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  • Vegan Recipes
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    • Appetizer
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  • Vegan Nutrition
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TVP Tacos Recipe | How to Make TVP Taco Meat

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TVP taco meat is the easiest and fastest way to make tasty, high protein vegan tacos! If you’ve never cooked with TVP before, this is the ideal first recipe to try because it’s packed with flavour and takes less than 15 minutes to cook.

Easy vegan TVP tacos recipe in wooden bowl with taco filling options behind

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What is TVP?

You might be wondering what the heck TVP is. It stands for Textured Vegetable Protein and is essentially dry soy protein crumbles.

Neither description sounds appetizing but this is an extremely versatile ingredient. Just add liquid to the TVP (and lots of flavour) and the result is a product very similar to veggie ground round or ground meat.

TVP is inexpensive so can be a great staple in a vegan kitchen.

Large pan of TVP taco meat on marble background

How to Make TVP Taco Meat

TVP taco meat couldn’t be easier to make. To cook TVP all you need is to add liquid.

I’ve seen countless recipes that soak TVP in water, but where’s the flavour in that? TVP doesn’t taste like anything on its own so this recipe for TVP taco meat uses lots of flavour.

Start by sautéing onions and garlic with some oil. Oil adds much needed fat (flavour) to this recipe. Then simply toss in taco seasoning, TVP and veggie broth. Mix well so the TVP is coated with the seasoning and broth then simmer until the liquid is gone.

Start to finish this takes about 12 – 15 minutes, depending on how long it takes you to chop the onion and how hot your pan/ stove is.

Row of vegan TVP tacos on wooden cutting board with sour cream and tomato

TVP as a Ground Beef Substitute

The end result is a perfect vegan replacement for ground beef tacos.

TVP is an excellent ground beef substitute, or really a substitute for any ground meat. You can use TVP in almost any recipe that would normally call for ground meat.

Are TVP Tacos Healthy?

I don’t like to classify food or ingredients as healthy or unhealthy. Instead, look at the nutrition that these TVP tacos provide.

As the name implies, textured vegetable protein is essentially just protein. There’s a small amount of carbohydrates in TVP, but there’s also some fibre, so I tend to simply consider TVP a source of protein.

Some brands of TVP are fortified and some are not. If the product is fortified, read the label to see what nutrients are added. Fortified TVP often contains vitamin B12.

If the TVP is not fortified, it’s still a good source of zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and provides some calcium and other B-vitamins (excluding vitamin B12).

Healthy vegan TVP taco meat in a large pan with background of taco filling options on a wooden board

Substitutions for TVP Tacos

If you don’t have TVP around, you can easily substitute for veggie ground round to make a very similar final product as these TVP tacos.

Veggie ground round is almost the same as TVP except it’s already hydrated which means you don’t have to add liquid. If you want to use veggie ground round to make vegan tacos, simply use one pound of ground round with only 1/3 C veggie broth (some broth helps distribute the taco seasoning).

Additionally, you can add lentils to this TVP taco meat recipe. Drain and rinse a can of lentils and add it to the TVP once it’s done cooking. An additional 1 – 2 tbsp of taco seasoning is helpful if you want to add lentils.

Wooden bowl of TVP taco meat with vegan taco filling options on wooden board in back (avocado, lime, green onion, tomato, corn tortilla)

Serving TVP Tacos

You can serve TVP tacos however you’d like. There’s almost nothing you can’t add to a taco! I can’t live without fresh lime juice and some avocado, but do what you enjoy.

Some tasty ideas for serving TVP tacos are:

  • In corn or flour tortillas
  • As a taco bowl/ burrito bowl
  • With vegan sour cream (homemade or store bought)
  • Topped with guacamole
  • With fresh salsa
  • Use vegan cheese shreds
  • Add black beans
  • Top with veggies like corn, tomato, green or red onion, shredded lettuce
  • With hot sauce

I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan TVP taco meat. It’s a favourite in my house because it’s so delicious and easy to make!

If you make these TVP tacos and share your creation on social media, be sure to tag me @lettucevegout because I’d love to see them.

TVP tacos meat recipe in wooden bowl with taco filling options in background
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TVP Taco Meat

TVP is an extremely simple way to make delicious vegan tacos. This high-protein ingredient is quick to cook and offers plenty of tasty nutrition. TVP taco meat is the perfect way to prepare textured vegetable protein!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword TVP taco meat, TVP tacos
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 Small tacos
Calories 114kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Large pan

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ C onion , diced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 tbsp oil (I use avocado)
  • 1 C TVP (textured vegetable protein)
  • 3 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 ½ C vegetable broth

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
  • Add garlic to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes, until the onions are nicely softened.
  • Add the TVP, taco seasoning and vegetable broth to the pan. Stir well to ensure the TVP is coated with taco seasoning and the vegetable broth is well dispersed.
  • Cook until all liquid is completely soaked up by the TVP, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Serve with your favourite taco fillings!
  • Optional to add a drained, rinsed can of lentils at the end of cooking, along with an extra 1 -2 tbsp of taco seasoning.

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (1/6 recipe) | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

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Filed Under: Vegan Dinner Recipes, Vegan Recipes Tagged With: Comfort food, Plant-based protein, Taco Seasoning

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About Lettuce Veg Out

Vegan registered dietitian Nicole Stevens MScFN

Welcome to Lettuce Veg Out, a vegan recipe and nutrition website created by Nicole Stevens, MSc, RD. As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen. Read More

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