Ok, so I may be Mexican, but I have never been to Mexico. I should just make that clear from the very beginning.
But I have had many Mexican family members cook for me over the years, in addition to spending way too much money at taquerias and taco shops in my twenties.
So, it is safe to say that I am familiar with Mexican food. These vegan tacos embody everything I love about Mexican flavors and cooking.
They make an incredible vegan comfort food option any time of the year. Mexican vegan tacos have nutritional elements with all the fresh veggies and vitamins in the lime juice. The tacos also balance the most important elements of flavors in cooking. They are truly delectable.
So put on some music and have fun cooking these vibrant and soul-satisfying plant-based tacos! For the full experience, try serving them alongside one of my suggested drink pairings.
Is McCormick Taco Seasoning Vegan?
Yes, the ingredients are: spices (Including Chili Pepper, Paprika, Oregano), Corn Starch, Salt, Onion, and Garlic. For allergen information, visit their website: https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/recipe-mixes/mexican/taco-seasoning-mix
Is Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning vegan?
Yes, the ingredients are: sea salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown cane sugar, dried garlic, dried onion, black pepper, paprika, dried red bell pepper, red chili pepper flakes, dried oregano, smoked paprika.
Authentic Vegan Tacos
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Equipment Needed: Two skillets, one large, the other pan can be any size; a good chopping knife; a spatula; a cutting board, one bowl
Before You Start: Make sure your meat substitute is thawed and ready for cooking.
Ingredients
- Small yellow or white corn tortillas
- Impossible or Beyond Meat ground beef (or any other vegan meaty crumbles).
- 2 1/4 portions of white onion, diced; use one of the quarters for cooking, save the other for dressing the tacos at the end
- 2 cloves or garlic, minced
- 1 package of taco seasoning (I prefer the Trader Joes!)
- Olive oil
- Cilantro, chopped
- 4 lime wedges
- Salt to taste
- 1 avocado, diced
- (optional) Red or green bell pepper, diced
- (optional) red or green salsa
- (optional) your preferred hot sauce (try a mexican hot sauce like Tapatio or Cholula)
Instructions
Vegan Taco Meat
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In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in low-medium heat (If your stovetop is numbered 1-10, put it to a 3 or 4)
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Dice your onion. Put it into the skillet with the oil. Stir them gently a few times, every couple of minutes until the onions are translucent.
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Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic, and then add your vegan meat. Immediately stir it around. Make sure to get the onions evenly distributed and get a nice coat of oil over the meat. If needed, add a small amount more of oil.
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Let the meat cook for a 4-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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After 4-7 minutes, take one of the lime wedges and squeeze the juice into the meat. Stir around to evenly distribute.
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Add the taco seasoning. Stir around to evenly distribute.
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Add about ¼ tsp of salt. Stir again!
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If you have opted for the bell pepper, add now. Stir.
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Turn the burner down to low, cover, and let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally. The vegan taco meat is finished when the crumbles are all evenly brown and slightly crispy-looking.
***Pro-Tip*** I like to chop my other vegetables/fruits as the meat is cooking, in between stirring.
To Cook Tortillas
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In a separate skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil on low heat. It should only be enough oil to create a very thin layer coating the bottom of the pan.
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Once you hear the oil sizzling quietly, place tortillas (how ever many will fit in your pan) into the oil. Take one of the lime wedges and squeeze a very small amount of lime juice over each tortilla. Using the back of a spoon, spread the lime juice over the whole tortilla using small circular motions (similar to how you distribute pizza sauce over a pizza crust).
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Sprinkle a little bit of salt over the tortillas.
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Flip over and repeat.
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Once the tortillas are golden and they begin to firm up, turn off the heat. Remove the tortillas from the pan and place them onto a big plate. You may use a paper towel to gently remove any excess oil. Only pat off the oil, do not rub because then you will remove all of the lime and salt.
***Pro-Tip*** Set out an equal amount of tortillas NOT to be cooked so you can add an extra tortilla to each plate. Tacos traditionally come with two tortillas, one to hold the taco contents, the other to hug the outside of the taco in case the first tortilla breaks from the delicious contents!
Putting it all together
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Remove the meat mixture from heat (don’t forget to turn off the stove!). Place in a large bowl.
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Set out the number of desired tortillas. With a tablespoon, scoop the desired amount of vegan meat onto a tortilla. Dress the taco with chopped cilantro and onion. Squeeze a lime wedge over your tacos and sprinkle salt to taste. Add any additional toppings you like such as hot sauce, salsa, or try Foragers Vegan Queso Fresco.
Notes
Optional Drink Pairing
- Alcohol: Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, or a Margarita
- Non-Alcoholic: Grapefruit Seltzer with a splash or orange juice; an ice cold glass of vegan horchata
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Cuisine: Mexican