Walnut Taco Meat
Walnut taco meat is going to be one of your new favorite ways to have tacos!
This vegan taco meat is so easy to make, it only has 9 ingredients and is ready in less than 15 minutes! Naturally gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and low carb friendly, you are not going to believe this taco meat is made with walnuts!
Why you will love this recipe
- Everyone loves tacos, but it can be boring to always have the same filling. That’s why this mushroom walnut taco meat is such a great addition to your normal taco night rotation!
- Made with simple to find ingredients that you can feel really good about eating! This recipe is great for serving a big crowd; as you can easily double or triple it! Great for when you are serving vegans or vegetarians and meat eaters. Everyone will love this recipe!
- Not just for tacos! Add this healthy vegan taco meat to burritos, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas or your favorite salad or burrito bowls! You are going to want to make extras of this for later in the week!
Ingredients
- Mushrooms (white button or baby Portobello)
- Walnuts
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Tomato paste
- Salsa
How to make walnut taco meat
Add walnuts to the food processor. Pulse the walnuts until they resemble large grains of sand or rice. Place walnuts to the side for now.
Add mushrooms in the food processor. Pulse until the mushrooms are well broken down.
Add the mushrooms to a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray and cook 5-6 minutes over medium heat to cook off excess water.
Add the walnuts to the skillet with the mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 3-4 minutes until everything is hot and the flavors have combined.
Serve hot or cold.
Walnut Taco Meat
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 16 oz mushrooms (white button or baby portobello (Cremini))
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup salsa
Instructions
- Add mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until they resemble large pieces of sand or rice.16 oz mushrooms (white button or baby portobello (Cremini))
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms (spray with non-stick spray -optional).16 oz mushrooms (white button or baby portobello (Cremini))
- Cook mushrooms for 5-6 minutes, over medium heat to allow moisture to escape mushrooms. Stir frequently.
- Add the walnuts to the same food processor. Pulse until walnuts resemble large sand or rice.1 cup walnuts
- Add walnuts to the mushroom mixture in skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well until all is incorporated. Cook 3-4 minutes.1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 cup salsa
- Serve hot or cold.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Mushrooms: If you don’t love mushrooms or can’t find any, you can also use cauliflower rice in place of the mushrooms. You will need about 2 cups of fresh cauliflower rice or one bag of frozen. Follow the same directions, making sure you allow some of the moisture to cook out of the cauliflower before adding the walnuts.
- Walnuts: If you cannot find walnuts or do not have any on hand, you can also use almonds, cashews or pecans. I bet this would also work well with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds if you are nut free.
Nutrition Information
How to serve mushroom walnut taco meat
Use this vegetarian taco meat like you would ground beef in a variety of Mexican inspired dishes including:
- Tacos
- Quesadillas
- Enchiladas
- Burritos
- Burrito bowls
- Taco salad
- Nachos
The best vegan taco meat toppings
- Shredded lettuce
- Cabbage (green or red) or slaw (try this Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw or Vegan Red Cabbage Slaw No Mayo)
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped red onion
- Sliced radish
- Pickled onions
- Jalapenos (fresh or jarred)
- Avocado
- Guacamole
- Cilantro
- Vegan Nacho Cheese
- Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
- Cilantro Tahini Sauce or Lime Tahini Sauce
- Spicy Tahini Sauce
How to store walnut taco meat
This vegan walnut meat goes quickly, but if you do have extra (or you made double or triple batches) you can store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a well-sealed container.
You can also freeze this mixture, however the mushrooms may change texture with freezing so it may not be exactly the same texture after freezing. Reheat in a skillet to help cook off any excess water from defrosting. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months in a freezer safe container.
