The Best Vegan Tacos
Vegan Tacos are flavor-packed and so filling! Made with ground walnut meat, creamy guacamole, and tangy salsa, you will not be able to get enough of these homemade tacos!
This recipe may not be the first thing you think of when you hear the words ‘Taco Tuesday,’ but it should be. These Vegan Tacos are just as good as classic ground beef or black bean tacos!
The ground walnut meat is crumbly, juicy, and tender, and it’s so easy to season with your favorite flavors. I usually like to go a little spicy with mine, and add some paprika and chipotle powder. But, I also like to add a little sweetness with some brown sugar!
Needless to say, homemade vegan tacos are a delight for the tastebuds. The texture is out-of-this-world too, though! Corn (or flour) tortillas are crisped up in a pan, piled high with walnut meat, and then topped with pickled onions, creamy guacamole, and homemade salsa. Yum!
(P.S. don’t wait for Tuesday to come around to make these tacos – they’re just too good not to try immediately!)
What Makes These Vegan Tacos So Good?
There are a lot of homemade taco recipes out there in the world. Some use hard shells, some use tortillas. Some use ground beef or pork, some use black beans… so why should these vegan tacos be your new go-to recipe? Here are some thoughts on the matter:
- They’re a Quick Dinner Option: After you’ve prepped the walnuts, this dinner won’t take more than 20-30 minutes to prepare and serve. When you’ve got a busy schedule, dinner recipes like this one are great to have on hand!
- It’s a Flexible Recipe: You don’t have to have everything on the ingredient list to make these vegan tacos. You can play around with the seasonings a little bit, you can leave out the guacamole and just use salsa, etc. Don’t feel like you have to follow this recipe to a T in order to enjoy a delicious meal.
- Everybody Will Love Them: I’ve already talked about the fabulous flavors these tasty tacos have to offer, but we haven’t covered how easy they are to personally customize! I love to put these tacos out with a plate of pickled onions, some diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and more, and let people build their own tacos. That way everybody gets up from the dinner table with big smiles and full stomachs.
Notes on Ingredients
By now, I’m sure, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’ll need. Walnuts are a must-have, as are 6 inch tortillas of some sort. However, there are a few other things to round up before you can make these tacos happen:
- Walnuts: Gather up some raw walnuts and soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes – or overnight – then drain.
- Oil: Whatever cooking oil you like is fine. I generally use olive oil.
- Water: To add a little moisture to the walnut meat.
- Seasoning: Combine onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle powder or chili powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, and ground black pepper.
- Soy Sauce: You can use low sodium or regular, whichever you prefer.
- Brown Sugar: Coconut sugar, cane sugar or any other kind of sugar will work as substitutes.
- Add-Ons: Add salsa, pico de gallo, or guacamole to your tacos (all of which can be homemade or store-bought). Lime crema, vegan sour cream, spicy mayo, or your sauce of choice plus the juice of a lime are also good additions.
- Pickled Onions: I love to make my own pickled onions because it’s so quick and easy!
How to Make Vegan Tacos
Like I mentioned above, vegan tacos come together in a snap. Not only are they quick, though, they’re really fun to make! They’re so colorful that you can’t help but take a bunch of pictures before eating.
Here’s how they come together:
Prepare the Walnuts: Soak the raw walnuts in boiling water for 30 minutes, or overnight, then drain them completely.
Blend the Walnut Meat Together: In a food processor, add the drained walnuts, oil, water, onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce, chipotle powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Pulse about 10 to 20 times until it is ground down into a kind of mince. (Depending on the saltiness, you may want to add the teaspoon of brown sugar to balance it all out and tie in all the flavors.)
Cook the Walnut Meat: In a pan over medium heat, add the walnut meat mixture. Stir for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until fully heated through, juicy and slightly crispy in some parts. Remove from heat and use for your tacos!
How to Assemble Vegan Tacos
Heat the Oil: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (if possible, brush with a pastry brush).
Cook the Tortilla: Place a taco shell in the heat until golden brown spots appear, and they are slightly puffy for a few seconds. Then, flip and cook the same way. Set on a plate to assemble.
Build the Tacos: Assemble tacos by spooning on about ¼ cup of walnut meat per 6” inch tortilla. Then add some pickled onions, pico de gallo, a dollop of guacamole/a dollop of lime crema, and some parsley or cilantro on top. Serve with lime and enjoy!
Tips for Success
How’s that for an easy taco recipe with delicious veggies and toppings?
