So you know how I made Tofu Bolognese, and then I made The Best Vegan Chili Ever, and how both of those recipes turned out to be two of my most popular recipes? Well, even if you didn't know that, I'm telling right now because, friend, you have no idea, people are obsessed. And what are they obsessed with? The magic of tofu crumbles. That's why today I'm bringing you Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles!
Ah! So excited. I can't wait to make these on repeat. Taco Tuesday is every day, right?
What are these magical tofu crumbles you ask? (Well, ok, you didn't ask, but I'm asking for you).
This is my technique where I crumble up a block of extra-firm tofu, coat it in spices, and then dry it out in the oven. The crumbles darken and get dry and crunchy. They are addictive to snack on just like that. But then the magic really happens when you add a bit of moisture back to the tofu. (In these vegan tofu taco crumbles, I'm using salsa as my moisture, clever, I know). The dried tofu bits suck up the moisture and become this amazing, chewy, meaty (yes I went there), texture. It blows peoples minds how awesome and delicious it is.
No really, I've received comments from readers saying that they actually had to tell their meat-eating buddy that the dish was vegan. Ha! Point for the vegans.
These Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles are chewy, flavour-packed, and perfectly spiced. Just layer on a taco or they are also fab on a burrito, with your favourite toppings for the ultimate vegan taco. These can be made ahead and reheated making dinner a breeze. They keep their chewy texture perfectly.
Now get into your kitchen and start whipping up a batch of these taco crumbles immediately. (Sorry, I don't mean to be so bossy, I'm just excited over here)!
To make Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles: mix the oil, soy sauce, and all the spices in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture.
Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl with the seasoning. Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
Remove the tofu crumbles from the oven and add to a pan with the ¾ cup salsa. You may need more salsa depending on how watery the salsa is and how wet you would like your tofu crumbles to be, add more salsa to taste. Heat through and serve hot on taco shells with desired toppings or in a burrito. Omnomnom!
You can store vegan tofu taco crumbles in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Common Questions:
Why is my tofu still soft? or Why won't my tofu get crispy? If your tofu is still soft and not the desired texture or browned, you likely did not cook them long enough or at the correct temperature. Or, they were not spread evenly over the pan. Be sure to give them plenty of room to cook and at the correct temperature and for the correct amount of time.
Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional for spice)
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained (no need to press it)
- ¾ - 1 ¼ cups salsa
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Mix the oil, soy sauce, and all the spices in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture.
- Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl with the seasoning. Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated. Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
- Remove the tofu crumbles from the oven and add to a pan with the ¾ cup salsa. You may need more salsa depending on how watery the salsa is and how wet you would like your tofu crumbles to be, add more salsa to taste. Heat through and serve hot on taco shells with desired toppings or in a burrito.
MJ says
I never leave reviews or comments but this recipe and technique is out of this world. I have made this recipe twice and it just keeps getting better! Many vegan recipes take a long time but this one is one of the few that is actually worth it. Non vegan sister said these taco crumbles were awesome. I will continue to make this recipe even for other dishes that aren't tacos.
Sherry says
I can't wait to try this. I can't tolerate the wet/spongy texture of tofu blocks, and was thrilled to see this idea. Also, I love Chinese stir fry and was wondering if you thought this would work by mixing the tofu crumbles (without taco seasoning) in the sauce instead of salsa. Thanks.
Lovada Mason says
Can you freeze the left over mixture
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can!
Kevin says
Hey Sam, going to try this recipe tomorrow afternoon. Just one question. When I take the cook tofu out of the oven and add the salsa, what do you mean by cook through? Do I put it back in the oven for a few minutes? If so, can I just use the same pan and pour the salsa over the tofu? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Just mix the tofu and salsa together in the pan and heat through on the stove. ENjoY!
Nancy says
Hi Sam!! Love, love, love your site and recipes (as well as your cookbook)! I made these, and while great, I seem to remember a recipe that did not include salsa that was soooooooo scrumptious right out of the oven, I had a hard time not eating all of it before I could use it in my recipe. I can't find it anywhere on It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken and I'm almost positive it was from your site. Please HELP!! And keep on doing what you are doing ~ you're great!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Nancy, it could have been the crumbles from my chili, bolognese, or chorizo. Enjoy!
Cindy says
Where have these crumbles been all my life? Genius. I doubled the recipe. So much to do with them. They were fabulous in tacos. Easy. And you don’t even have to press your extra firm tofu. Yummmmm.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved them, Cindy!
Sabrina says
If I only have firm tofu, can I just bake it less to get the same texture?
Sue says
Tried this tonight with my non-veggie hubby. It was a hit! I am an RDN and love to find new recipes for vegan and vegetarian friends. I was asked to make vegetarian chili for managers' chili day at the office and will try your recipe for that next! Thanks for the fun videos!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed them Sue!
Steve Miller says
Hi Sam, i am fairly new to Veganism and have looked at a lot of sites to find recipes. Your site is the best I have come across! Recipes are not too complicated and every one I've tried turned out great, and I am not an experienced cook. Thanks for creating this valuable resource!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Steve! SO happy you're loving my work 🙂
Emilie says
Making this again tonight because it came out so good last night. Really enjoying this recipe. So glad to have stumbled upon your site!
