Tempeh Tacos
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These Tempeh Tacos are filled with crumbled tempeh that is deliciously spiced and made so flavorful with a DIY homemade taco seasoning. The tempeh taco “meat” is super easy to cook up and can be ready to enjoy in under 20 minutes. Add your favorite taco toppings and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a meatless taco night that the whole family will love!
GUYS! These Tempeh Tacos needs to happen in your life asap! Wait, are you a tempeh fan? Because you should be.
I’m relatively new to tempeh. A year ago, I tried it for the first time and quickly became obsessed. I’m not a HUGE fan of tofu, but I am completely in love with tempeh. I started really getting into making it last year, after one of my video clients had me do a roundup video of 4 different tempeh recipes. (ps- ALL of Brittany’s recipes are amazing!). One of the recipes included crumbling the tempeh into a sauce as a meat replacement for spaghetti sauce. That had me thinking – what other ways could I use it as a meat replacer??
Enter: Tempeh Tacos!
What is Tempeh?
Tempeh is a plant-based protein source that is made from fermented soybeans. It kind of looks like someone smashed together a bunch of beans and then baked it into a cake. It has a firm texture that can easily be sliced or even crumbled. Tempeh is high in both fiber and protein making it a great plant-based meat alternative.
On it’s own and uncooked, tempeh has a very mild taste and is almost flavorless. However, it does a great job soaking up marinades and flavors, and if cooked well, tastes AMAZING!
You can learn more about cooking tempeh HERE and find even more tempeh recipes HERE.
My favorite brand of tempeh:
I often get asked what my favorite brand of tempeh is and I have 2. My all time favorite is Trader Joe’s Tempeh! It’s by far the cheapest on the market (at least in my area of the PNW) and it tastes great! But you can never go wrong with Light Life’s Tempeh either. Both are great options.
Ingredients for tempeh tacos:
This recipe for tempeh taco “meat” requires simple ingredients that are mostly spices you may already have on hand.
- Olive oil. For cooking the onion and garlic.
- Onion + garlic. Diced onion and garlic adds delicious flavor to the tempeh taco “meat”.
- Spice blend. I love the flavorful mix of spices used to season the tempeh in this recipe. It’s so much tastier than store-bought taco seasoning packets and so easy too! However, you can totally use store-bought for the tempeh, if you prefer. The taco seasoning from Trader Joe’s is really tasty!
- Tempeh. To keep these tacos vegan, we’re using tempeh. You’ll need one 8 ounce block to make around 4 servings of tacos.
- Water. Adding a bit of water will help the seasoning blend coat the crumbled tempeh and thicken the mixture up.
Taco toppings:
We love to add avocado, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime juice to our tacos. Feel free to experiment with your taco toppings – there are so many different options to try that will really amp up the flavor. Some of my favorites:
- Pico de gallo
- Salsa
- Vegan salsa con queso
- Shredded lettuce
- Grated cheese
- Minced red onion
- Jalapeño slices
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Sliced avocado and/or guacamole
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
How to make tempeh tacos:
Making these flavorful tempeh tacos is such a breeze! I love that everything is cooked in one skillet and the only chopping you have to do is for the onion and garlic. Here’s a quick rundown of the instructions:
1.Start this recipe by sautéing the onion and garlic.
2. Next, crumble in the tempeh and add in all the spices and the water. Stir to combine and let this mixture cook for about 5 minutes and until the tempeh is heated and the water has absorbed.
3. Enjoy the tempeh taco filling wrapped in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings or skip the tortilla and serve it over fresh greens for a taco salad!
What makes tempeh tacos so great?
- This recipe is easy. This meal could not be more simple! All you have to do is sauté the onion and garlic, combine the tempeh with the seasonings and cook it up.
- Great for serving a crowd. This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. As an added plus, everyone LOVES taco night!
- Many serving options. You can use this seasoned tempeh to make, not only tacos, but taco salad, nachos, stuffed sweet potato, Mexican casseroles and the list goes on.
- Tasty DIY taco seasoning. The perfect blend of spices are used to season this crumbled tempeh. And you can use this all-natural taco seasoning for any other recipes where you need a bold, delicious seasoning with no shady ingredients.
- Healthy tacos. These tempeh tacos are actually good for you! They’re made with just tempeh, onion, garlic and seasonings. That’s it! And tempeh is packed with protein – there’s over 30 grams per 1 cup of tempeh. WIN!
Definitely give these Tempeh Tacos a try! I think you might be surprised how much you love them! :) THEN give these tempeh fajitas a try. :)
How to store & freeze tempeh taco “meat”:
Leftovers: Once the tempeh has cooled completely, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Let the tempeh filling cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: Thaw the frozen tempeh in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
More tempeh recipes to try:
PLEASE let me know if you make these Tempeh Tacos and how you like them! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
See how to make this Tempeh Tacos Recipe:
Tempeh Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ of a medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of oregano
- ¼-1 teaspoon of paprika according to taste and desired spiciness
- 1 8 ounce block tempeh
- ¼ cup of water
Instructions
- Heat oil in medium pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Crumble in the tempeh so that it’s in very small pieces and then add in all of the spices. Add in the water and mix to combine. Cook for 5 additional minutes until the tempeh is heated through and the water has thickened/been absorbed.
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings and ENJOY!!
Notes
- Leftovers: Once the tempeh has cooled completely, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Let the tempeh filling cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat: Thaw the frozen tempeh in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
