20-Minute Vegan Tacos with Plant-Based Ground
Jul 15, 2020 (Last updated Mar 2, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani
Here’s a 20-minute vegan taco recipe for you that’s full of spice and flavour! Made with plant-based ground and pantry spices, topped with crunchy pickled onions, and drizzled with my 5 Minute Vegan Queso. It’s a delicious meat-alternative for vegan eaters that’ll keep you full – and perfect for an evening fiesta.
As a vegan food blogger for 10+ years, I’m always striving to make wholesome and flavourful recipes – and this one definitely delivers! I’ve shared this plant-based taco recipe countless times with meat-eating friends and they always tell me they can’t tell the difference. I’m also a busy mom, and so I love a mid-week recipe that is quick to toss together, loaded with flavour, and will keep you full.
So, let me tell you exactly how to make this recipe so that you can enjoy taco night to the fullest.
Best Vegan Tacos with Plant-Based Ground Recipe
This vegan taco recipe is:
- vegan and gluten-free
- crunchy and creamy from toppings like pickled onion and vegan queso
- quick and easy to make
- ready in less than 30 minutes!
- great for meal-prep
You won’t believe how delicious this vegan taco filling is, especially given how quickly it comes together. It’s a great base recipe for any taco dish of your choice.
The taco meat takes only 10 minutes to make and with all the toppings you’ll have dinner ready in under 30 minutes. If you have a little more time on your hands then I highly recommend using this vegan taco meat to make my Vegan Crunchwrap Supremes!
Ingredient Notes:
Making delicious vegan tacos from scratch requires plant-based ground (or lentils) and some spices from your spice rack! Below I’ve listed a few key notes with possible substitutions, but scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
- Plant-based ground: The star ingredient! Plant-based ground is high in protein which is a great substitution from beef to keep you full. It also has a very similar texture making it a popular choice for vegan and non-vegans alike. My favourite brands are Yves and Light-Life. Checkout The Beet’s Best Meatless Vegan Ground article to see which brand suits you. Or, if you prefer not to use plant-based ground, or you can’t find it at your local grocery store, then I recommend using cooked brown lentils.
- Coconut oil: 1 tablespoon of coconut oil is used to sauté the plant-based ground. I like the taste that coconut oil adds to this dish, but if you prefer you can use olive oil or avocado oil. If you are oil-free, substitute a splash of water or vegetable broth.
- Seasoning: Spices add the full flavour here with a combination of onion and garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and chili flakes. The flavour combo adds warmth and spice for a flavourful plant-based ground to make your vegan tacos flavour-loaded. We’re also adding umami and richness with tamari, nutritional yeast, and a dash of maple syrup.
- Pickled onion: I highly recommend adding quick pickled onions to this recipe. It adds irresistible crunch to this recipe. It’s also lightly tangy and lightly sweet. If you’re short on prep time, feel free to use store-bought pickled onions or a sprinkling of fresh red onion.
- Vegan Queso: I highly recommend adding my 5-Minute Vegan Queso on top of these tacos! It adds delicious creaminess and heat. Made primarily with cashews and nutritional yeast – it’s the perfect cheesy topper for any Mexican-inspired dish.
- Tortillas: Swap the corn tortillas for flour tortillas for a vegan Mexican-inspired tortilla.
How to make vegan tacos
Making vegan tacos is actually very easy and fun! First it will begin by making the vegan “taco meat” by combining our plant-based ground (or lentils) with our spices.
In a large skillet on medium-heat, combine the coconut oil and plant-based ground. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the plant-based ground starts to brown. Then add the spices: onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, soy sauce, maple syrup and pinch of sea salt. Mix together to combine until warmed and lightly browned. (5-10 mins)
Scoop vegan taco meat into corn tortillas and top with dollops of Vegan Queso. Sprinkle with pickled onions, cilantro, green onions and a squeeze of lime.
MAKE THESE VEGAN TACOS WITH ME!
Join me on my YouTube Channel, where I teach you just how easy it is to make the Best Vegan Tacos!
So there we have it, a simple plant-based taco recipe that you can enjoy through the summer months with friends and family. They’re crunchy, colourful, meaty and full of flavour. I know you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do.
And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
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20-Minute Vegan Tacos with Plant-Based Ground
Ingredients
Vegan Taco Meat
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 12 oz plant-based ground
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 8 corn tortillas
- pinch sea salt
Optional Toppings
- 1 cup Vegan Queso
- 1/2 cup Pickled Onions
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 lime for squeezing
Instructions
- In a large skillet, combine coconut oil and plant-based ground. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the plant-based ground starts to brown. Then add spices: onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, soy sauce, maple syrup and pinch of sea salt. Mix together to combine until warmed and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. (Optional to add a splash of water to the mixture if the plant-based ground is getting a little dry while mixing).
- Scoop the vegan taco meat into corn tortillas and top with dollops of Vegan Queso. Sprinkle with pickled onions, cilantro, green onions and a squeeze of lime. (Or decorate with toppings of choice!)
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Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
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We love hearing from you! If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Thank you!
@joey martin the recipe says cooked lentils…. maybe your boyfriend should get a new pair of glasses <3
Made this using vegan minced meat and looooved it. We loved it so much that we had it two nights in a row! Now that’s going into my recipe book. I see others raving about your cheese recipe so now I’ll check that 👀 Thank you for the yum yum!
Oh Mika I’m so thrilled you enjoy! We love it too and just how easy it all is to come together! Thanks for the very warm comment about the recipe. And enjoy that Queso! It’s delish!
I had made this before and soaked the lentils prior, and it was delicious. 5 stars. But my boyfriend tried making it and didn’t soak the lentils (as it doesn’t say to soak them in the instructions) and the lentils were still hard and could have chipped our teeth. Please re-word the recipe to include a step about soaking the dry lentils.
This recipe was amazing! Used lentils for the taco “meat” and it was absolutely delicious. The queso also was out of this world. My son, who is not vegan, thought it was better than regular cheese queso. Will be making this many many more times!
Hi Bieberry. I am absolutely thrilled that you liked this recipe! We are obsessed with that queso too. What a compliment from your son! Made my day. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Due to a recent diagnosis of kidney disease I’ve been forced to adopt a vegan diet. When I come across sites like yours I wonder what vegans (whether by choice or otherwise) did before they had access to the web & all the information shared so generously by people like you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Oh Georgi that is so nice! I really appreciate the very kind comment. Yes, I can imagine it would have been much harder!! Even in the past 10 years plant-based eating has really flourished, making it so much easier for people to eat vegan. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope you enjoy my recipes. 🙂 I also hope that you’re feeling well.
Just made this with your queso and it was SO good!!!!
I love it with the queso too! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is our all time favourite vegan taco meat recipe! It’s literally perfect! We really enjoy it with your queso sauce.
I love it too Krystal! Think I might make it for dinner tonight. 🙂 Thanks for the very kind comment.