This vegan taco meat is made with a flavorful combination of taco-seasoned walnuts, quinoa, and black beans. It's the perfect plant-based filling to use for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas! Make Taco Tuesday dinner a breeze with this easy and delicious 30-minute meal!
I love this plant-based taco meat because it's flavorful, filling, and so versatile! The "meat" is made from a combination of chopped walnuts, cooked quinoa, protein-packed black beans, and lots of seasonings. The filling is naturally high-protein, fiber-rich, gluten-free, oil-free, and it's ready to eat in 30 minutes!
You can use the walnut quinoa taco meat as a filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or in a salad. It's delicious warm or cold, so this is a great recipe to meal prep on Sunday that you can eat from all week long!
What is Vegan Taco Meat Made of?
This vegan "meat" is made with a combination of chopped walnuts, cooked quinoa, beans, and dried seasonings. It's very simple and quick to make and it can be enjoyed in so many ways.
How to Make Vegan Taco Meat
First, cook the quinoa in a separate pot according to the package instructions. If you don't use pre-rinsed quinoa (like this quinoa that I buy from Costco) then make sure you rinse it first or it will taste bitter once cooked).
Next, use a nut chopper or food processor to chop up the walnuts. Combine all of the dry seasonings, black beans, chopped walnuts, cooked quinoa, and water in a large pan. Mix it all together and let it cook until it's warmed through. Add salt to taste and serve in tacos, burritos, or salad.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this walnut quinoa taco meat in soft flour tortillas, corn tortillas, hard shells, or use it as a filling in a vegan crunchwrap supreme. If you use it to make tacos, load it up with any of the following toppings.
- Rainbow Salsa
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Diced Tomatoes
- Guacamole or Mashed Avocado
- Shredded Vegan Cheese
- Cilantro Lime Salsa
- Hot Sauce
- Raw Sauerkraut
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Sliced Green Onions
- Smoky Sweet Potato Salsa
- Grilled Corn
If you don't want to make tacos, you could use the walnut quinoa taco meat as a filling in burritos, taco salad, wraps, or in a veggie breakfast burrito bowl.
If you want to make a side dish to go with the tacos, any of the following side dishes would be delicious!
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Cilantro Lime Quinoa
- Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store leftover walnut taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge and it should stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, you can freeze the walnut taco meat. It freezes and defrosts perfectly! Put it in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for 2-3 months for the best quality.
How to Reheat It
From the Freezer: Take the container out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
From the Fridge: Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover it, and warm it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Or you can reheat the walnut taco meat in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1-2 tbsp of water so it doesn't stick to the pan.
Notes & Substitutions
- Bean Options: I used a can of black beans, but you could also use kidney beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, or whatever beans you have on hand. Lentils would be delicious too!
- Quinoa Substitutions: Brown rice, farro, einkorn wheat berries, or cauliflower rice can be used instead of quinoa.
- Walnut Substitutions: Chopped almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, crumbled tofu, or minced mushrooms can be substituted for walnuts.
- Can I use raw walnuts? You can use raw walnuts, but you'll need to toast them in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat or in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes before you combine them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Gluten-Free: The filling is naturally gluten-free, so make sure to use gluten-free tortillas if necessary if you want to make tacos.
Success Tips
- If the quinoa isn't pre-rinsed, make sure you rinse it so the quinoa won't taste bitter once it's cooked.
- A food processor is the quickest and easiest way to chop the walnuts into small pieces. However, if you don't have it you can also use a nut chopper or mince them by hand using a large knife.
- Use roasted walnuts to save time. If possible choose unsalted so you can control how much salt to add to the dish. If you use raw walnuts, you'll need to toast them first before combing them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Start with ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes and add more to taste. I usually use a total of ½ tsp chili pepper flakes because I like a little heat. You could also use cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Want More Vegan Taco Recipes?
Vegan Taco Meat
Equipment
- Food Processor or Nut Chopper
- Large Pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cups walnuts (unsalted)
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes (add more to taste)
- 14 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in a medium saucepan according to the package instructions. If you don’t use pre-rinsed quinoa, make sure you rinse it or it will taste bitter once cooked.
- Put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse a few times until the nuts are crumbly.
- In a large pan over medium heat, combine the cooked quinoa, chopped walnuts, taco seasonings, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili pepper flakes, rinsed and drained black beans, and ½ cup of water. Mix it all together and let it cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan gets too dry you may need to add more a little bit more water. Add salt to taste.
- Spoon the filling into tacos and add toppings of choice. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.
Notes
- If the quinoa isn't pre-rinsed, make sure you rinse it so the quinoa won't taste bitter once it's cooked.
- A food processor is the quickest and easiest way to chop the walnuts into small pieces. However, if you don't have it you can also use a nut chopper or mince them by hand using a large knife.
- Start with ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes and add more to taste. I usually use a total of ½ tsp chili pepper flakes because I like a little heat. You could also use cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Nutrition
*This vegan taco meat recipe was originally posted on 11/7/17 but I updated it on 10/25/20.
Can you use it in a slow cooker?
Thanks Liz
Hi Liz! No, I don't recommend making the recipe in the slow cooker. It's best made on the stovetop.
All recipes on your blog look very delicious. Thans for sharing.
Thank you!
walnuts and quinoa make a great taco meat! this looks so good.
I agree! Thanks, Kristin!