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    Home » Recipes » Game Day Favourites

    January 5, 2022 23 Comments

    Easy TVP Tacos

    1.4K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM!

    Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #tacos #veganrecipes

    TVP (also called textured vegetable protein), is an affordable vegan meat alternative made from soy. Jess, who has worked with me for years, has been pushing me to make a recipe with TVP. I finally listened to her and tried it out. My god, she was so right. Thanks Jess!!

    TVP is SO quick and easy to work with, and just like tofu or soy curls, it's very bland in flavor (which is a good thing) as it makes the perfect base to suck up any seasoning you toss its way. As soon as I tested out the TVP I knew I immediately wanted to make vegan taco meat with it as it has the perfect texture, and when seasoned correctly tastes just like ground beef tacos- but better!

    Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #tacos #veganrecipes

    These tacos are so good, Adam and I have had them multiple times this week already. Whip up these easy TVP tacos, and serve them with your favorite taco toppings, such as salsa, vegan sour cream, guacamole, vegan shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced avocado, or shredded lettuce. These are going to be your new favorite!

    TVP (textured vegetable protein)

    Common Questions:

    What is TVP?
    TVP is the short form for Textured Vegetable Protein. TVP contains just one ingredient: soy flour. TVP is most commonly found in granules as I use in this recipe, but you can also find it in large pieces such as chunks, slices, and strips. TVP is very affordable and shelf-stable so it's a great food to keep in your pantry at all times.
    Where can I get TVP?
    You may be able to find it in your grocery store in the health food section. Or you can find it at health food stores, international grocery stores, or you can order it online on amazon.
    Does TVP need to be soaked?
    TVP comes dehydrated so you need to add moisture. Some recipes call for soaking it ahead of time, but in this taco recipe, I found it quickest and easiest to add the dry TVP to the pan along with vegetable broth and allow it to soften and absorb the extra flavors right in the pan.
    Is TVP high in carbs? Is it high in protein?
    It's very low in carbs with only 9g of carbohydrates per ¼ cup of dry TVP granules. It's low in fat and very high in protein. So a great food for my vegan athletic friends!

    Saute onions and garlic

    How to make Easy TVP Tacos:

    Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan. When hot add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

    Add the TVP, vegetable broth, and spices to the pan.

    Mix in the vegetable broth, TVP, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt.

    Simmer for 5 minutes until the broth is absorbed the the TVP is meaty

    Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetable broth has absorbed and the TVP is tender and chewy. If it gets a bit dry just add a splash more vegetable broth. Or if it is too wet continue to simmer a little longer until the vegetable broth is absorbed.

    Spoon into tortilla shells, and decorate with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

    Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #tacos #veganrecipes

    These TVP Tacos are:

    • Meaty
    • Bursting with spices
    • Chewy and tender
    • Protein-packed
    • Super quick and easy to make

    More delicious vegan taco recipes you might enjoy:

    Tofu Taco Crumbles
    Easy Soy Curl Tacos
    Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
    Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

    If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.

    Bon appetegan!
    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    4.99 from 67 votes

    Easy TVP Tacos (vegan!)

    Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM!
    Adapted from my Tofu Taco Crumbles recipe.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Mexican
    Servings: 8 (makes enough filling for 6 - 8 tacos)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the TVP

    • 1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
    • 1 small yellow onion chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
    • 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth or vegan beefless broth
    • 1 cup dry TVP granules (textured vegetable protein)
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional for spice
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

    For the tacos:

    • 8 small tortillas (flour, corn, or gluten-free)
    • Toppings of choice such as: salsa, vegan sour cream, guacamole, vegan shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced avocado, or shredded lettuce.
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan. When hot add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
    • Mix in the vegetable broth, TVP, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetable broth has absorbed and the TVP is tender and chewy. If it gets a bit dry just add a splash more vegetable broth. Or if it is too wet continue to simmer a little longer until the vegetable broth is absorbed.
    • Spoon into tortilla shells, and decorate with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Make-ahead: Allow the prepared TVP taco meat to cool then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving of TVP taco meat without tortillas or added toppings (recipe makes 8 servings) | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    More meaty vegan recipes you might enjoy...

