Homemade tempeh chorizo tacos with fresh tortillas makes your next fiesta exceptionally delicious! Loaded with bold spices these tacos are hearty, healthy and perfect for topping how you like.
I am always looking for ways to step up our taco night and making homemade gluten free corn tortillas from scratch has been on my ‘to do list’ for years! Combined with a tempeh chorizo filling, these vegan tempeh chorizo tacos are out of this world good.
We have vegan tacos or a huge taco salad topped with crunchy tortillas at least twice a week, so I knew adding homemade tortillas to our taco rotation, would really make dinnertime special. I was not sure, though, how to achieve a perfectly round yet thin, fresh tortilla. Enter in the Cast Iron Tortilla Press by Uno Casa. Fresh corn tortillas are easy to make when you have a tortilla press!
The tortilla press by Uno Casa is made with cast iron which means I can also cook my tortillas right on the press when heated on the stovetop. When I can use one piece of kitchen cookware for multiple things, it makes me super happy, because even though I love to cook, I don’t want to spend all my time cleaning up the kitchen.
I would consider this taco recipe a ‘special’ dinner recipe! While I did pull off this amazing recipe for a weeknight dinner, it did take longer than my normal dinner prep due to the multiple steps for making the tempeh chorizo and homemade tortillas – but rest assured it is VERY well worth it. When I make this recipe again, it will be during the weekend when I have more idle time or even time to meal prep it, so I can quickly put it together for a busy weeknight. This vegan recipe would also be fun to make for a Superbowl or holiday party!
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Chorizo Tacos
- Hearty, healthy and plant based: The nutrient dense filling is made with tempeh! It’s a great alternative to the classic chorizo cured meat.
- Flavorful: The spices are bold, spicy and have so much flavor! Omnivores and carnivores alike will enjoy these.
- Impressive: Making homemade tortillas from scratch is easier than you think and will impress your family or dinner guests!
- Versatile: In a hurry, skip the homemade tortillas. It’s just as great with store bought!
- Make ahead: The vegan chorizo tacos filling can be made ahead up to 4 days or frozen for 3 months.
Ingredients
- Tempeh: Find this in the refrigerated section located near the tofu.
- Baby bella mushrooms: Baby portebello mushrooms add some extra bulk to the chorizo taco filling. You can use any button mushrooms you would like.
- Onion: White onion adds savory taste and balances out the flavors.
- Dried peppers: Dried red chili peppers and Mexican dried chili pepper can be found in the produce section. These add so much flavor! Use dried peppers of choice to adjust the spiciness.
- Spices: Cumin, coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, allspice and cloves are used to recreate a similar chorizo taste.
- Homemade tortillas: Masa harina, water, salt, cumin, coriander and chili powder.
How to Make Vegan Tempeh Chorizo Tacos
These chorizo tacos can also be made and consumed in one night! You will want to give yourself extra time to make this vegan taco dinner, but it is well worth it because you will have an amazing dinner when everything is ready!
First, I would prep your tortilla dough. Your seasoned tortilla dough is best when it gets to ‘rest’ for 30 minutes. While your dough rests, you can prep your chorizo tempeh taco filling.
- Make your dough: Mix the masa harina, salt and spices together in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Using your hands, knead the dough for a minute or two in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and rest the dough for 15 to 30 minutes, then form the dough into golf size sized balls.
- Press dough into tortilla: Place the ball of dough on the parchment covered tortilla press in the middle of the press. Add another piece of parchment paper over the top of the dough. Bring the top of the press down over the dough, then press with the handle to flatten the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. If the tortilla doesn’t look quite even after pressing or you’d like it a little thinner, rotate the tortilla on the press and re-press.
- Cook tortillas: Place your tortilla press on the stove top and heat the cast iron. Place your tortilla into the press. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges are starting to curl up and the bottoms look dry. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. As you take cooked tortillas off the griddle, stack them up and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. The tortillas will continue to steam and soften inside the towel as you finish cooking the rest.
- Make your tempeh chorizo taco filling: Toast your dried chilies in a hot skillet for 30–60 seconds. then place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak in the water for 15 minute, then add the chilies to a blender with onion, spices and lime juice. Blend and then pour over your tempeh and chopped mushrooms to marinate. Cook tempeh mixture in your skillet over medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent burning. Serve with all your favorite taco toppings!
More Ways to Use the Filling
I love to serve the taco filling in a corn tortilla with chopped tomatoes, red onion, fresh jalapeño slices, shredded lettuce and creamy guacamole. Here are some more fun ways to use the vegan chorizo!
- Layered Taco Salad Bake: Swap it for the refried beans or add it in addition too!
- Easy Tofu Scramble: Transform this tofu scramble into a hash. You could even add some hash browns!
- Nachos: Make some nachos! Layer your favorite chips, dairy free cheese and this chorizo. Bake in the oven until hot and the cheese has melted.
