Healthy Vegan Tacos
These vegan tacos are bursting with bold, zesty flavors and packed with wholesome, plant-based ingredients. Perfectly seasoned and satisfying, they offer a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional tacos, making every bite a flavorful experience!
The whole family will love this meatless taco recipe because it’s so versatile, and everyone can load theirs with the toppings they like beans, our zesty blender salsa, crispy veggies, and my amazing creamy vegan cheese sauce.
If you’re looking for a bean-free version, try these Cauliflower Walnut Tacos from the PlantPure Comfort Food Cookbook. We have lots of Mexican-inspired recipes on this website like these vegan nachos, my Mexican dairy-free stuffed peppers, and this Mexican kale salad.
Reasons you will love these tacos
- Low in Calories and Fat – These vegan tacos are a guilt-free option, offering a nutritious and satisfying meal that’s light on calories and fat.
- Packed with Plant-Based Protein – Made with beans and bulgur, these tacos provide a hearty, protein-rich filling that keeps you full and energized.
- Rich, Smoky Flavor – Fire-roasted tomatoes add a delicious depth and smoky flavor to the tacos, enhancing every bite with bold, savory goodness.
Ingredients you will need
- Beans- They provide a hearty, satisfying texture while being rich in plant-based protein and fiber. Use black beans, pintos, kidney beans, or other varieties.
- Bulgur grain- Adds a hearty, chewy texture while being rich in fiber and nutrients. Its mild flavor easily absorbs spices, making it a versatile, healthy base that complements the beans and veggies in the tacos. We have a great article on this website to answer all of your bulgur questions on how to cook it and recipes.
- Tomatoes- Fire-roasted tomatoes add a rich, smoky flavor to vegan tacos, enhancing the overall depth and taste of the filling. Their slightly charred, caramelized sweetness balances the spices and other ingredients, creating a more robust and savory taco experience.
- Taco seasoning- Use prepackaged or try our homemade taco seasoning which is super simple, inexpensive, a healthier option, and it tastes so much better than store-bought!
- Salsa- Provides a burst of fresh, zesty flavor with minimal effort. It creates a tangy, juicy element that complements the other ingredients, making each bite more vibrant and delicious.
- Veggies- We love to dice up lettuce, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes for our tacos.
- Cheese sauce- Try our 5-minute vegan cashew queso if you’re in a hurry because you just blend the ingredients in your blender or food processor. It’s delicious!
Tips & Suggestions
- Freeze Cooked Bulgur- I make big batches of bulgur in my rice steamer and freeze it to be used in recipes like these vegan nachos, along with tacos, veggie lasagna, and vegan chili fries. The great thing about having bulgur already cooked is that it cuts a step out of food preparation and speeds up the process of sitting down to dinner.
- Vegan Cheese Sauce- Even if you’ve tried to make vegan cheese sauce before and have not liked it, try this one. I have a feeling that’s about to change. If you need something quick, this 5-minute cashew queso is terrific.
- Oil-Free Chips– Need a healthy chip? Homemade corn tortillas are SO easy to make. Simply use regular corn tortillas. Slice each one into 8 slices using a pizza slicer. Arrange on a baking sheet and spritz with a water bottle. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Bake at 400°F for about 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. These are the healthiest tortilla chips and are delish!
How to make vegan tacos
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Begin by making the vegan taco meat mixture. This is another great versatile part of the recipe because you can really use any type of bean you like best. I tend to make a blend of black beans and red kidney beans. Sometimes I also like to add pintos. Make your own fresh beans in an Instant Pot or buy canned.
QUICK TIP: If you’re planning to make creamy vegan cheese sauce from the recipe below, now is a great time to start the potatoes, onion, and carrot cooking! If you’re in a hurry for a cheese sauce, try this 5-minute easy cashew queso instead.
STEP #1: For this recipe, you can either add fully cooked bulgur to the bean mixture or allow the bulgur to cook while the beans, tomatoes (with their juices), and seasonings are heating.
Bulgur cooks just like rice on the stovetop in about 12 minutes. In your microwave, it will take about 5-7 minutes.
Normally, I have my bulgur already cooked and stored in the freezer for recipes like this, but it is super easy to add uncooked bulgur if you prefer. Skip to step #2 if your bulgur is already cooked.
STEP #2: Use any type of bean you like best; I tend to make a blend of black beans and red kidney beans. Sometimes I also like to add pintos.
To make this recipe simple and quick, use canned beans. You could also always make your own fresh beans in an Instant Pot.
If using canned beans, I always recommend dumping them in a colander and rinsing them to remove some of the salt and preservatives. You definitely want to drain them for this recipe.
STEP #3: Add the beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bulgur, and taco seasoning to a microwavable bowl or pot and heat until warmed thoroughly.
