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 big appetites, picky eaters, and is an all-around family favorite!
You'll love this vegan corned beef hash 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, 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.
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!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the corned beef flavored tofu:
- Tofu – any firm or extra firm tofu that has been drained and presses. (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 more. (optional)
- Coriander Seeds – for flavor. There is some in the pickling spice, but I like more. (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 it adds 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 tofu corned beef
- Make a flavored brine by adding water, salt, pickling spice, mustard and coriander seeds, a bay leaf, and beet to a medium-sized pot.
- Boil the brine for about 10 minutes to get the spices to release flavor.
- Add 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 in 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 for about 45 minutes until it starts to get crispy at the edges).
- Remove from the skillet and make the hash.
How to make vegan breakfast hash
- Sauté a diced onion over low heat in some oil for about 5 minutes until they become translucent.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high.
- Add shredded potato hash to the onions.
- Add some beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Stir frequently with a spatula flipping the potato hash to cook it through. This will take about 10 minutes depending on if you use fresh or frozen potatoes or the size of the potato shreds. (Smash up the beans a little when stirring).
- Add the tofu “corned beef” to the skillet and mix well.
How to make vegan breakfast skillet without "corned beef"
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 mushrooms and or bell peppers for a delicious veggie hash!
More savory vegan breakfasts
- Easy Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- Vegan Breakfast Burrito
- The Best Vegan Bacon
- Chickpea Omelets
- Mini Vegan Crustless Quiche
Subscribe to my email list to get my free eBook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese, butter, yogurt, and more check out my cookbook, “The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples!”
A recipe for corned beef flavored tofu in a vegan breakfast skillet meal made with potatoes.
- 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).
- 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)
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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.
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Boil the brine for about 10 minutes to get the spices to release flavor.
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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 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 in 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).
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Remove from the skillet and make the hash.
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Sauté a diced onion over low heat in 2 tbsp oil for about 5 minutes until translucent.
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Turn up the heat to medium-high.
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Add 4 cups of shredded potato hash to the onions.
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Add 1 cup of beans that have been drained and rinsed.
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Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
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Stir frequently with a spatula flipping the potato hash to cook it through. This will take about 10 minutes depending on if you use fresh or frozen potatoes or the size of the potato shreds. (Smash up the beans a little when stirring).
-
Add the tofu “corned beef” to the skillet and mix well.
- You can simply omit the tofu or replace it with some mushroom 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)!