- Sweet Potato Taco Bowl: Add this spicy taco filling to a taco salad, so good!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
To make ahead this Mexican taco recipe for a party or vegan fiesta, I would recommend making the vegan chorizo ahead of time and then keep it warm in a small crockpot. Alternately, you can make the filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the filling in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Next, I would make the tortilla dough and set it aside to rest. Wait to press the dough until the party guests arrive! Each guest could press their own tortilla away from the stovetop and then someone else could be at the stovetop frying the tortillas as they come off the press. As they come off the griddle, wrap the warm tortillas in a towel to steam. When all the tortillas are done being pressed and then cooked, guests will have a build your own vegan taco bar complete with all the toppings!
Alternately, for plant based taco meal prep, I would go ahead and press your tortillas and make them in your griddle up to 3 days before you plan to eat them. Just store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them for your taco recipe. You can reheat them in the microwave and you are good to go with a fresh tortilla! You could also turn your fresh tortillas into crispy tortilla chips using our homemade tortilla chip recipe.
FAQs
If you have leftovers, both the tempeh chorizo and fresh homemade tortillas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days separately. Have tacos one night and make a taco bowl the next night! Or use your leftovers for a fabulous plant based taco lunch.
You could also turn your fresh tortillas into chips, using our simple baked homemade tortilla chips!
No! Feel free to use your favorite corn tortillas or even soft tortillas.
It may work but I haven’t tried it.
If you would like too go ahead! Make these vegan chorizo tacos your own.
More Vegan Taco Recipes
This post was sponsored by Uno Casa cookware, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Vegan Tempeh Chorizo Tacos
Ingredients
Homemade Seasoned Tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Tempeh Chorizo
- 1 8 ounces package tempeh
- 1 8 ounces package baby bella mushrooms
- 2 dried red chili peppers
- 1 New Mexico dried chili pepper , medium or large sized
- 1/4 cup white onion , chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoon reserved chili pepper water
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce , or tamari
Taco toppings: Chopped Tomatoes, Jalapeno, Red Onion, Cilantro, Guacamole, Salsa
Instructions
Homemade Seasoned Tortillas
- Mix the masa harina, salt and spices together in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and stir to combine.
- Using your hands, knead the dough for a minute or two in the bowl. The dough is ready when it’s smooth, but no longer sticky, and easy forms a ball in your hand.
- If the dough absorbs all the water but is still dry and crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time. If the dough feels sticky, paste-like, or gummy, add more masa a tablespoon at a time.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and rest the dough for 15 to 30 minutes. This gives the masa time to fully absorb the water and improves the taste and texture of the tortillas.
- Pinch off a few tablespoons of dough and roll it between your hands to form a ball roughly the size of a golf ball. This will make roughly a 6-inch tortilla – adjust the amount of dough you use to make larger or smaller tortillas. This recipe will make between 10- 12 tortillas.
- Place the ball of dough on the parchment covered tortilla press in the middle of the press. Add another piece of parchment paper over the top of the dough. Bring the top of the press down over the dough, then press with the handle to flatten the dough to about 1/8-inch thick. If the tortilla doesn’t look quite even after pressing or you’d like it a little thinner, rotate the tortilla on the press and re-press.
- Peel away the tortilla off the parchment paper.
- You can either cook the tortillas as you press them, or you can press all the tortillas and then cook them right on the cast iron press. Keep both the dough and the stack of pressed tortillas covered with clean towels.
- Warm a large, flat cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Alternately, use your cast iron press to cook them! Place the press on the stove top and heat the cast iron. When ready, a few drops of water flicked onto the surface of your cookware should sizzle immediately and you should be able to hold your hand an inch above the surface for just a second or two.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the edges are starting to curl up and the bottoms look dry. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. When done, both sides should be dry to the touch and beginning to show some brown, toasted spots. If using your cast iron press, the press will continue to get hot, so the process might go faster! Watch your tortillas carefully.
- As you take cooked tortillas off the griddle, stack them up and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. The tortillas will continue to steam and soften inside the towel as you finish cooking the rest.
- Fresh corn tortillas are best when they’re just off the griddle and still warm, but leftover tortillas are good too! Let any leftovers cool completely, still wrapped in the towel, then put them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tempeh Chorizo Taco Filling
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly toast chilies on the hot skillet for 30–60 seconds. Place chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak in the water for 15 minutes.
- While chilies soak, crumble your tempeh and slice your baby bella mushrooms. Place in a bowl and add soy sauce (or tamari) and water.
- Drain chilis, reserving 3 tablespoons of water. Add chilie’s to a blender with onion, spices and reserved water and lime juice.
- Add chili paste to bowl of crumbled tempeh and mushroom mix and let it marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Cook tempeh mixture in your skillet used in step 1 over medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Pro tip: As your water evaporates in your skillet, add a small amount of water to your blender, swish around and add that liquid a teaspoon at a time to the skillet.
Assemble Your Vegan Tacos
- Fill your warm tortilla with crumbled tempeh chorizo and add in additional toppings!
- Enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
