This 20-minute, quick and easy Beyond Taco meat recipe has a super beefy and slightly charbroiled taste. I've added a few extra ingredients and seasonings to give this vegan meat an even beefier taco flavor that makes it taste even more convincingly like regular all-beef tacos.
I've maximized the meatiness and minimized the pea-protein flavor in this plant-based "beef" and it's really tasty!
Nowadays, we tend to eat these vegetarian tacos a little more often than beef tacos because they're quick, better for the planet, and it's seasoned so well that we don't actually miss eating meat. If you've been on the fence about whether or not to try Beyond "meat," this is a great first recipe to try (or check out our Extra Beefy Beyond Burgers).
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What Does Beyond Burger "Meat" Taste Like?
First, let's break down the flavor of Beyond "meat" vs the smell of it. When you first open the package, the pea protein aroma hits you. And the flavor vaguely reminds me of the faint smell of fingernail polish remover.
This sounds completely unappealing, I know, but when you season and cook the meat, it takes on a whole new delicious meatiness and texture, and the pea protein flavor takes a back seat. Beyond Meat has a really pleasant chew to it that's reminiscent of the texture of beef, which adds to the overall taco experience.
Extra Beefy Beyond Taco "Meat" Ingredients
This Beyond Taco meat recipe uses just a handful of spices and ingredients to make it taste even "beefier" and more Tex-Mexy. If you're vegan, you'll need to replace the Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce (which has anchovies in it) with a vegan version or omit it altogether.
- Beyond Mince "meat"
- Garlic cloves, smashed
- Scallions, sliced (save some green parts for tossing into the finished meat)
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Regular paprika
- Garlic powder
- Turmeric (optional but recommended)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional but recommended)
- Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil (or other oil for cooking the "meat")
- Fresh blue corn tortillas (or your favorite flour or crunchy taco shells)
See recipe card for quantities.
Optional Taco Garnishes
- homemade quick salsa
- homemade pineapple-cilantro salsa
- homemade avocado-lime crema
- homemade guacamole
- homemade pico de gallo
- smoky quick pickled red onions
- homemade smoky fire-roasted bell peppers
- homemade caramelized onions
If the Beyond Mince "meat" packages in the US (or elsewhere) come in a 1-pound package instead of the 10.5 to 11-ounce package that it comes in here in the EU, adjust the spice amounts called for in the recipe by adding just a little more of each.
How to Make Extra Beefy-Tasting Beyond Vegetarian Tacos
Step 1. Blister the garlic and sauté the scallions. Add the smashed garlic cloves and a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté until golden brown and blistered on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the scallions (reserving a handful of the green parts for the end) and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the garlic or smash it into the meat in the next step. Stir in the cilantro if using.
Step 2. Cook the Beyond "meat". Add the Beyond "meat" to the skillet along with the cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, regular paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric. Smash and break it up with the back of a spoon or fork. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the spices are evenly distributed and the "meat" starts to change color.
Step 3. Finish the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes more. Add the Worcestershire sauce and water, stir quickly to combine, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until glossy and the consistency you want.
Step 4. Season and serve. Adjust with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Toss in the reserved green scallion tops, stir, and serve immediately.
Beefy Vegetarian Beyond Tacos Step-By-Step Recipe Photos
What's in Beyond "Meat"?
The ingredients found in Beyond Mince or Burger "meat" may sound strange at first glance, but they're all ingredients found in nature.
Beyond mince ingredients: pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, water, yeast extract, maltodextrin, natural flavors, gum arabic, sunflower oil, salt, succinic acid, acetic acid, non-GMO modified food starch, cellulose from bamboo, methylcellulose, potato starch, beet juice extract (for color), ascorbic acid (to maintain color), annatto extract (for color), citrus fruit extract (to maintain quality), and vegetable glycerin.
Let's get started!
Print📖 Recipe
Extra "Beefy" Above + Beyond Vegetarian Tacos
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 10 Tacos (depending on extra fillings available)
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This quick and easy Beyond Taco meat recipe has a super beefy and slightly charbroiled taste. I've added a few extra ingredients and seasonings to give this veggie meat an even beefier taco flavor that makes it taste even more convincingly like regular all-beef tacos.
Ingredients
- 11-ounce package of Beyond Mince "meat" (300g)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 to 3 scallions, sliced (save some green parts for tossing into the finished meat)
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (4g)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (4g)
- ½ teaspoon regular paprika (2g)
- pinch of garlic powder (or more to taste)
- pinch of turmeric (optional but recommended)
- ½ teaspoon Worchestershire sauce, or more to taste (3g)
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste (5g)
- 2 tablespoons water (30g)
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional but recommended)
- crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
- a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or other oil (for cooking the "meat")
- 8 to 10 fresh blue corn tortillas (or your favorite flour or crunchy taco shells)
- homemade quick salsa
- homemade pineapple-cilantro salsa
- homemade avocado-lime crema
- homemade guacamole
- homemade pico de gallo
- 1 recipe smokey quick pickled red onions
- homemade smoky fire-roasted bell peppers
- homemade caramelized onions
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Blister the garlic and sauté the scallions. Add the smashed garlic cloves and a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté until golden brown and blistered on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the scallions (reserving a handful of the green parts for the end) and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the garlic or smash it into the meat in the next step. Stir in the cilantro if using.
- Cook the Beyond "meat". Add the Beyond "meat" to the skillet along with the cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, regular paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric. Smash and break it up with the back of a spoon or fork. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the spices are evenly distributed and the "meat" starts to change color.
- Finish the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes more. Add the Worcestershire sauce and water, stir quickly to combine, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until glossy and the consistency you want.
- Season and serve. Adjust with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Toss in the reserved green scallion tops, stir, and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Tacos
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 Tacos
Rebecca says
Made the tacos today. LOVED IT! Really loved the way you said to cook the garlic! Never had thought bout doing it that way before totally will be using it again.
Loved adding the seasoning in right away. Think that and the garlic it really covered the smell and I didn’t even notice it.
12/10 will make again!