Sam Turnbull says
I'm so glad too, Emilie! Thrilled you enjoyed them 🙂
Gina Bisaillon says
I make something somewhat similar - a chicken taco recipe that I adapted for using with crumbled tofu. The other day I tried it with rehydrated TVP and it was just as good because after all for those recipes, it's the seasoning that counts! My recipes involve sautéeing the tofu or TVP in a bit of oil with onion and garlic (not much), then adding the liquid seasoning and stirring till almost dry. Today I made some tacos filled with mashed potatoes and my "crumble", topped with lettuce and a sprinkle of yogurt. BTW, potatoes are a rather expensive treat in Mexico, and they are often used as the main ingredient in tacos and burritos.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Christa says
thank you for these healthy recipes. I can’t wait to try these. The tofu I bought is only firm...not extra firm. Do I have to do anything different with it to prepare it?
Beata says
I actually made my first crumbles with the firm tofu - It may need to be baked a little longer for the moisture to evaporate. I think I recall someone saying that they had to almost double the time but everyone's oven is different. I did not double the baking time but I know I baked my crumbles longer than what the recipe calls for. Just keep an eye on them to prevent overall burning. 🙂
Christa says
Thank you. I will give it a try!
Sam Turnbull says
Firm tofu is softer than extra-firm which just means it contains more water and less tofu. So you won't get as chewy of texture, and you will have less crumbles likely. Enjoy!
Beata says
Made these for dinner last night to combine with your avocado cilantro sauce from another one of your recipes on the site. The crumbles were actually quite bland for me when I took them out of the oven, so I simply added a lot more cumin, chili and cayenne pepper when cooking with the salsa. I didn't measure the salsa, I just eyeballed the texture as I was cooking the crumbles. Also, I think I at least tripled the spices but who cares, after the spices were to my liking, the crumbles were out of this world. Used the soft taco shells and layered the crumbles with a couple of pickled jalapeno slices, more fresh salsa and the avocado cilantro sauce from another recipe of yours. I asked my SO (who currently claims he cannot give up cheese) if he wanted some real shredded cheese that is still lurking in the depths of my fridge, and he declined, while stuffing his face!!! We both literally STUFFED ourselves last night. We were actually a little uncomfortable - that's how much we ate!!! He even went for a little bit more (without the taco shell), even though I was sure he had absolutely no room for more, lol.
What a fantastic recipe! Just wow. With this recipe, I am so looking forward to Taco Tuesday almost everyday!!! THANK YOU SAM!!!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Beata 🙂
Beata says
I have been enjoying so many of your recipes recently, that it was the only logical next step to purchase your cookbook! I got mine in the kindle version yesterday and sooo looking forward to creating more delicious meals! You are making this journey so easy and tasty. Thank you Sam!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful!! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂
Beata says
And my SO and I gifted your cookbook (paperback) to my SO's vegan sister for her birthday! She says the life changing mozzarella is first on the list of recipes to make. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha amazing!
Tiffany says
These made for a delicious family taco night! Thank you for your great recipes that are simple but have great flavorful payoffs!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome 🙂
Hannah says
This sounds really cool. Does it freeze well after coming out of the oven? I would love to be able to make large batches for quick reheating in the future.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it should freeze well, but I would freeze the tofu before mixing it with the salsa for best result. Then to reheat add the tofu to the pan with the salsa and heat through 🙂
Veerle says
I love the taco crumbles so much. I don't usually like spicy food, but making this every other week has been very helpful with adjusting my spiciness tolerance. Prior to this, there haven't been any other spicy foods that I've felt like making more than once. These were just so delicious that I was willing to deal with the spiciness, and thanks to this, I'm able to handle other spicy foods now. You're by far my favorite vegan blog.
Sam Turnbull says
Awww thank you so much, Veerle 🙂
Shannon says
My second time making these crumbles! I am using them in nachos this time! Sam you are a genius!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you!
Lissa corinne says
This was my first time making tofu, and it was a great experience! Before this I've never even tasted tofu. I pressed it as other comments suggested. It turned out fantastic. Me and my boyfriend loved it so much. It really upped taco night! I can't wait to try some other tofu recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you loved it, Lissa 🙂
Veronique says
Just tried this and it is soooo Amazing!!!! Highly recommend it!! Yum yum yum!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it, Veronique 🙂
Elisa says
I have been a Beyond/Impossible beef doubter, refusing to eat that stuff. Then today I was looking for tofu beef recipes, found and made this. It's great!! Super easy and much healthier than mystery fake meat stuff.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you loved it, Elisa 🙂
Annice O'Rourke says
Hi Sam,
I am in love with these and have made them several times, but my hands get so cold crumbling the tofu (I love the feeling of the tofu, but the cold gets to me). I started using a pastry cutter instead and it works really well!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome advice! You could also just let the tofu come to room temperature before crumbling. Enjoy!
Amber says
These were amazing !!! New favorite tacos. Thank you for the recipe
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome 🙂
Mary says
12 days wfpb, never tried tofu. I didn't care for the crumbles when they first came out of the oven, but once the salsa was added, its really good. My bigger pieces didn't crisp up, I think next time I will bake on a silpat or squeeze the block of tofu. I definitely would make this again and tofu is now on our grocery list. Oh and my husband will not try it AT ALL!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed, Mary!