The BEST 2 Ingredient VEGAN Taco 'Meat'

This method in particular has become my holy grail taco meat recipe. It is my favorite way to eat tacos and burritos without using beef!

After trying my recipe, I promise that you will never buy another one of those expensive "meat crumbles" again. Seriously, lets take a second to do some quick math; 10 oz. of meat crumbles are around $6+, depending on the brand. At the same time, you can get 16 oz. of tofu for under $2, and packets of seasoning for about .70¢ each or less.

Not only is it cheap and vegan, (Honestly, is there a better duo than cheap and vegan?) but it will grab the taste buds of even the most devoted meat eaters!

I served this to my dad inside of a burrito, at first he was reluctant to even give it a try. He said something like, "I've never tried tofu and I really don't want to. It just CAN'T be as good as beef." I pretty much had to beg him to try it. (I really just wanted the opinion of someone who ate meat regularly) Then, he reasoned with me, saying that he would just have one bite. That one bite resulted in him devouring the rest of the burrito within two minutes. He even requested that I make some more a few days later.

Even my boyfriend (who is brutally honest when it comes to my cooking) says he can hardly tell a difference between these babies and the real deal, especially when they're inside of a burrito with some beans, cheese, and hash-browns. (Our favorite way to eat this tofu taco meat and the way I served it to my dad).

They are super easy to make and require very little attention. (I often find time to do a lot of kitchen cleaning while they cook, because they are just that low maintenance)

Ingredients

-16 oz. firm or extra firm tofu (extra firm works best, but either one is fine)

-2 packets taco seasoning. (My personal favorite is Taco Bell's mild seasoning. If you make your own seasoning, I strongly advise that you increase the amount of seasoning you would normally use on beef, as the flavor does not take as easily with tofu.)

Directions

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F

Step 2. Drain the tofu using paper towels.

I find that the best method to draining the tofu is to wrap the whole tofu block in a few paper towels and squeeze the tofu so that all of the moisture comes out. Once the paper towels become drenched, I don't even bother removing them, because at this point the tofu is in pieces; trying to add and remove paper towels will make a MESS. Instead, I just add more paper towels. I will repeat this process until I absorb as much moisture as possible. **The more moisture absorbed during this step, the less cooking time there will be in the oven.**

Step 3. Next, pour both packets of taco seasoning into a small dish. Then, add a bit of water to the seasoning (about 1/4 cup) and stir until evenly distributed. If the mixture is too thick, add more water. You are aiming for a cake batter-like consistency.

Step 4. Mix the seasoning in with the tofu in a large bowl, while breaking up the tofu so that is resembles ground meat. Make sure that the seasoning is being evenly distributed to prevent having pieces of bland tofu. If you are having trouble with the seasoning getting on all of the tofu, just add a splash of water and it should mix more easily.

Step 5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the tofu in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Step 6. Bake the tofu for 45 to 60 minutes, flipping every 10 to 15 minutes so that ALL of the moisture gets baked out. **If you do not bake all of the moisture out, the tofu will have a weird egg-like consistency rather than being more like ground beef.** Baking out all of the moisture ensures the best taste and texture.

Step 7. Enjoy in a taco or burrito with your favorite toppings! (Personally. I like my tacos with re-fried beans, which do come vegetarian, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a bit of sour cream.)