    « Top 10 Vegan Recipes of 2021 (And Year-End Wrap -Up)!
    Vegan Ranch Veggie Dip »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenn Bartlett says

      March 17, 2023 at 9:33 am

      5 stars
      Sam, these were so easy and SO DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This was my first time using TVP. I was scared of it (how ridiculous is that??) but not anymore! My kids loved them too! (Big hit!) I look forward to trying more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        March 17, 2023 at 8:54 pm

        Yay! We're so glad you like TVP now!

        Reply
    2. Carrie F says

      December 20, 2022 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic! Used an un-chicken broth, and made a cashew lime crema to add on with the usual toppings. Really great recipe. Perfect proportions. We doubled it for leftovers, can't wait to have them.

      Reply
    3. Kristine says

      December 02, 2022 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is BOMB! I love taco salad for lunch and I usually use a meat substitute and a packaged taco seasoning but this was so much cheaper and healthier and tastes amazing. Adding this into the weekly rotation! So good!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 03, 2022 at 1:38 pm

        Haha awesome!!! So happy you loved it! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Danielle says

      October 22, 2022 at 4:42 pm

      4 stars
      Not bad. I found it needed 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp soy sauce and a dash of Maggi seasoning to make it more beef-like (could use some red wine but I didn't have any). I used a mushroom broth base as well.

      I added more chili seasoning and cayenne and topped it off with a bit of lime juice.

      Reply
    5. Heidi says

      May 07, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      This was a delicious recipe! Can you come up with a vegan white queso dip that is nut free? You are so clever with creating such great recipes. I recently bought 2 of your books and consider you to be one of the best vegan cooks out there!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 26, 2022 at 10:21 am

        Aww thank you Heidi, here is a nut free cheese sauce, it's not white but it's tasty!

        Reply
    6. Joanne Johnson says

      April 23, 2022 at 2:16 am

      5 stars
      We are enjoying tacos on a weekly basis with this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 26, 2022 at 9:53 am

        Yay!! Happy to hear you love them 🙂

        Reply
    7. Brenda says

      January 20, 2022 at 8:42 am

      Gotta be honest, it blows my mind a little that this is the first time you've had TVP, as my extremely not-vegan self has eaten it (especially in tacos) many times. It's been my standard go-to for replacing ground meat for years, and I still keep a stash of it in the pantry, even though I mostly use the soy curl shards/crumbs left at the bottom of a bag these days!

      Be interested to see what else you come up with now!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:27 pm

        Thank you Brenda! My grocery store only recently started selling it!

        Reply
        • Brenda says

          January 26, 2022 at 10:18 am

          5 stars
          Well I suppose that's a good reason!

    8. Susan says

      January 16, 2022 at 6:58 am

      5 stars
      Thank you, Sam, for the great recipe for TVP tacos! So quick and delicious. In the past I haven’t cared for TVP because I found the texture to be spongy but your taco filling was not. I’m hoping you develop more recipes that use TVP because you are a genius!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:18 pm

        Aww thanks Susan! And I agree, TVP can be spongey, technique and measurements are important! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Kim says

      January 13, 2022 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      I love how quick and simple this recipe is, without sacrificing flavor! Thank you so much for this!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:15 pm

        You're most welcome Kim!

        Reply
    10. Holly says

      January 08, 2022 at 9:17 am

      Please help me with a TVP problem! I threw some TVP chunks directly into a brothy soup I was making and the final result was DISGUSTING. They came out like mushy, flabby globs of chicken fat. Gross!

      What's the trick to keeping them meaty in "wet" recipes? Would rehydrating and squeezing them first work, or would they just go flabby again once added to the soup? What about rehydrating, squeezing, and then frying or baking them before tossing into the soup? Or does TVP just always turn to mush if the recipe is wet?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:08 pm

        I haven't worked with the TVP chunks much yet, but my guess is that they work similarly to soy curls. So I would recommend trying one of my soy curl recipes but use your TVP chunks. You can see the recipes here. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Cal says

      January 05, 2022 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      I've been making taco "meat" with TVP for years. In fact, I suggested it to you when you first introduced your TOFU Crumbles. TVP is a quicker and easier method. I'm pleased your were finally convinced to try it.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 25, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        Haha! I was! More TVP recipes to come 🙂

        Reply
        • Susan says

          January 25, 2022 at 5:19 pm

          Awesome that there are more TVP recipes to come!

        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 02, 2022 at 8:24 pm

          Yes! Working on one now 🙂

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