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.

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 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!
A white bowl filled with vegan corned beef hash with a white background.

🥄 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).

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.

A collage of 3 pictures showing the process steps of boiling the tofu in brine, draining the tofu, and frying it in a skillet to make a vegan breakfast skillet.
Make the breakfast hash

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

Step 9 – Turn up the heat to medium-high and add shredded potato hash to the onions and beans that have been drained and rinsed. Then Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 10 – 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).

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

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process steps for making vegan breakfast hash in a skillet. Showing sauteing onions, potatoes, beans and tofu.

🌟 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!

A red skillet filled with vegan hash with a spatula in it on a white background.

🥡 Storage

Store your leftover tofu corn beef hash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

🥓 More savory breakfasts

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan corned beef hash

A bowl of vegan corned beef hash with ketchup on top and a red and white dish towel behind it.
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 corned beef flavored tofu in a vegan breakfast skillet meal made with potatoes.
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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 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).
  • Remove from the skillet and make the hash.

To make the vegan breakfast hash…

  • Sauté a diced onion over low heat in 2 tbsp oil for about 5 minutes until translucent.
  • Turn up the heat to medium-high.
  • Add 4 cups of shredded potato hash to the onions.
  • Add 1 cup of beans that have been drained and rinsed.
  • Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp 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.

Notes

  • 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)!
  • 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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