This vegetarian taco meat is made with cauliflower, walnuts, and chipotle peppers. It’s so easy: just mix and bake. Meatless miracle!
Cauliflower Walnut Vegetarian Taco Meat
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Hands down the absolute best taco meat substitute I have ever had. Perfect texture and flavor and oh so easy and healthy. Thank you 😊
Tina Mitchell
Breaking news: vegetarian taco meat is a weirdly delicious thing. Like, all plants. In tacos. That really closely resembles ground beef and possibly even tastes better. This is a miracle of epic proportions.
Do we love tacos or DO WE LOVE TACOS? We – team POY, readers and bloggers and friends and family alike – definitely love tacos. We also love all derivatives of tacos – taco bowls, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, nachos, etc., which is good news for the magic of vegetarian taco meat because it goes with everything. All of them. Not one taco relative left behind.
The number of types of tacos I’ve made is beyond counting. It would actually be embarrassing. That number is not slowing down anytime soon, pals. Being a taco fanatic means I am definitely not going to say no to a beef taco if you offer it to me, but I am also a part-time vegetarian and I really love a good meatless alternative.
I have no real explanation for this except that I love to eat plants and I find cooking vegetarian recipes to be easier. And more fun. So chipotle-spiced, easy-to-make veg taco meat was born.
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How To Make Some Mind-Blowing Vegetarian Taco Meat
Here’s what we have going on in this vegetarian taco meat situation:
- cauliflower
- walnuts
- chipotle peppers
- a few spices
- salt
Can you handle it? It’s too easy. It should be wrong but it’s so right.
Once that gets all ground up, we’re going to bake it.
You still with me?
Serve It Up with All The Things
While it’s baking, since you’re going to have about 30 minutes of down time, this is the perfect opportunity to get into a salsa frenzy and whip up every type of friendly taco buddy that you can think of.
I went with the trifecta pictured here: corn and black bean salsa, pico de gallo, and guacamole because I don’t want to hate my life.
My taco vision quickly got out of control and I opted for a taco bowl – er, maybe burrito bowl, technically, with the rice and everything – instead of a traditional folded-in-a-tortilla fashion. Which is a callback to what I said at the beginning: that this vegetarian taco meat is ready to go with anybody in the taco family.
Only love for this mountain of glory.
What can I even say? My heart is happy. Vegetarian taco meat, please never leave me.
I hope you love tacossss.
Ways To Use Vegetarian Taco Meat
There are so many ways! Here are my favorites.
- In tacos!
- In bowls!
- In burritos!
- Stuffed in enchiladas.
- Layered in a crunchwrap.
- Eaten straight off the pan.
Cauliflower Walnut Vegetarian Taco Meat
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings (about 1/2 cup each) 1x
Description
This vegetarian taco meat is made with cauliflower, walnuts, and chipotle peppers. It’s so easy: just mix and bake. Meatless miracle!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
The Vegetarian Taco Meat Basics:
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 cups whole walnuts
- 2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
Optional Add-Ins:
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic or onion powder
- a pinch of cayenne for more heat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is evenly ground (see picture).
- Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent over-browning.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls, and the like!
Equipment
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Notes
My salsa-making game is pretty loose. I like to just eyeball it and taste and adjust as I go.
- Corn Salsa: toss some corn kernels in a pan and saute until roasty-looking. Mix with black beans, jalapeño, salt, lime juice, cilantro.
- Pico de Gallo: toss chopped tomatoes with chopped onion, salt, lime juice, and cilantro.
- Guacamole: toss mashed avocados with chopped onion, salt, lime juice, and cilantro.
Freezer Meal Version
- Pulse in a food processor to make the “meat”:
3 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups whole walnuts
2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
optional: lime juice, onion and garlic powder, cayenne to taste - Bake and then freeze: 375 degrees for 30 minutes (stir halfway through), freeze in plastic bag or glass container.
- Final Step: Add Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat to a skillet to reheat, or in the microwave. Serve in tacos, enchiladas, rice bowls, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, the usual.
- Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: vegetarian taco meat, cauliflower walnut meat, vegetarian Mexican recipe, vegetarian recipe, taco bowl
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Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Bowls Cauliflower Dairy-Free Dinner Gluten Free May Gluten-Free Healthy Lunch Main Dishes Quick and Easy Sheet Pan Sugar Free January Sugar-Free Tacos Vegan Vegetarian Winter
January 16, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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I’ve made this recipe countless times and LOVE it. So quick and easy with a large food processor and holds up great in the freezer. We sometimes omit the chipotle pepper and it still turns out great.
I am allergic to walnuts. What woold you recommend as replacement?
Hi, Katherine! You could try almonds. Enjoy!
Wow, I was SO pleasantly surprised by this – taste AND texture! So easy and makes so much. I’m not even vegetarian, I just prefer this stuff! Will definitely be making again (and again!).
Do you cook the cauliflower while frozen or thawed? Does it have to be frozen?
