Make vegan mushroom tacos with quick and easy Mushroom Taco Meat! Make taco Tuesday a breeze with this 20-minute plant-based recipe featuring the savory, umami flavor of mushrooms.
If you're a mushroom lover you'll love this vegan taco meat! Mushrooms blend down perfectly into a beef-like texture AND they give so much flavor to what might otherwise be a boring taco.
This taco meat takes literally 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for Taco Tuesday or any weeknight dinner.
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What is mushroom taco meat?
Mushroom taco meat is a substitute for traditional ground beef taco meat. It's completely vegan and made from plants!
This taco meat is made from blending mushrooms into shreds to create a ground beef texture. Then, you cook it just like you would with traditional tacos.
Why I love this Mushroom Taco Meat
- Dietary needs - these tacos are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free.
- SUPER quick - it takes about 20 minutes to whip up these tacos. So you can have dinner in no time
- Veggie forward - you get a healthy serving of veggies (mushrooms!) with these tacos, so you're getting in those vitamins and minerals that mushrooms are full of
- Umami flavor - mushrooms are known for that savory, umami flavor and these tacos really bring that to life.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cremini Mushrooms: I recommend cremini mushrooms (also known as baby bellas) for this recipe because they have a deeper, more umami flavor than regular white button mushrooms. They are also cheaper than some other fancy mushrooms like shiitakes. That said, white button mushrooms will work in this recipe. Or a blend of your favorite shrooms.
- Yellow Onion: I like some onion in my tacos to add flavor and texture, but if you don't want onion, leave it out. You could also use a white or red onion if you'd like.
- Garlic: fresh garlic is ideal for maximum flavor. Garlic powder or freeze dried garlic would work as a sub.
- Taco Seasoning: I used my 5-Minute Taco Seasoning recipe
- Tamari or Soy Sauce: this adds some salt and more layers of umami flavor to the 'meat'. If you are gluten-free be sure to use tamari because soy sauce contains gluten.
- Maple Syrup: to make this recipe completely sugar-free use date syrup or omit the maple syrup entirely
- White Wine Vinegar: a bit of acid helps to brighten up the flavor of the taco meat. You can use any light vinegar like apple cider vinegar.
- To Serve: tortillas, cilantro, jalapenos, limes
How to make Vegan Mushroom Taco
Step 1. Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until they reach a ground-beef consistency.
Step 2. Add all the ingredients to a non-stick pan and cook until the mushrooms are soft.
Step 3. Serve taco-style with your desired toppings.
FAQ & Expert Tips
No food processor? No problem!
If you have a blender, you can use it. Or you can simply finely chop the mushrooms. It might take a bit longer to prep, but the result will be very similar to using a processor.
Well.. besides the fact that I usually don't cook with oil - you don't need any! The mushrooms have plenty of natural liquid that will be released in the cooking process. They won't stick to the pan at all!
If you want a bit more texture or thickness to your mushroom taco meat you have a few options:
Option 1: Leave some of the mushrooms whole/in larger chunks. This will give you more of something to chew on when you're eating.
Option 2: Add breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs will absorb some of the mushroom liquid so your tacos will be a bit thicker and more hearty. If you choose this option, stir in the breadcrumbs after you cook the meat, before serving.
Option 3: Add beans. Black beans or pinto beans would make a tasty addition to this meat and would create a heartier meat overall. If you choose this option, add the beans to the pan along with the other ingredients to warm them while the mushrooms and onions cook.
This is a pretty generic taco base, so you can really make these tacos your own. Add vegan cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado - whatever you love!
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge. Leftovers will last up to a week.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for vegan tacos! Help us to take time to enjoy this recipe with our family on a busy night.
More vegan taco recipes
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📖 Recipe
Mushroom Taco Meat (for Vegan Mushroom Tacos)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms
- 1 Small Yellow Onion minced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- To Serve: tortillas, cilantro, jalapeños, limes
Instructions
- Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until they reach a ground-beef consistency.
- Add all the ingredients to a non-stick pan and cook until the mushrooms are soft.
- Serve taco-style with your desired toppings.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Chef Niqo
Tried this recipe for dinner tonight and they weren’t half bad! I would want more of a crunch so I would try with nuts next time overall though it was a great tasting taco and I almost forgot it wasn’t beef lol
Elizabeth
So glad you enjoyed the flavor of these tacos. I think my mushroom walnut tacos are exactly what you're looking for - umami from the mushrooms and the crunch of walnuts. Let me know if you try!