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These vegan walnut tacos are a great meat-free meal that’s perfect for an easy and healthy weeknight meal. This vegan taco meat is made with pantry basics and is ready to use in 20 minutes. Perfect for your next taco Tuesday!
How to make walnut tacos
Process the walnuts in a food processor and then add the remaining ingredients and pulse until it is evenly ground.
Place the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven. You’ll need to stir them halfway through cooking to make sure the walnut taco meat is getting evenly cooked. But when it’s done cooking, it actually will look like ground beef!
Tips for making walnut tacos
- Process the walnut mixer until it has a similar consistency throughout. I prefer to pulse the mixture so that I don’t over process it. It should still have texture to it and not be mushy. Think of matching the size of cooked ground beef.
- Check that your spices aren’t stale before adding them. This walnut taco meat should be vibrant and full of flavor, so before you add your spices, rub a little between your fingers. If they don’t release an aroma, try to get some new ones! The spices will really help make these vegan taco meat taste like the real deal.
- Stir the walnuts halfway through baking. The walnuts can over brown if you don’t stir them, so after about 5 to 7 minutes, use a spatula to move them around.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make walnut taco meat ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this walnut taco meat ahead of time! You can make the mixture 2 to 3 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge before you are ready to cook it. You can also cook up a big batch of it, and leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
How do you serve it?
I love to serve these in pied high tacos with Guacamole, Black Bean Salsa, sour cream and fresh cilantro. You can use it in place of any recipe that uses taco meat like Ground Beef Tacos, Beef Taco Burritos, Taco Salad Meal Prep or quesadillas.
Is this an alternative to ground beef?
Walnut taco meat is a great substitute for ground beef. It is low in saturated fat and high in protein. The walnuts soak up all of the flavors so it is wonderfully tasty. It’s a great meat free Monday dish that I promise you, you will return to again!
More Meat Free Recipes
These walnut tacos were a welcome addition to taco night, and they were so quick and easy to make! Loaded with flavor, meat free doesn’t mean bland!
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Walnut Tacos recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Walnut Tacos
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups walnuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- For serving: Soft tacos Mexican slaw, salsa, guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a baking sheet.
- Add walnuts to a food processor and process until mixture is roughly chopped. Pulse the remaining ingredients in the food processor until the mixture is evenly ground.
- Transfer to the greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through to prevent over-browning.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls and anywhere you would use regular taco meat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Loved it and so simple to make.
Thanks so much!