Made with seasoned tempeh, a simple cashew-based cheese sauce, and pickled onions, these tempeh tacos are a flavorful weeknight dinner! The tempeh is ready in under 30 minutes and great for meal prepping.
I've been using my vegan tempeh taco meat to make these tempeh tacos for years. I also add quick pickled red onions and homemade cashew queso for acidity, nuttiness, and an overall punch of flavor.
Not a fan of tempeh? I recommend using this ground tofu taco meat instead.
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Why this recipe works
- Serving size: Makes 6-8 tacos in corn tortillas, but can easily be doubled for meal prep. Tempeh is a great source of plant-based protein.
- Quick & easy: Ready in under 30 minutes using budget-friendly pantry staples.
- Flavors: The seasonings on the tempeh are inspired by classic Americanized taco seasonings. Combine with acidity from pickled onions and smoky/nuttiness from the cashew cheese for an elevated take on a weeknight classic.
Ingredients
- Tempeh: Tempeh is slightly nutty and has a much firmer texture than tofu.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds cheesiness and depth to both the cashew queso and tempeh taco meat.
- Seasonings: Classic taco seasonings like chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. You can save time by using a packet of taco seasoning instead.
- Quick pickled onions are made with red wine vinegar and salt. Apple cider vinegar also works here. For a less acidic result, use half water/half vinegar and add a squeeze of honey or maple syrup.
- Cashews: Raw unsalted cashews are the best option because they have the most neutral flavor. If using salted roasted cashews, just adjust the added salt to taste.
Step-by-step instructions
- Start by thinly slicing the red onions. Transfer them to a shallow container and cover with red wine vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. For less acidic pickled onions, use half water and half vinegar. Cover tightly and shake to combine. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, ideally an hour. The pickled onions are even better the next day.
- To make the cashew queso, first soak the cashews either overnight or in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bullet blender or blender. Note a standard blender will make the smoothest texture, as will overnight soaking.
- Roughly chop the tempeh into small pieces, aiming for a variety of sizes. Sauté until golden, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the taco seasonings and toast another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and optional nutritional yeast. Simmer very gently over low heat until the sauce s reduced, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top tips
Storage tips
- Storage: The tempeh taco meat is best within 4 days. The queso and pickled onions are good for up to a week. Keep refrigerated.
- Reheating: The queso can be quickly reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments, or on the stove top. Add a splash of water to thin, as needed.
- Freezing: The tempeh freezes well. I don't recommend freezing pickled onions, and I haven't tested freezing queso but imagine it would work well. Just re-blend the queso after thawing overnight in the fridge.
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Vegan Tempeh Tacos
Made with crumbled tempeh, pickled onions, and cashew-based "queso". These tacos are great for weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Ingredients
For the tempeh
- 8 ounce block tempeh
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces (1 small can) tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
- pinch of sugar optional
Cashew Queso
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews see note #1
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice from one lime)
- 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce see note #2
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
Pickled Red Onions
- ½ medium red onion
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓-2/3 cup red wine vinegar plus water, if desired
- honey to taste
Assembly
- 6-8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- cilantro to garnish
Instructions
For the cashew queso
- Cover the cashews with water the night before, or bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Add the cashews to a heat-safe bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover the cashews. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Drain the water from the cashews. Transfer the cashews to a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, ½ cup water, lime juice, 1 chili pepper, onion powder, and salt.
- Blend until smooth. Taste for spice. Add 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can or an extra chili pepper, if desired. Add extra water, as needed, to thin.
- Transfer to a small pot. Place over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
For the pickled onions
- Slice ½ of the red onion very thinly. Transfer to a shallow container. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with red wine vinegar, about ½ cup. For less zesty pickled onions, do half water and half vinegar and add honey, to taste. Close tightly and shake to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, ideally an hour. The onions are good in the fridge for up to a week.
For the tempeh
- Roughly chop the tempeh into small pieces, aiming for a variety of sizes.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add crumbled tempeh, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toast for another 30 seconds.
- Once golden, reduce the heat to low. Add the tomato sauce, water or broth, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and optional pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until the tomato sauce is reduced. Add extra water for a saucier taco meat.
Assembly
- Heat the corn tortillas on a large skillet over medium-high heat. Flip when golden on one side, or when browned spots appear.
- Assemble the tacos with a scoop of tempeh, then top with pickled onions and a drizzle of cashew queso and sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
1. Cashews: Raw unsalted cashews are the best option because they have the most neutral flavor. If using salted roasted cashews, just adjust the added salt to taste and note that the queso will have a toastier flavor.
2. Chipotle peppers: I freeze leftover chipotle chili peppers in small pint jars or freezer-safe containers. Let thaw on the counter for about an hour when ready to use again, or transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight.
3. Timing: I start by covering the cashews with boiling water, then I start on the onions. This way the onions are pickling while I make the queso and the tempeh.
4. Leftover cashew queso and pickled onions are best within a week. Keep refrigerated.
5. The nutrition facts are based on just the tempeh taco meat and corn tortillas, as the amount of cashew queso and pickled onions used will vary.
6. Tempeh sometimes has a bitter flavor. This can be mellowed out by steaming the tempeh for about 10 minutes. I crumble the tempeh, steam it, then cook per recipe instructions.
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 8gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 323mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 374IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg
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Lauren says
SO GOOD. You really did it. You made tempeh taste good.
Only substitution was roasted onions instead of pickles, 10/10. My 10 month old baby loved it too!
Cassidy Reeser says
Wonderful!! I have the same feelings about this recipe, one of the few times I truly love it 🙂