Delicious, fast, easy, cheap, and vegan! Everything about these easy TVP tacos speaks to my soul. Just 15 minutes to whip up this amazingly delicious and meaty taco filling. Top with your favorite taco toppings for a super easy dinner or lunch. YUM!
TVP (also called textured vegetable protein), is an affordable vegan meat alternative made from soy. Jess, who has worked with me for years, has been pushing me to make a recipe with TVP. I finally listened to her and tried it out. My god, she was so right. Thanks Jess!!
TVP is SO quick and easy to work with, and just like tofu or soy curls, it's very bland in flavor (which is a good thing) as it makes the perfect base to suck up any seasoning you toss its way. As soon as I tested out the TVP I knew I immediately wanted to make vegan taco meat with it as it has the perfect texture, and when seasoned correctly tastes just like ground beef tacos- but better!
These tacos are so good, Adam and I have had them multiple times this week already. Whip up these easy TVP tacos, and serve them with your favorite taco toppings, such as salsa, vegan sour cream, guacamole, vegan shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced avocado, or shredded lettuce. These are going to be your new favorite!
Common Questions:
What is TVP?
TVP is the short form for Textured Vegetable Protein. TVP contains just one ingredient: soy flour. TVP is most commonly found in granules as I use in this recipe, but you can also find it in large pieces such as chunks, slices, and strips. TVP is very affordable and shelf-stable so it's a great food to keep in your pantry at all times.
Where can I get TVP?
You may be able to find it in your grocery store in the health food section. Or you can find it at health food stores, international grocery stores, or you can order it
online on amazon
.
Does TVP need to be soaked?
TVP comes dehydrated so you need to add moisture. Some recipes call for soaking it ahead of time, but in this taco recipe, I found it quickest and easiest to add the dry TVP to the pan along with vegetable broth and allow it to soften and absorb the extra flavors right in the pan.
Is TVP high in carbs? Is it high in protein?
It's very low in carbs with only 9g of carbohydrates per ¼ cup of dry TVP granules. It's low in fat and very high in protein. So a great food for my vegan athletic friends!
How to make Easy TVP Tacos:
Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan. When hot add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Mix in the vegetable broth, TVP, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetable broth has absorbed and the TVP is tender and chewy. If it gets a bit dry just add a splash more vegetable broth. Or if it is too wet continue to simmer a little longer until the vegetable broth is absorbed.
Spoon into tortilla shells, and decorate with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
These TVP Tacos are:
- Meaty
- Bursting with spices
- Chewy and tender
- Protein-packed
- Super quick and easy to make
More delicious vegan taco recipes you might enjoy:
Tofu Taco Crumbles
Easy Soy Curl Tacos
Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Easy TVP Tacos (vegan!)
Ingredients
For the TVP
- 1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth or vegan beefless broth
- 1 cup dry TVP granules (textured vegetable protein)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- â - ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional for spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For the tacos:
- 8 small tortillas (flour, corn, or gluten-free)
- Toppings of choice such as: salsa, vegan sour cream, guacamole, vegan shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced avocado, or shredded lettuce.
Instructions
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan. When hot add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion turns translucent and just begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
-
Mix in the vegetable broth, TVP, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetable broth has absorbed and the TVP is tender and chewy. If it gets a bit dry just add a splash more vegetable broth. Or if it is too wet continue to simmer a little longer until the vegetable broth is absorbed.
-
Spoon into tortilla shells, and decorate with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Heidi says
This was a delicious recipe! Can you come up with a vegan white queso dip that is nut free? You are so clever with creating such great recipes. I recently bought 2 of your books and consider you to be one of the best vegan cooks out there!!
Joanne Johnson says
We are enjoying tacos on a weekly basis with this recipe!
Brenda says
Gotta be honest, it blows my mind a little that this is the first time you've had TVP, as my extremely not-vegan self has eaten it (especially in tacos) many times. It's been my standard go-to for replacing ground meat for years, and I still keep a stash of it in the pantry, even though I mostly use the soy curl shards/crumbs left at the bottom of a bag these days!
Be interested to see what else you come up with now!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Brenda! My grocery store only recently started selling it!
Brenda says
Well I suppose that's a good reason!
Susan says
Thank you, Sam, for the great recipe for TVP tacos! So quick and delicious. In the past I havenât cared for TVP because I found the texture to be spongy but your taco filling was not. Iâm hoping you develop more recipes that use TVP because you are a genius!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks Susan! And I agree, TVP can be spongey, technique and measurements are important! ð
Kim says
I love how quick and simple this recipe is, without sacrificing flavor! Thank you so much for this!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome Kim!
Holly says
Please help me with a TVP problem! I threw some TVP chunks directly into a brothy soup I was making and the final result was DISGUSTING. They came out like mushy, flabby globs of chicken fat. Gross!
What's the trick to keeping them meaty in "wet" recipes? Would rehydrating and squeezing them first work, or would they just go flabby again once added to the soup? What about rehydrating, squeezing, and then frying or baking them before tossing into the soup? Or does TVP just always turn to mush if the recipe is wet?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't worked with the TVP chunks much yet, but my guess is that they work similarly to soy curls. So I would recommend trying one of my soy curl recipes but use your TVP chunks. You can see the recipes here . ð
Cal says
I've been making taco "meat" with TVP for years. In fact, I suggested it to you when you first introduced your TOFU Crumbles. TVP is a quicker and easier method. I'm pleased your were finally convinced to try it.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I was! More TVP recipes to come ð
Susan says
Awesome that there are more TVP recipes to come!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! Working on one now ð