions, potatoes, beans, and tofu that’s flavored like traditional corned beef!  This gluten-free vegan breakfast will satisfy both big appetites and picky eaters. It’s an all-around family favorite!

A red iron skilled filled with vegan corned beef hash with a white background.

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You’ll love this recipe because it’s

  • a filling, hearty breakfast.
  • packed with plant-based protein
  • Gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free!
  • kid-friendly!
  • easy to make ahead and reheat!
  • not necessarily for breakfast, but it makes a great 1-pot skillet meal for dinner too!

My father is a big breakfast eater and always made corned beef hash when I was a kid.  It was something that I forgot about when I went vegan nearly 2 decades ago.  That is, until I started making vegan corned beef and cabbage, and seitan corned beef recipes.

I decided to make another batch of the corned beef, chop it up, and throw it in a skillet with some fried onion, beans, and shredded potatoes.  The result was just as I remembered from my childhood, and my husband and 2 boys went crazy over the new breakfast skillet meal!

A red skillet filled with vegan hash made with potatoes, beans, and tofu.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the corned beef-flavored tofu (or seitan corned beef)

  • Tofu – any firm or extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed. (or another meat alternative like seitan, TVP, soy curls, or jackfruit).
  • Water – for the base of your marinade.
  • Salt – to make a salty brine.
  • Pickling Spice – for flavor.  This can be purchased in the spice section of most grocery stores.  (I put it into a metal tea ball to keep the strong spices from getting stuck on the “corned beef.”
  • Mustard Seeds – for flavor. There is some in the pickling spice, but I like a little more for extra flavor.. (optional)
  • Coriander Seeds – for flavor.  There is some in the pickling spice, but I like a little more for extra flavor. (optional)
  • Bay Leaf – for flavor. There are some bay leaves in the pickling spice  (optional)
  • Beet – (optional) for color and a little sweetness.  I use the pre-cooked ones that come in a vacuum-sealed pack in the produce section. You can also use a fresh beet, but just blanch it and peel it before adding it to the pot. (You can also add a few drops of red food coloring and a tsp of brown sugar instead).

What you will need for the hash

  • Shredded potatoes – I use the bags of pre-shredded hashed potatoes because it saves a ton of time and effort to not have to peel and shred.  You can use fresh potatoes, too, and shred them yourself, but it’s a lot more work.  (You can also dice the potatoes small and boil them until slightly soft and then use them in your hash.)
  • Onion – peeled and diced for flavor.
  • Beans – (optional), but they add a little more flavor, texture, and protein to the dish.  I like kidney beans, but you can use any kind that you like or just omit them.
  • Oil – for frying the onion and hash. Any neutral-flavored oil will work well.
  • Salt and Pepper – for flavor, you can also add some garlic powder or some of your favorite spices.
  • Ketchup – to drizzle on top!  It’s optional, but highly recommended!

How to make vegan corned beef hash

Make the corned beef-flavored tofu (or use seitan corned beef)

Step 1 – Make a flavored brine by adding water, salt, pickling spice, mustard, coriander seeds, a bay leaf, and beet to a medium-sized pot.

Step 2 – Boil the brine for about 10 minutes to get the spices to release flavor.

Step 3 – Add cubed tofu (or another meat alternative like seitan, TVP, soy curls, or jackfruit).

Step 4 – Simmer for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it sit for about 30 minutes. (or cover and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook).

Tofu simmering in a brine to make it taste like corned beef.
Simmer the tofu in brine.
Tofu corned beef cubes draining in a colander.
Drain the tofu cubes.
Corned beef flavored tofu cubes frying in an iron skillet.
Fry the corned beef flavored tofu cubes until crispy.

Step 5 – Pour the tofu into a colander and let it drain well.

Step 6 – Put some oil in the bottom of an iron skillet or nonstick skillet and fry for about 6-8 minutes until slightly crispy.  (or bake the tofu on an oiled cookie sheet at 375° F for about 45 minutes until it starts to get crispy at the edges).

Step 7 – Remove from the skillet and make the hash.