Hi, Joan! We used fresh cauliflower here, but if you prefer to use frozen, you can cook it straight from the freezer – it just might not get as “crispy” as fresh cauliflower.
WOW! This filling/”meat” was incredible. Perfect amount of spice. If you want to fool some meat eaters, this is what you should use. Will definitely make this again. I am not a vegetarian and I loved it!
Just wanted to add that I used “riced” cauliflower rather than a head of cauliflower.
This is very original delicious but super spicy (and I have a high tolerance for heat).
Can you substitute almonds for the walnuts? My son has a tree nut allergy. Thanks!
Almonds have a very different consistency compared to walnuts. If your son isn’t allergic to pecans, I’d try that. Pecans are more tender than walnuts so I’d be careful when they’re in the food processor to not pulverize too much.
We haven’t tested this recipe with almonds, so it’s hard to say! It may work out okay!
Ok this stuff is fantastic!!! So tasty even right out of the food processor… Made nachos tonight but looking forward to experimenting with other flavors in the future. Yum!
Made this last night for Cinco de Mayo…the flavor/texture was FABULOUS!! I made burrito bowls and my husband kept saying “This is SO good!” It’s a keeper!
THIS WAS AMAZING!! My mom and I were a bit sceptical at first, but it was DELICIOUS!! I was amazing with homemade cassava flour tortillas, cabbage slaw, and salsa!! I love how easy and tasty this recipe is!! I can’t wait to freeze 1 million batches of this. Now onto the vegetarian meatballs…..
Can I use pecans instead of walnuts? I didn’t know if it might effect the flavor?
We haven’t tried, but it should work out just fine!
Can you freeze leftovers of this?
Yes you can!
Wow this was exceptionally good even my 9 year old gobbled it up. Sneaky veg for the win!
Amazing!!! Such a creative vegan “meat” option—I love this ☺️
Also/I’ve cooked this up and then freezed portions for later—super tasty and fresh when I needed it. Thank you for this recipe!
Trying to replicate the meal prep series. Can this be pulsed ahead of time and cooked a few days later sitting in the fridge a few days?
We haven’t tried prepping and then cooking a few days later so it’s hard to say. I think it’s worth a try, but perhaps you’d want to grind up the walnuts separately and store them separate from the cauliflower mixture. If stored with wet ingredients (saucy cauliflower), the walnuts might become really soft and lose that meaty texture after a few days.
A+! Such an easy recipe that comes together quickly. I ended up adding more spices and chilies for flavor (my wife loooooves spice) and it was perfect. This one will definitely be on regular rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Just adding to the chorus of praises for this recipe! This is such a handy recipe to have on hand as I shift more and more plant-based! Thank you!!
To be honest, I’m unsure I would be able to distinguish this from ‘real’ taco meat, particularly after adding all the extras we always add, like pico de gallo, guac, and queso… might have to do a taste test just for fun, but regardless, this is much more nutritious and more in line with my eating goals, so it’s totally a keeper!
I can’t wait to make this recipe for Cauliflower walnut taco meat- may I ask what makes it vegetarian and not vegan? Looks vegan to me 😋
Super easy, comes together quickly, and an absolute crowd-pleasing recipe!
An Italian or French version would be great!
No food processor. Can I use a blender? Or just chop up super small?
I’d be afraid of the cauliflower pureeing if you use a blender. If the blender can pulse the cauliflower in short spurts, it may work! If not, chopping super small will work just fine!
I don’t know…I must have done something wrong somewhere since everyone else seems to love this recipe. For me this was very, very, dry and crumbly–just screaming for some sauce or at least a little moisture. It was like putting sand into taco shells. If I were to make this again, I would try mixing in a little tomato sauce or maybe some refried beans. Thank you anyway.
I had the same issue as DX. I followed recipe, and ended up with very crumbly sand that didn’t hold together in any way, falling out of taco as you ate.
Sorry to hear that, Jane! Perhaps you had a large head of cauliflower, and need a bit more sauce/moisture in the mixture for it to clump together. We appreciate the feedback!
Hi!
Just wondering the serving size? I see it serves 6 people, but is the serving size per person 1/2 cup, 1 cup etc?
I found it!! 1/2 cup lol
Ohhh man, Lindsay. You’ve done it this time!
This taco “meat” is absolutely incredible — 12/10 would recommend to a friend. I add a little more pizzazz by chucking in some garlic cloves and cinnamon (a pinch… trust me). Toss onto baking sheet then throw it into some warm tortillas with fresh salsa, guac, and queso fresco (or cotija) with a squeeze of a lime and you are good-to-go my friend. Thank you, Lindsay, for this beautiful creation!
Wow, thanks for the garlic and cinnamon tip! Totally going to try it. So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Claire!
I’m becoming more plant based and this is a great alternative. It is low calorie and great for mexican dishes…love love!!!
Awesome, Denise! So glad you’ve been enjoying it!