This easy tofu taco crumbles will blow away even the carnivores! Just 8 ingredients needed! Quick vegan dinner recipe idea!
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This tofu taco crumbles recipe is one of the easiest and best vegan dinner ideas that you can have. In fact, you don’t even need to technically drained it (which we do but just telling you!)
It’s not only quick and easy, but it has minimal ingredients and can easily be meal prepped.
If you would rather skip soy and can have nuts, we would encourage you to check out our vegan walnut taco meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this make and can I double the recipe?
We know some families are large and may need to make more.
The recipe as written makes 2 cups of taco “meat”. It’s enough for our family of four; however, you can easily double or triple the recipe for your needs. Just add the same amount line for line.
Where do I buy sun dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes can in either dry packs like dried pepper (ancho chilis for example) or packed in oil. We personally prefer the jars packed in oil; however, we know many people avoid those because of the oil.
If using the jar in oil, you can find the jars in the section where olives are or in the pasta aisle of most grocers, including places like Walmart and Target. You could also purchase sun dried tomatoes in oil on Amazon.
For dry packs, you can find those in the produce aisle or ask your local grocer. They are hit or miss in store. Sometimes Walmart has in the produce aisle, Whole Foods usually has also.
Another option would be to call ahead before driving to your store to verify they have it or purchase sun-dried tomatoes no oil from Amazon.
For the non-oil sun-dried tomatoes, you will have to place into water to soften before using.
Can I sub sun dried tomatoes for something else?
We have tested this recipe subbing out the sun dried tomatoes for both tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes. While you can sub either of these for the sun dried tomatoes, the texture will be different.
It’s much more moist with either option and does not have a crumbly appearance like in our photos. The taste however is still great.
If subbing for fire roasted canned tomatoes, we recommend draining the juice first before adding to the recipe.
Can I make Top 8 Allergy Friendly vegan tofu taco meat?
We can easily tell you how to make this Top 7 free, but the base of the dish is tofu, making it hard to say it’s easily Top 8 Free.
The soy sauce is the only other ingredient that we are concerned with. Depending on the allergies you have, you can replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, coconut aminos or a Top 8 no soy sauce (click links to see each).
While it will taste different and the texture won’t be the same, you could also pulse chickpeas down and replace the tofu to make it Top 8 Allergy Free.
If you are not allergic to nuts you could also try out our vegan walnut taco meat.
Can I meal prep these Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles ahead of time?
Yes! This is actually a great meal prep planning dish to make. You have 2 options.
One, you can press the tofu out up to 2 days ahead of time, as well as chopping your vegetables (onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes) and store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. Then, when ready proceed with the recipe as normal.
The other option is to make the entire recipe at one time, but place the finished product in an air tight container for up to 7 days in the fridge.
What toppings should I put on top of my tofu taco crumbles?
Anything that you would normally serve on top of tacos goes great with this vegan meat dish. Things like avocados, tomatoes, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, lettuce, salsa, and more.
If you are looking for more creative dishes for taco toppings, you can try:
Can I use this to make vegan tofu taco meat quesadillas, burritos, etc?
Absolutely! This vegan “meat” option can be used in any dish you’d use taco seasoned meat for. Some ideas would be:
- Dairy Free Nachos
- Vegan Enchiladas (swap out the jackfruit for this)
- Added into our sweet potato and black bean tacos
- Swap out walnut taco meat to make Vegan Cheese Fries
- Add into our vegan cheesy potato burritos
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Vegan Taco Crumbles
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 mins up to overnight
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more or less to taste – see post for homemade recipe)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 juice of a lime
Instructions
- Press water out of tofu for at least 15 minutes up to overnight. *Note: The more water in the tofu, the longer it will take to cook.
- Into a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Once heated, add tofu crumbles and let cook until golden brown (about 5-8 minutes).
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning across and stir to combine. Add in tomato sauce and soy sauce. Stir until mixed together. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until all the liquid has soaked up. Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Stir together. Use as desired.
- Once cooled, store leftovers in air tight container in the fridge up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- 2 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, more or less to taste after
Video
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 5/17/2019 and updated on 1/10/2026.
I do weekly meal preps and I used this recipe for my partner and me for dinner. It was easy to make. Stayed fresh in our air-sealed container. We really enjoyed this recipe and are so glad we came across it. I will definitely be making it again.
So glad that you enjoyed it!