Make the breakfast hash

Step 8 – Sauté a diced onion over low heat in some oil for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent.

Step 9 – Turn up the heat to medium-high and add shredded potato hash to the onions. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Onions frying in an iron skillet.
Fry the onions.
Shredded potatoes added to the onions in an iron skillet.
Add the potato shreds.

Step 10 – Stir frequently with a spatula, flipping the potato hash to cook it through.  This will take about 10 minutes, depending on whether you use fresh or frozen potatoes or the size of the potato shreds.  Then add the kidney beans to the potato mixture. (It’s okay to smash up the beans a little when stirring).

Step 11 – Add the cooked tofu “corned beef” to the skillet and mix well.

Kidney beans added to the vegan hash.
Add the kidney beans and mix well.
Tofu added to the vegan hash.
Stir in the cooked tofu.
Vegan corned beef hash with tofu and kidney beans.
Mix together and serve hot.

Tofu-free hash

If making the tofu corned beef sounds like too much work or it’s just not your thing, you can simply omit the tofu or replace it with some chickpea tofu, mushrooms, and/or bell peppers for a delicious veggie hash! For a meatier meal, use my seitan corned beef in the hash.

Storage

Store your leftover tofu corn beef hash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze this hash, but the texture of the tofu will get spongy after it has been frozen.

A top view of a red skillet filled with tofu corned beef hash.

More savory breakfasts

Vegan corned beef hash recipe

A red iron skillet filled with vegan corned beef hash made with tofu and kidney beans.
Diet
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5 from 3 rating

Vegan Corned Beef Hash

Yield: 4 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A recipe for a vegan corned beef breakfast skillet made with potatoes, tofu, and beans.
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Ingredients

For the corned beef flavored tofu

  • 5 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pickling spice
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, (optional)
  • 1 leaf bay leaf, (optional)
  • 1 14 oz package tofu (firm), drained and pressed
  • 1 small beet , (optional) for color and a little sweetness.  I use the pre-cooked ones that come in a vacuum sealed pack in the produce section. You can also use a fresh beet, but just blanch it and peel it before adding it to the pot. (You can also add a few drops of red food coloring and a tsp of brown sugar instead).

What you will need for the hash

  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tablespoons oil, any neutral flavored oil will work
  • 4 cups potatoes, shredded. The frozen type works well.
  • 1 cup kidney beans, (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 squeeze ketchup , (optional)

Instructions
 

To make vegan tofu corned beef

  • Make a flavored brine by adding 5 cups of water, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pickling spice, 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp coriander seeds, a bay leaf, and 1 small beet to a medium-sized pot.
  • Boil the brine for about 10 minutes to get the spices to release flavor.
  • Add 1 package cubed tofu (or another meat alternative like seitan, TVP, soy curls, or jackfruit).
  • Simmer for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it sit for about 30 minutes. (or cover and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook).
  • Pour the tofu into a colander and let it drain well.
  • Put some oil in the bottom of an iron skillet or nonstick skillet and fry for about 6-8 minutes until slightly crispy. (or bake the tofu on an oiled cookie sheet at 375° F (190°C) for about 45 minutes until it starts to get crispy at the edges).
  • Remove the tofu from the skillet and make the hash.

To make vegan breakfast hash

  • Sauté a diced onion over low heat in 2 tbsp oil for about 5 minutes until translucent.
  • Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
  • Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add 4 cups of shredded potato hash to the onions. Cook the potato for about 10 minutes until it starts to brown, stirring frequently.
  • Add 1 cup of drained and rinsed kidney beans and cook for about 3-5 more minutes.
  • Add the tofu “corned beef” to the skillet and mix well until everything is combined and heated through.

Notes

  • You can simply omit the tofu or replace it with some mushrooms and/or bell peppers for a delicious veggie hash!
  • Use a well-seasoned iron skillet or a non-stick frying pan.  (tofu sticks easily when pan frying, but it never sticks to my well-seasoned iron skillet!)
  • You can use either tofu corned beef, or seitan corned beef.
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 7g, Sodium: 637mg, Potassium: 1146mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 27.4mg, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 8.4mg
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