How to Make a Great Plant-Based Taco

We absolutely love tacos. We have them at least once a week, and these are the recipes that keep us happily taco-ing all year long. I hope you can find something here to inspire your taco meal planning.

Here is how to make a great plant-based taco:

• Find a tortilla or taco shell that you love, preferably one with only a few ingredients, such as just corn and lime juice. We warm our tortillas individually by simply cooking them in a non-stick pan without oil on medium heat. Or, you can warm a whole stack of tortillas in the oven by wrapping them in foil and baking them at 300.

  Someday, when feeling daring, I am going to try making my own tortillas. Heidi Swanson makes it look so fun and easy. www.101cookbooks.com/making-homemade-tortillas/

• Stuff your tacos with a plant-based filling:

  • It can be as simple as potatoes and garbanzo beans:
    www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/potato-and-garbanzo-tacos-with-oil-free-cilantro-crema

  • Or sweet potatoes and black beans: www.cookieandkate.com/sweet-potato-black-bean-tacos/

  • Or smashed purple sweet potatoes: www.101cookbooks.com/archives/smashed-sweet-potato-tacos-recipe.html

  • Or these sheet pan fajita tacos with chipotle garlic sauce: www.veganricha.com/sheet-pan-fajitas-tacos/

  • Or try these super easy baked tacos: www.feastingathome.com/baked-vegetarian-tacos/

  • Or these smoky chipotle portobello tacos: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/smoky-chipotle-portobello-tacos

  • Or cauliflower tacos with cashew crema: www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cauliflower-tacos-with-cashew-crema

  • Or blackened tofu tacos with carmelized BBQ onions: www.veganricha.com/blackened-tofu-tacos/

  • Or chili lime tempeh tacos: www.thefullhelping.com/chili-lime-tempeh-tacos/

  • Or vegan “fish” tacos: www.101cookbooks.com/vegan-fish-tacos/

  • Or Baja-style “fish” tacos: www.dorastable.com/vegan-fish-tacos-baja-style/

  • Or vegan “Carne Asada” tacos: www.sweetsimplevegan.com/vegan-carne-asada-tacos/

  • Or vegan “Barbacoa” tacos: www.minimalistbaker.com/1-pot-vegan-barbacoa/

  • Or vegan carnitas with mushrooms: www.veganricha.com/vegan-carnitas-with-mushrooms/

  • Or oyster mushroom “Birria” tacos: www.eatfigsnotpigs.com/vegan-birria-tacos/

• Add a ton of veggies. My favorites are shredded purple or white cabbage, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, spinach, red bell peppers, jicama slaw, and cilantro. Go crazy here. You want at least half your taco to be veggies!

• Top it with a great sauce. If possible, look for sauces which contain real, whole, plant-based ingredients. This could be anything from a store-bought salsa to homemade pico de gallo to an avocado crema. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  Try fruit salsa: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/oil-free-fruit-salsa
  Burria Sauce: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/pressure-cooker-mushroom-birria
  Or cilantro crema: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/oil-free-cilantro-crema
  Or spicy cilantro sauce: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/spicy-cilantro-sauce
  Or Pico de Gallo: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/pico-de-gallo
  Or avocado crema: www.minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-avocado-crema/
  Or take a look at my post on Burrito Bowls for a ton of salsa and sauce ideas: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/burrito-bowls

• Add flavor and nutrition boosters. Avocado, sliced jalapeños, pickled onions, mango, cilantro, and roasted pepitas are but a few of the many things you could add for extra interest, flavor, and nutrient density.

If you need more inspiration, here are entire taco collections from some of my favorite plant-based chefs:
https://minimalistbaker.com/tag/tacos/
www.cookieandkate.com/?s=tacos
www.veganricha.com/20-vegan-taco-recipes/

Trust me, you don’t need meat to make an amazing taco. In fact, tacos are a great way to ease your reluctant family members into trying a plant-based meal, because the salsas, guacamole, sauces, and toppings are all so flavorful and delicious that they won’t even notice the meat is gone.

Happy taco-ing!
🌱💕