Tempeh Tacos are the ultimate Taco Tuesday meal! These tacos cook up quickly, making them a great dinner option for any busy weeknight! Tempeh taco meat can be used for taco salads and burrito bowls, too! This easy recipe is vegan with a gluten-free option.
Vegan Tempeh Tacos
I have a great love of tacos. I make them at least once a week, and I’m always mixing up the fillings. I’ve had people ask me what vegans fill their tacos with, and the answer is usually “whatever I can get my hands on.” I sometimes use beans and rice, sometimes I’ll use tofu or seitan, and other times I might use cauliflower. Tempeh is another favorite taco filling in my house. I like to crumble it and mix it with spices.
How to Cook Tempeh
I’ve found that a lot of people don’t know what to do with tempeh, so they don’t cook with it often. People have also told me that they don’t like its fermented flavor. I like to demonstrate tempeh recipes when I do cooking classes to show people that it’s pretty easy to cook with. These Tempeh Tacos were at a hit at a recent class, even with non-vegans.
Simmering tempeh in a bath of vegetable stock will help remove some of the fermented taste, and it will also help “open up” the tempeh so that it absorbs sauces and marinades better. You can also steam it for a few minutes for the same effect. I’ve used the simmering technique here, which can be done while you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients for the tacos.
Tempeh can usually be found in the same area of the grocery store as tofu, which is usually the produce are or the refrigerated section.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh doesn't contain gluten. Plain tempeh doesn't, but sometimes it's made with grains, some of which may contain gluten.
What You Need
The ingredient list for this recipe looks long, but don’t let that fool you—this recipe is super simple and it comes together quickly. Most of what’s on the list are spices and toppings. If you don’t already have all of these spices on hand and don’t want to go out and buy them all, you can use a packet of taco seasoning instead. I like Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning Mix and Simply Organic Seasoning Mix.
- Vegetable stock
- Tempeh
- Red onion
- Vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Tamari
- Tomato paste
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne
- Red pepper flakes
- Corn tortillas
- Romaine lettuce
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Jalapeño
- Hot sauce
How to Make Vegan Tempeh Tacos
This recipe couldn't be easier!
- First you simmer your tempeh in the vegetable stock
- Then you sauté onion and garlic.
- Next you crumble in the tempeh into the pan.
- Finally, you add the tamari, tomato paste, and vegetable stock to the pan and let it cook!
The tempeh will soak up the liquid and the spices. If your pan dries out too quickly, just add more stock.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, opt for wheat-free corn tortillas.
Serving Your Tempeh Tacos
I like to top my tacos with lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and hot sauce, but of course, you can use whatever fillings you prefer.
If you're not in the mood for a tortilla, you can use the filling to make taco salad or burrito bowls.
Recipe Notes
If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh and tortillas are gluten-free.
Tempeh Tacos
Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 8-ounce package tempeh
- 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- ½ red onion diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- pinch red pepper flakes
For Serving
- 6 corn tortillas warmed
- 1 head romaine lettuce shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced, optional
- Hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Add the stock to a large pan over medium heat, and add the full block of tempeh. Allow to simmer for about half an hour.
- Remove the tempeh from the pan and allow to cool. Save the stock for later use.
- Add the onion and oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, spices, and ½ cup of the reserved vegetable stock
- Crumble the tempeh and add it to the pan along with the vegetable stock mixture. Mix everything well.
- Continue cooking until the mixture is heated throughout, about 5 more minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little more reserved vegetable stock.
- To serve the tacos, fill each tortilla with the tempeh mixture along with lettuce, diced avocado, diced tomato, jalapeño, and hot sauce, if using. Serve hot.
Becky Striepe
Aaah these look so amazing! I love how deeply seasoned the tempeh is and all of that creamy avocado on top.
Dianne
Thank you, Becky!
Cadry
You're so right that one of the best things about vegan tacos is that there are endless filling options. A person could have a different kind of taco every day. That sounds like my dream scenario!
Dianne
It does sound like a dream!
Pam in Sacramento
These are AWESOME! I made the recipe for Superbowl. I made them exactly as shown, but added 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika, because I wanted a slightly smoky taste. Best vegan tacos EVER! This will be my go-to taco filling. the spice blend is perfect.
Then, this week I decided to make the filling again and use it to make Mexican-influenced stuffed cabbage. I added 1 cup of cooked brown rice to the tempeh filling, and rolled it up in cabbage leaves. Poured a little veggie broth over the top, covered and baked for an hour. Perfect! My hubby hates cabbage, but loved this, so score!
I also suspect this spice blend will be perfect with black beans, too. Will give it a try in a few weeks.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Dianne
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Pam! I'll bet it was delicious with the smoked paprika. Dennis can't stand it, so sad, I never cook with it, although I do like it. I'm glad you experimented with it! I'm glad to hear it worked out well as a stuffed cabbage filling! I'll have to try that.