Tempeh Tacos

By Ali Slagle

Updated Jan. 14, 2022

Tempeh Tacos
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(1,248)
Comments
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Hard-shell tacos, or tacos dorados, have a long history in northern Mexico and immigrant communities in California and Texas. In 1951, Glen Bell added them to the menu of his drive-in stand in San Bernardino, Calif. He would go on to found (you guessed it) Taco Bell, the fast food chain, which would help popularize hard-shell tacos in the United States. While the typical hard-shell taco is made by piling spiced and saucy ground meat and a party of toppings into a shatteringly crisp shell, this vegan version calls for tempeh. Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked soybeans into a spongelike cake with a porous structure that browns, crumbles and soaks up big flavors incredibly well. Here, it’s seasoned with well-toasted tomato paste, ground cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, as well as nutritional yeast for added umami. That said, the recipe can also be made with vegan store-bought meat crumbles if you prefer.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed or sunflower), plus more as needed
  • 2(8-ounce) packages tempeh, crumbled into roughly ½-inch pieces
  • 1large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2teaspoons chili powder
  • 1½teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • 1teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1teaspoon red hot sauce, plus more to taste (optional)
  • 12hard taco shells, warmed
  • Desired toppings, see Tip
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

504 calories; 28 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 499 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the tempeh and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, undisturbed, until deep brown, 2 minutes. Stir and cook until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Add more oil as needed if the pan looks dry.

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, nutritional yeast and smoked paprika. Season with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until brick red and beginning to stick to the skillet, 5 to 7 minutes. Try not to rush this step; if it begins to burn, deglaze with a bit of water and reduce the heat.

  3. Step 3

    Add 1 cup water and the hot sauce, if using. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until thickened and the mixture is sizzling, 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the filling between the taco shells, then top with chosen toppings.

Tip
  • Great toppings include, but are not limited to: Nutritional yeast, grated Cheddar or Jack cheese, lime, shredded lettuce, chopped white onion, pico de gallo, sour cream, cashew crema, sliced jalapeños, cilantro and avocado.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,248 user ratings
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Comments

Julia in NC

If you steam for 5 minutes, it takes the bitter flavor away.

reverberant

If you haven’t made tacos with lentils before, try it! Cooked lentils are great as a substitute in taco recipes that call for ground turkey or beef. I haven’t tried it yet in this recipe but think it would work.

Sue

A hit! We topped this with cashew crema: 1 cup of raw cashews, 3/4 cup water, lemon juice and salt to taste. Whirl in a high-speed blender for a few minutes. Shout out to Trader Joe's - taco shells, tempeh, onions, salsa. Everything we needed plus Mexican beer.

romanz

it was perfect! only did a few changes: 1 package of tempeh broth instead of water 3/4 teaspoon of chilli powder

cynthia

So delicious! And such a nice change from tofu for a vegan protein. The second time I made these, I doubled the spices and nutritional yeast. Creamy toppings are the perfect contrast to the chewy tempeh and took this over the top… I used Avocado and a good vegan cream (cocojune). Added a squeeze of lime to serve. Yum

Jonice Webb

Made it exactly as written but substituted salsa for the tomato paste. Half a recipe was plenty for 2 ppl. Loved it so much, I can’t wait to make it for my vegetarian daughter!

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