And, now it’s time to make the taco-building process even easier with some quick tips:
- Don’t Over-Process the Meat: If you blend the walnut meat for too long, it could turn into a paste. You want it to be nice and crumbly with regard to texture.
- Don’t Vary the Seasonings Too Much: Yes, these tacos are customizable. But, you want to keep the base flavors pretty similar to what is in this recipe. Otherwise, you may end up with a seasoning that is too overpowering.
- You Don’t Have to Make Everything from Scratch: Don’t feel like you have to make the guac and salsa from scratch – it’ll taste great if you do, but you can also buy them and be just as satisfied!
- Walnut Meat Substitution: If you don’t have walnut meat, you could easily use a veggie burger, crumble it, and add the seasonings to it. I do highly recommend the walnut meat, though, because it tastes incredible!
Vegan Taco Fixing Ideas!
When it comes to taco toppings, it’s hard to go wrong, and it’s hard to run out of ideas! There are so many fixings that will make your tacos taste next-level delicious:
- More Veggies: Add some diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, corn kernels, lettuce, sliced jalapeños, and diced onions (instead of pickled onions, if you prefer) into the mix!
- Condiment Toppings: As mentioned above, salsa, pico de gallo, spicy mayo, guacamole, and even hot sauce are all welcome additions to these tacos.
- Garnishes: Chopped parsley or cilantro is a great way to finish off your taco!
Serving Suggestions
Need some ideas on what goes with homemade vegan tacos? I’ve got you covered! Here are some of my go-to simple side dishes for taco night:
- Beans: A side of black beans or a serving of vegan refried beans could go perfectly with these vegan tacos.
- Corn: You can also serve corn on the side of your tacos, instead of in them. Grilled Mexican Street Corn is a great summer side dish option if that sounds appealing to you!
- Salad: If you’re looking for a light side dish, make yourself a nice leafy green salad to go with your tacos.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you have leftover walnut meat, save it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 days. I don’t recommend frying tortillas and then trying to save them, because they’re best when made fresh. You can save any homemade guacamole/pico de gallo in the fridge, though.
When you want to reheat the walnut meat, add it and a little bit of oil to a pan on the stovetop over medium heat, and then cook until it’s juicy and tender again. After that, fry up a couple more tortillas, and get to building!
The Best Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
For the Walnut Meat
- 2 cups raw walnuts, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, or overnight, then drained
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp chipotle powder, or chili powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar, or coconut sugar or cane sugar or any kind of sugar
For the Tacos
- 1 cup salsa, or pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup guacamole, homemade or store-bought
- pickled onions
- ½ cup lime crema, or vegan sour cream or spicy mayo or your sauce of choice, plus the juice of a lime
Instructions
For the Walnut Meat
- Soak the raw walnuts in boiling water for 30 minutes, or overnight, then drain them completely.
- In a food processor, add the drained walnuts, oil, water, onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce, chipotle powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, and ground black pepper, and pulse about 10 to 20 times until it is ground down into a kind of mince. Depending on the level of saltiness, you may want to add the teaspoon of brown sugar to balance it all out and tie in all the flavors .
- In a pan over medium heat, add the walnut meat mixture. Stir for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until fully heated through, juicy and slightly crispy in some parts.
- Remove from heat and use for your tacos!
For Taco Assembly
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (if possible, brush with a pastry brush).
- Place a taco shell in the heat until golden brown spots appear and they are slightly puffy for a few seconds, then flip and cook the same way. Set on a plate to assemble.
- Assemble tacos by spooning on about ¼ cup of walnut meat per 6” inch tortilla, some pickled onions, pico de gallo, a dollop of guacamole/a dollop of lime crema, them some parsley or cilantro on top. Serve with lime and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t vary the ingredients too much. Yes, tacos are customizable, but you want to keep the base flavors pretty similar to what is in this recipe. Otherwise you might end up with a seasoning that is too overpowering.
- Not everything has to be homemade. Don’t feel like you have to make the guac and salsa from scratch – it’ll taste incredible if you do, but you can also buy them, and still have delicious tacos!
- Substitution: If you don’t have walnut meat, you could easily use a veggie burger, crumble it, and add the seasonings to it. I do highly recommend the walnut meat, though, because it tastes incredible!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
More Vegan Dinner Ideas
Looking for more quick and easy vegan dinner recipes? You’re definitely in the right place! Here are some more of my favorites:
