Looking for more meatless options for Taco Tuesday? Try these easy tofu crumbles for a crispy, healthy, and vegan ground beef alternative that will impress meat eaters, vegans, and vegetarians.
If you love Mexican food but are looking for more healthy, meatless options, you must try our Chipotle sofritas and walnut taco meat. You'll also love our crispy baked teriyaki tofu.
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Ingredients
Our easy tofu crumbles use basic pantry staples, so you can whip up a batch for supper in no time.
- Tofu: extra firm is best, but you an also use firm and follow the same instructions.
- Oil: olive oil or any neutral oil
- Soy sauce alternative: liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or low sodium soy sauce (if you don't need it gluten free)
- Dry spices: cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Mexican oregano, cayenne
- Nutritional yeast: this is optional, but provides more umami flavors
How to Make
- Let's start by pressing the extra firm tofu. On a large cutting board, fold three sheets of paper towel in half and stack them on top of each other. Center the block, then put more folded paper towels on top.
- Place a heavy 10 inch cast iron skillet on top, followed by a weight like a 5 or 10-pound bag of sugar in the skillet. Let it sit for 30 minutes to help press out the extra moisture.
3. Lay down one layer of paper towels on top of a large cutting board and crumble the tofu into small pieces using your hands. Spread a layer of paper towel on top and gently press down on the crumbles to remove more moisture.
4. In a large bowl, pour in the oil and liquid aminos. Next, mix the dried spices together in a small bowl and dump it on top.
5. Add the nutritional yeast.
6. Whisk together to get a paste.
7. Place the crumbled tofu on top and mix together with your hands.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 F, then line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly over the surface.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir after the first 15 minutes and watch closely during the last 5 minutes. You'll notice that it has shrunk. The crumbles weighed 300g before cooking, and 137g after the cooking.
10. This recipe makes 1 cup of easy tofu crumbles, which is enough for 4 tacos. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Because our crumbles are flavored with Mexican spices, any Tex-Mex food would be perfect including tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or tostadas.
Yes, we prefer to press it when crumbling. Extra-firm tofu holds a lot of moisture, so to get most of it out it's best to press it. It tastes better when more of the water is released because it will be able to absorb any marinade or sauce more easily. It will also brown more evenly, making a crispier crust.
Right out of the package, tofu is bland. This is actually a good thing because it works like a blank slate. After pressing it, the extra moisture is gone, it absorbs flavors easily and will allow the flavor from the spices or sauces to soak right in and become a very tasty meat alternative. This means that tofu will taste much like the spices and seasonings you've added to it while cooking.
These tofu crumbles can be substituted in many recipes calling for ground beef. They do have a specific flavor that may affect the final outcome of your recipe, They work well in chili, tacos, and other Mexican favorites. We do recommend adding the crumbles towards the end of cooking time when adding to more dishes with large amounts of liquids such as chili, sauces, or soups.
Store
- Leftovers: Store tofu crumbles an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheat: Reheat the crumbles in the microwave or on the stovetop in a small skillet over medium-low heat with a bit of oil until heated through.
- Freeze: Freeze any leftovers for up to one month. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge and then reheat as desired.
Variations
- Don't have soy alternatives in the pantry? Use low sodium soy sauce.
- Don't have nutritional yeast on hand? Omit it, as it's optional, but provides more umami.
- Don't have chipotle chili powder? Swap it out with ancho chili powder or smoked paprika.
- Don't have Mexican oregano? Use regular oregano.
Expert Tips
- Press the extra firm tofu for at least 30 minutes.
- Blot off extra moisture after it is crumbled.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes instead of using the stovetop.
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Recipe
Easy Tofu Crumbles
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra firm organic tofu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Lay folded paper towel on a large cutting board, then place the block of tofu on top. Place more folded paper towel on top, then place a large with a 5 or 10 pound bag of sugar on top. Let it press for 30 minutes.
- Use your hands to crumble the tofu into small pieces on top of a paper towel lined cutting board. Lay a layer on paper towel on top of the crumbles and gently press out extra moisture.
- Mix the dry spices together in a small bowl. Pour the olive oil, soy sauce alternative, dry spices, and the nutritional yeast into a large bowl and mix together with a spoon. Add the crumbles and mix together with your hands.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, then line a large with parchment paper. Evenly spread out the crumbles and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring after the first 15 minutes. Watch more closely during the last 5 minutes. The meat is done when it's browned and slightly crispy, but still chewy.
Notes
- Press for at least 30 minutes.
- Blot off extra moisture after it is crumbled.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes instead of using the stovetop.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
This is a spicy, flavorful meat that looks very much like real ground beef. By itself, it is dry, but eating it with other things brigs out the crunchiness. It is quite nice with guacamole.
Emma
This really does look like ground beef! I'm glad you enjoyed the taste.
Alex
This tofu meat is spicy and chewy. The meat tastes very nice with guac and pico.
Emma
So glad you enjoyed it, Alex!