The Best Walnut Taco Meat, (15 Minute Vegan Taco Meat)

Name: Walnut Taco Meat
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 16 oz mushrooms (white button or baby portobello (Cremini)) ($3.10); 1 cup walnuts ($1.33); 1 tsp chili powder ($0.10); 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05); 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05); 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05); 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03); 1 tbsp tomato paste ($0.08); 1/2 cup salsa ($0.40)

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!

Wooden spoon in skillet with vegan walnut taco meat.

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!

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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 look like large grains of sand or rice.
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.

Recommended kitchen tools

Food Processor

Cast Iron Skillet

Measuring Spoons

How to serve vegan 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

Three tacos with mushroom walnut taco meat.

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The best vegan taco meat toppings

Shredded lettuce
Cabbage (green or red) or Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw
Diced tomatoes
Chopped red onion
Sliced radish
Pickled onions
Jalapenos (fresh or jarred)
Avocado
Guacamole
Cilantro
Vegan Nacho Cheese
Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce

Cast iron skillet with vegan walnut taco meat surrounded by avocado.

Vegan taco meat common questions

How to clean mushroom

Mushrooms, unlike other veggies are actually very porous and will absorb water. Because of this, it’s actually better to wipe down mushrooms with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove dirt.

How to store walnuts

Walnuts and other nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats. However, these healthy fats can start to go rancid when exposed to air and light. To help extend the life of walnuts and other nuts and seeds, I prefer to store them in the freezer.

Because of their high fat content, nuts and seeds do not freeze in the freezer but instead they preserve freshness. Be sure to store them in an airtight container as you do not want them to absorb any other flavors from the foods in the freezer.

Store walnuts in the freezer for up to a year.

Mushroom walnut taco meat in skillet with tortilla shells.

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.

Substitutions

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.

Smoked paprika: This is typically pretty easy to find at most stores (I get mine at Trader Joe’s) but you can also use regular paprika in a pinch. If you don’t have either, increase the chili powder instead.

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Walnut Taco Meat

$5.19 recipe/$1.29 serving

Mushroom walnut taco meat is the perfect vegan filling for tacos, burritos or to add to your favorite taco salad or quesadilla! With only 9 easy to find ingredients, this healthy taco filling takes less than 15 minutes to make and is so filling! Naturally gluten free, dairy free, low carb, paleo and Whole30 friendly!

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Course: dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: mushroom walnut taco meat, vegan taco meat, Vegetarian Taco Meat

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Servings:

Author: Samantha Rowland

Guided Recipe Video

Ingredients

16 oz mushrooms (white button or baby portobello (Cremini)) - $3.10
1 cup walnuts - $1.33
1 tsp chili powder - $0.10
1/2 tsp smoked paprika - $0.05
1/2 tsp garlic powder - $0.05
1/2 tsp ground cumin - $0.05
1/2 tsp salt - $0.03
1 tbsp tomato paste - $0.08
1/2 cup salsa - $0.40

Instructions

Add mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until they resemble large pieces of sand or rice.
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms (spray with non-stick spray -optional).
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.
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.
Serve hot or cold.

Notes

Vegan taco meat storage:

Fridge: Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Store in freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Note: mushrooms may have different texture when defrosted. Reheat in a skillet to help cook off excess water.

Substitutions:

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