These quick and easy vegan tempeh tacos are full of flavor and packed with protein. Tempeh has a naturally meaty texture and is a great meat alternative for your veggie tacos. They're the perfect healthy weekday meal ready in just 15 minutes!
Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is sold in a brick-like form. It has a slightly bitter flavor that is easily eliminated when boiled. Simmering the tempeh in a toco-flavored broth allows the flavors to soak in.
You can also use it to make things like tempeh bacon or BBQ tempeh sandwiches.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's easy to make in just minutes
- Makes a hearty and delicious meal.
- Plain tempeh is a naturally gluten-free plant-based meat alternative.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Tempeh - for the meaty base of your tacos. If you don't want to use tempeh, you can make my TVP tacos instead.
- Water - to form a broth to simmer the tempeh in. You can also use vegetable broth.
- Taco Seasoning - for flavor. Use any store-bought taco seasoning that you like or make your own using chili powder and cumin.
- Cumin - optional for a little extra Mexican-style flavor.
- Salt - to taste. If you use salty taco seasoning, you may not need extra salt.
- Cooking Oil - to fry the tempeh crumbles after they have absorbed all of the water. This will help crisp it up a little and give it a better texture. You can omit the oil and skip this step for oil-free taco "meat." You can use light olive oil, refined coconut oil, avocado oil, or any other neutral-flavored oil.
- Taco Toppings - Add lettuce, tomatoes, vegan cheddar cheese, olives, vegan sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, salsa, cilantro sauce, or anything else that you like on your tacos.
🔪 Helpful tools
- A Skillet - to simmer and fry the tempeh taco "meat" in.
🥄 How to make tempeh tacos
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 - Add 1 cup of water or broth to the bottom of a skillet and stir in 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin.
Step 2 - Crumble a block of tempeh with your hands into small pieces and put it into the broth.
Step 3 - Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until all of the liquid is gone.
Step 4 - Drizzle the crumbles with 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté for an additional 3 - 4 additional minutes.
Step 5 - Serve as you would taco meat in tacos, tostadas, burritos, or loaded vegan nachos.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to simmer the tempeh taco meat to get the bitterness out of it.
- Toss in a bag of fresh baby spinach at the end of cooking and let it wilt. It makes a delicious spinach taco or burrito filling!
- Different brands of taco seasoning have different amounts of salt. You will need to adjust the salt in this recipe based on the brand of taco seasoning that you are using to suit your taste.
🍞 Gluten-free tempeh tacos
Tempeh tacos make a great gluten-free meat alternative, however, you have to read labels to make sure that they are gluten-free. Be sure to buy plain tempeh. A lot of tempeh has other grains added to it, so make sure that yours is made from only soybeans. You also want to double-check your taco seasoning. A lot of brands include wheat as a thickening agent in taco seasoning.
🥡 Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: The tempeh taco meat will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in a sealed container.
Freeze: Tempeh taco meat will freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat the tempeh in the microwave for about 2 minutes, pan-fry in a little oil, or bake at 350° F for about 10 - 15 minutes until warm.
🌟 More southwest-style meals
- Southwest Spicy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Green Chili Stew
- Vegan Bean Salad - Southwest Style
- TVP Tacos
- Vegetarian Fajitas
- Homemade Soyrizo
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Tempeh tacos recipe
Tempeh Tacos
Ingredients
For the taco "meat"
- 1 ( 8 oz.) block tempeh
- 1 cup water (or low sodium broth)
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (if needed)
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the tacos
- 12 taco shells
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegan cheese
- other taco toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water or broth to the bottom of a skillet and stir in 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin.
- Crumble a block of tempeh with your hands into small pieces and put it into the broth.
- Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until all of the liquid is gone.
- Drizzle the crumbles with 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté for an additional 3 - 4 more minutes.
- Serve as you would taco meat in tacos, tostadas, burritos, or loaded vegan nachos.
Notes
- Be sure to simmer the tempeh taco meat to get the bitterness out of it.
- Toss in a bag of fresh baby spinach at the end of cooking and let it wilt. It makes a delicious spinach taco or burrito filling!
- Different brands of taco seasoning have different amounts of salt. You will need to adjust the salt in this recipe based on the brand of taco seasoning that you are using to suit your taste.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Omg sounds amazing will definitely try this.
These were delicious and so easy!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I did not know how to prepare tempeh. Didn't know you had to boil the tempeh to eliminate the bitterness.
Will certainly try the Recipe.
Boiling or steaming tempeh really helps to mellow out the strong flavor. My son won't eat it if I just fry it up, but loves it if it's been boiled in a broth first. Enjoy! 🙂