The bulgur is optional in this bean mixture, but I highly recommend giving it a try. I’ve listed some alternative grains for those that are gluten-intolerant.
If you are using uncooked bulgur, simply add it to the mixture of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and taco seasoning. There will already be some liquid from the fire-roasted tomatoes, but you’ll need to mix in an extra 1/2 cup of water for the bulgur to cook which should take about 15 minutes on the stovetop or 7-8 minutes in the microwave.
If your bulgur is already cooked, you will simply heat this taco mixture, and it will only take about 5-7 minutes in the microwave.
STEP #4: While this is heating up or cooking, chop up the veggies you want to use in your tacos or nachos. I love to include lettuce, tomato, onions, and cilantro. Other great options include perfectly ripe avocado, cucumber, and even corn.
Once the vegan taco meat bean filling mixture is ready, simply add it to your tacos, nachos, or even potato tacos! I highly recommend trying my homemade vegan cheese sauce to drizzle over the top because it’s crazy good.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
STEP #5: You can use your own dairy-free cheese in these nachos, but I like to make this easy cashew queso in 5-minutes or this simple Vegan Cheese Sauce made with potatoes, carrots, onions, and nutritional yeast in a blender (after veggies are boiled).
STEP #6: Once all of the elements are cooked and ready, simply add a layer of the vegan taco filling. Next, add the veggies, salsa, and vegan sour cream inside your taco shell and serve!
We also have a delicious cauliflower taco recipe on this website that you should try!
Vegan topping options
- Cheese- The vegan cheese sauce topping is completely optional. We usually have some of it already on hand and stored in the refrigerator or freezer in a glass jar.
- Tofu Sour Cream- Another delicious addition to these tacos is my dairy-free sour cream which is super simple to make in only 5 minutes.
- Chipotle Spicy Sauce- Sometimes we even add homemade vegan chipotle sauce instead of the cheese sauce to really spice these tacos up.
Homemade oil-free taco shells
To keep this recipe completely oil-free, it’s pretty easy to make your own taco shells.
Simply drape oil-free corn tortillas over your oven rack and bake at 400°F for approximately 5-7 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any kind you prefer. I like to use black, kidney, and pinto beans. Mixing them all up is even better in my opinion. But, you really can use any type of bean you like.
No. Some good gluten-free substitutions for the bulgar include buckwheat groats, quinoa, and brown rice.
While tacos are best enjoyed fresh, you can prep some components ahead of time. Prepare and store the toppings separately and assemble them just before baking. This way, you can have your tacos ready quickly when you’re ready to eat.
More Vegan Mexican-Inspired Recipes
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Healthy Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked beans black, kidney, pinto, white beans, or combination
- 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cooked bulgur or 1/4 cup uncooked
- 1+ tablespoon taco seasoning
- 6 corn tortillas oil-free
- diced veggies lettuce, tomato, onions, cilantro
- 1 cup salsa optional
- vegan cheese sauce optional
- chipotle sauce optional
Instructions
- Begin by making the taco flavored beans. This is a great versatile part of the recipe because you can really use any type of bean you like best. I tend to make a blend of black beans and red kidney beans. Sometimes I also like to add pintos. Make your own fresh beans in an Instant Pot or buy canned.
- If using canned beans, I always recommend dumping them in a colander and rinsing to remove some of the salt and preservatives.
- Add the beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bulgur (if using), and taco seasoning to a microwavable bowl or pot and heat until warm. The bulgur is optional in this bean mixture, but I highly recommend giving it a try if you are not gluten-intolerant. For this recipe, you can either add fully cooked bulgur to the bean mixture or allow the bulgur to cook while the beans, tomatoes (with their juices), and seasonings are heating.
- Normally, I have my bulgur already cooked and stored in the freezer for recipes like this, but it is super easy to add uncooked bulgur if you prefer. Simply add the uncooked bulgur to the mixture of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and taco seasoning. There will already be some liquid from the fire-roasted tomatoes, but you’ll need to mix in an extra 1/2 cup of water and allow it to heat on the stovetop or microwave until the bulgur is cooked.
- While this is heating up or cooking (if using raw bulgur), go ahead and chop up the veggies you want to use. I love to include lettuce, tomato, onions, and cilantro. Other great options include avocado, cucumber, and even corn.
- The cheese sauce topping is completely optional. We usually have some of it already on hand and stored in the refrigerator or freezer in a glass jar. Sometimes we even add chipotle sauce instead of the cheese sauce to really spice these tacos up. My dairy-free sour cream is another terrific topping option!
- Once all of the elements are cooked and ready, simply add a layer of the taco bean mixture. Next, add the veggies and salsa and drizzle with your sauce topping of choice.
- To keep this recipe completely oil-free, it’s pretty simple to make your own taco shells. Simply drape oil-free corn tortillas over your oven rack and bake at 400°F for approximately 5-7 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
